You may have read and seen the amazing payment system devised by the guys at Strike Global which enables micropayments to be sent across the world almost instantaneously using cryptocurrency - the founder, Jack Maller's Medium post is well worth a read.
With the introduction of this new technology, the days of Transferwise (or as it's now called 'Wise') and Western Union look limited.
Watch this short video to get an idea of the potential of Strike's new payment system:
But there is now a new kid on the block from the UK.
Step forward 'Bottlepay'.
Bottlepay will allow users to download an app (now available in iOS and Android) and be able to send micro payments via tweets and texts.
Yes, you read that right, you will be able to send payments to other users on Twitter directly, without the need for a bank.
True story. And here's how:@bottlepay send [amount] sats to [@ recipient]
— Bottlepay (
More info here - https://t.co/ige9V47COp
⚡️😎🚀#bitcoin #socialmedia #payments https://t.co/iyFBbZq16N) March 18, 2021
Making payments super easy without the need for a bank is what they are calling the start of the 'Bottleverse'!
From their blog:
Money meets Social Media
By now, we're all used to sending money digitally, but making a simple payment can often mean using multiple apps to complete the process. What if there was one app where you could quickly send funds through a simple text or tweet?
Insert Bottlepay. Simply connect the app to some of your favourite social platforms, and start sending funds to anyone, anywhere, anytime. This is especially cool for the creative industries – just think of all the people you’d want to support with zero transaction fees: artists, content creators, open-source contributors, and non-profit organisations.
As with Strike Global, Bottlepay is using the Lightning network to facilitate fast and cheap transfer of bitcoin.
And there's more:
Flexible Payments
Payments are now tailored to you. Just customise the way you want to receive funds, and we'll take care of the rest; for example, if your contact sends you bitcoin, you can choose to receive it as GBP. And of course, that also works the other way around.
In cases where someone is already bitcoin-savvy, they can customise the app so that all of the payments they receive are swapped for bitcoins automatically.
As we add additional currencies to the app, Bottlepayers will have even greater control over their funds, where everyone can receive only the currency they want. The best part? Transactions happen instantly and in real-time - no more waiting around.
As per CoinTelegraph:
Bottlepay describes itself as a global payments disruptor, and raised $15 million in a seed funding round towards the end of February. The Bottlepay app can also be used with other social media platforms, such as Reddit and Discord. The beta version of the app reportedly attracted 20,000 users without marketing and processed $2.4 million worth of transactions in just over a month since launching on Feb. 10.
It's currently available in the UK and Ireland with plans to expand rapidly. Technology in the space is evolving at break neck speed!