Payments shop Strike raises $80 million in Bitcoin maximalist flex
- Crystal Kim, author of Axios Crypto
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Strike, the mobile payments app that facilitates instant transactions via blockchain, has raised another $80 million in fundraising in a show of Bitcoin maximalist strength.
Why it matters: Strike is making the cumbersome digital asset "go" by using the Lightning Network, a layer 2 that enables faster and cheaper transactions — that its CEO Jack Mallers thinks could eventually make the crypto world more accessible to normal people.
Details: The Series B funding round was led by Ten31, a venture capital firm that only invests in bitcoin-native companies. (Thus named after the publication date of the Bitcoin whitepaper penned by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto.)
- Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Wyoming, as well as existing investors, participated.
- Of note: Recall Mallers and Strike were instrumental in enabling El Salvador's Nayib Bukele bitcoin vision, though, it isn't exactly the best "crypto is working" example.
The big picture: Bitcoin's Lightning Network is being embraced by others including trading platform Robinhood and Jack Dorsey's Block, previously known as Square.
What they're saying: “We’re moving full speed ahead not just to integrate Strike’s revolutionary payments with leading merchants, but globally,” Mallers said in a statement, touting financial inclusion.
- Strike expects to use the fresh capital to continue on its growth spurt, expand on existing partnerships and launch new ones, the company said.
Between the lines: Strike struck a deal with e-commerce juggernaut Shopify that same month, in a step that would allow more U.S. merchants and customers to transact using their app.
- The firm also partnered with point-of-sale provider NCR and payments company Blackhawk to smooth the integration.
What others are saying: Strike could eventually rival even Visa, according to a Morgan Stanley report published in April.
- Yes, but: The Lightning Network has its share of issues.
The bottom line: Payments is one of the few crypto categories still securing funding, in spite of the crypto winter and markets mayhem.