Hi Lightning Payers!
Welcome to a new kind of newsletter from Lightning Pay — one where we go a little more in-depth on Bitcoin and related topics.
First up is a question that comes up often, both online and in person: why is Lightning Pay Bitcoin-only?
When people bring it up, they’re usually really asking one of two things:
- Aren’t you leaving money on the table by not selling USDT, ETH, SOL and other cryptocurrencies?
- Why are you such “toxic Bitcoin maxis”?
When the question of Lightning Pay opening up to other cryptocurrencies came up online recently, Brandon, our CEO, responded like this:
“Because we’re focusing on one problem.
The world needs better money.
This problem is far bigger and the solution more valuable than the supposed goals of all other cryptocurrencies, combined.”
Lightning Pay is Bitcoin-only because we’re solving for money and wealth preservation, not speculation.
Broken money is a $200 Trillion USD problem. It matters. Crypto is building a better… what? asset exchange? Ok. not a trillion dollar problem. Neither is memes. Monkey pictures certainly are not. Are they a combined $1T problem? hard to say.
Here’s what we do think is important:
- Saving > speculating. People who steadily save in Bitcoin tend to do better than those sitting in cash that’s eroded by inflation, or buying into faddish tokens that often underperform and never recover. We’re here to help you improve your purchasing power and grow your wealth, not gamble it.
- Rules, not rulers. Bitcoin is a neutral, open protocol with a fixed supply and no insiders. Changes require broad, global consensus — an effectively immutable monetary policy. By contrast, many crypto projects are shaped by foundations and early investors who can tilt supply, governance and incentives — too often treating everyday investors as exit liquidity. We’re not playing that game.
- No risk of rug pulls. Because most cryptocurrencies are run by foundations or companies, they can — and do — abuse their access to the big red button of money printing for their own gain. Look at Ripple — 100B XRP were created at inception; founders gifted 80B to Ripple, and later 55B were placed into escrow that can release up to 1B per month. That kind of central allocation and release schedule concentrates decision-making and creates ongoing supply overhang — the opposite of Bitcoin’s fixed, credibly neutral issuance.
- Aligned incentives. We don’t launch tokens or chase fads. Our sole focus is making it simple and low-friction to buy Bitcoin and withdraw to your own wallet or Lightning address.
Our promise: clear thinking, simple rules, and a product designed to help you preserve and grow wealth over time — not chase the next hype cycle.
If “better money” is what you’re solving for too, we’d love to have you with us.
— The Lightning Pay team
P.S. We’re not trying to dunk on anyone’s preferences for Tradfi or crypto - you can do you. Just drawing a clear line. At Lightning Pay we’re focused — on purpose.