Weekly Brief 2026/21 Cash App is giving 5% back for Lightning payments at Square sellers — no bitcoin required to start. Bitcoin Pizza Day hit five countries. Bootlegger Coffee rolled out Bitcoin checkout across 100+ South African locations. And a school in Uganda was built almost entirely in sats.

Weekly Brief 2026/21

Cash App introduced 5% back for Lightning payments at Square sellers while Bitcoin Pizza Day drove spending events across five countries, Bootlegge...

Huge milestone: 40 Million Kenyans now have a Bitcoin Lightning Address Simply using their current phone number. Smart analysis from @Destiny

40 Million Kenyans Now Have a Bitcoin Lightning Address. Here Is What That Actually Means.

M-Pesa has 40 million active users in Kenya. Every single one of them now has a Bitcoin Lightning Address.

Weekly Brief 2026/20 Every M-Pesa number in Kenya is now a Bitcoin Lightning Address — 40 million endpoints. Lightning volume hit $1B/month. Bolivia quadrupled its merchant count in a year. And LDK just released the server node that powers Cash App, Square, and Alby.

Weekly Brief 2026/20

Every M-Pesa number in Kenya is now a Bitcoin Lightning Address — 40 million endpoints where bitcoin arrives as KES. Lightning volume hit $1 bill...

Weekly Brief 2026/19 Pick n Pay is accepting Bitcoin at thousands of South African stores. BTCPay reported $40M processed by one operator in six months. BTC Map logged 2,500 net new merchants in April. The numbers are compounding.

Weekly Brief 2026/19

Pick n Pay is accepting Bitcoin at thousands of South African stores while BTCPay Server reported $40 million in payments processed by a single ope...

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Pick n Pay Adds Bitcoin at Thousands of Stores. The Numbers Are Compounding

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# Weekly Brief 2026/19 Pick n Pay is accepting Bitcoin at thousands of stores across South Africa.

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Weekly Brief 2026/15 Hundreds of South African fuel stations go Lightning-friendly. Square confirms 100% default enablement for new U.S. sellers. And Arnhem Bitcoin City — running since 2014 — keeps quietly adding merchants.

Wochenbericht 2026/15

Hunderte südafrikanischer Tankstellen werden dank Engen Lightning, während Kenias Kreislaufwirtschaft beweist, dass Bitcoin für Lebensmittel, Wa...

Weekly Brief 2026/14 Square started auto-enabling Bitcoin payments for millions of U.S. sellers. Bolivia passed 105 merchants with its first business in Oruro. In Zambia, a remote market is accepting Bitcoin on dumb phones.

Weekly Brief 2026/14

Square begins auto-enabling Bitcoin payments for millions of U.S. sellers as Bolivia passes 105 merchants, Ghana's Akatsi shows clustered Lightning...

Weekly Brief 2026/13 Zambia's Livingstone has 115+ Bitcoin merchants in a city of 177,000 — verified at restaurants, markets, and the airport. Guatemala completed its first Lightning transactions. In rural Kenya, a savings group bought a goat and a mattress with sats.

Weekly Brief 2026/13

Zambia's Livingstone logs 115+ Bitcoin merchants in a city of 177,000 as Guatemala completes its first Lightning transactions and Kenya's Bitcoin C...

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Weekly Brief 2026/12 Square is planning to auto-enable Lightning for more than 4 million eligible merchants on March 30. Bolivia's Bitcoin merchant network hits 86. And in Kenya, Bitcoin is now buying groceries, water, and snacks at 30-shilling ticket sizes.

Weekly Brief 2026/12

Square is planning to auto-enable Lightning payments across more than 4 million eligible merchants on March 30 — while Bolivia's Bitcoin merchant...

Weekly Brief 2026/11 Bringin just gave any euro bank account its own Lightning address — sats in, euros out via SEPA, no exchange required. In Kenya, lunch at two Nairobi restaurants: buyer paid in Bitcoin, merchants received shillings, zero fees. Bitcoin payments advancing through rails that already exist.

Weekly Brief 2026/11

Bringin gave any euro bank account its own Lightning address, settling sats as standard SEPA transfers. Meanwhile in Kenya, a buyer paid for lunch ...

Ever wondered how a global wallet like Blink scans local, proprietary QR codes at retailers like Pick n Pay? 🇿🇦⚡️ It’s all thanks to a "hacky" yet brilliant Lightning Address-based integration that uses just 3 lines of code. No complex third-party APIs — just open-source permissionless innovation meeting merchants where they’re at. Get the technical story behind the MoneyBadger bridge:

Lightning Wallet Integration: The 3-Line Solution Behind MoneyBadger

An interview with MoneyBadger’s CEO, Carel van Wyk, reveals the secrets behind their software.

"How do I withdraw Bitcoin to my bank account?" 🏦🤔 We get this question a lot! While direct bank withdrawals are currently paused due to regulatory hurdles, there are plenty of safe, practical ways to use and convert your sats today. Our new guide covers it all:

How to Buy, Sell, and Withdraw Bitcoin with Blink Wallet

Blink Wallet doesn’t support direct fiat withdrawals yet. Learn practical ways to use Bitcoin through peer-to-peer methods, spending services, an...

Weekly Brief 2026/10 Uganda hosts a 5-day Lightning Developer Bootcamp. Lugano marks four years of Plan ₿. Indiana passes a "Bitcoin Bill of Rights." And Lille launched France's first community Cashu mint.

Weekly Brief 2026/10

Uganda hosts a five-day Lightning Developer Bootcamp while Lugano marks four years of Plan ₿ and Indiana codifies the right to self-custody and t...

Financial sovereignty is transforming Kibera 🇰🇪✨ From a waste management program to a thriving Bitcoin circular economy, Ronnie Mdawida and @Afribit Kibera team are proving that sats can build dignity where traditional systems fail. Read the full story:

Building Bitcoin from the Ground Up: How Afribit Kibera Is Turning a Slum Into a Bitcoin Circular Economy

Inside the grassroots Bitcoin circular economy quietly transforming Kibera, one of Africa's largest informal settlements, a conversation with Ronni...

Weekly Brief 2026/09 Lightning crosses a reported $1B in monthly volume. Numo launches open-source tap-to-pay for Bitcoin. Bolivia's tracked merchant count hits 77. And kids in South Africa are earning and spending sats every week.

Weekly Brief 2026/09

Lightning crosses a reported $1 billion in monthly volume as Numo launches open-source tap-to-pay for Bitcoin and Bolivia's tracked merchant count ...

Weekly Brief 2026/08 South Africa just launched a Bitcoin-only online marketplace — no rands accepted. Lightning moved 15,000 BTC in a month. And circular economies from El Salvador to Mozambique are handling everything from coffee tours to cyclone relief.

Weekly Brief 2026/08

South Africa is piloting a Bitcoin-only online marketplace as Lightning moves 15,000 BTC in a month and circular economies from El Salvador to Moza...

Weekly Brief 2026/07 Cash App drops Lightning fees for millions of users. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic launches its own Bitcoin wallet and Lightning node, and BTC Map adds 1,200 new merchants in a single month. Full Brief:

Weekly Brief 2026/07

Cash App drops Lightning fees for millions of users as the Dominican Republic launches sovereign Bitcoin infrastructure and BTC Map crosses 1,200 n...

Real Bitcoin circular economies don’t grow like mushrooms. 🍄🚫 In our latest post, Hermann Buhr Vivier shares the "No Mushroom" philosophy: why sustainable adoption is a long game built on 15+ years of trust, not just vanity metrics. 🌍⚡️ Read more:

Building Sustainable Bitcoin Circular Economies

Hermann Buhr Vivier on the long Game of Bitcoin circular economies - Africa Bitcoin Conference 2025

Weekly Brief 2026/06 From sub-second $1M settlements to township circular economies: We cover the African Bitcoin Circular Economy Summit, 700k new touchpoints in SA, and a record Blink batch payout to 8 countries. Full Brief:

Weekly Brief 2026/06

Lightning proves its institutional power with a $1M sub-second settlement while local communities in Khayelitsha and Kibera standardize daily Bitco...

Weekly Brief 2026/05 Bitcoin adoption is moving from pilot projects to national-scale infrastructure. ⚙️⚡️ This week’s brief tracks 700,000 new merchant touchpoints in South Africa and a reported 18% sales lift for a major restaurant chain. Read the full analysis of this week’s global signals:

Weekly Brief 2026/05

From 18% Sales Growth at Steak 'n Shake to 700,000 Merchant Locations in South Africa: Bitcoin Adoption is Going Vertical.