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Technology

Bitcoin Payments App Strike Expands to More Than 65 Countries From Three

Strike, led by Jack Mallers, currently operates in the U.S. and El Salvador. Now it's pushing into new markets in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Caribbean – from Antigua and Barbuda to Vanuatu and Zambia.

By Frederick Munawa
AccessTimeIconMay 19, 2023 at 8:58 p.m. UTC
Updated May 22, 2023 at 7:26 p.m. UTC
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MIAMI BEACH, Florida – The Bitcoin-focused payments firm Strike is expanding its app to more than 65 countries from the current base of the U.S. and El Salvador.

Strike CEO Jack Mallers made the announcement on Friday at the Bitcoin 2023 conference in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Strike app uses Bitcoin and Lightning – a secondary network for cheaper and faster bitcoin transactions – to offer global payment and cross-border money transfer services. The app now sports a brand new user interface and also gives users the ability to hold funds in bitcoin (BTC) and tether (USDT).

Read more: Strike Expands Lightning Network-Powered Remittances to Philippines

Strike says the expansion will increase its total addressable market to almost 3 billion people.

“Our end goal is to address the 7 to 8 billion people in every single country,” said Manuela Rios, Strike’s vice president of product, in an interview with CoinDesk.

Rios says the app’s new user interface will feature a seamless onboarding experience, something she said the company has been working on for years.

“If you are in the United States the apps are gorgeous; there's a really high bar for design,” Rios explained. “Unfortunately that's not the case when you download apps abroad.”

UPDATE (May 20, 2023, 00:23 UTC): Updates countries in which Strike operates.

Edited by Bradley Keoun.

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Frederick Munawa
Frederick Munawa

Frederick Munawa was a Technology Reporter for Coindesk. He covered blockchain protocols with a specific focus on bitcoin and bitcoin-adjacent networks.

Follow @FrederickMunawa on Twitter

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