UK fintech giant Revolut has partnered with Lightspark to bring Lightning Network support for Bitcoin (BTC) payments to users in the UK and select European Economic Area countries, the companies announced on May 7.
The integration enables near-instant, low-cost Bitcoin transactions for Revolut users by leveraging Lightspark’s enterprise-grade infrastructure. It marks a major milestone for the neobank, which is increasingly expanding its crypto functionality beyond trading and custody.
Emil Urmanshin, general manager of crypto at Revolut, said:
“Integrating with Lightspark is a natural step forward. We’re always looking for ways to offer faster and more affordable financial solutions — and their approach to global transactions enables us to do exactly that.”
The Lightning Network is a layer-2 protocol built on top of Bitcoin’s base chain. It is designed to improve transaction speed and reduce network fees. By tapping into this technology, Revolut joins a growing list of fintech companies adopting decentralized payment rails for practical use cases.
Lightspark CEO and co-founder David Marcus praised Revolut for leading the charge in blockchain adoption for modern finance. He added that Bitcoin and blockchain-based infrastructure are the “future of money.”
According to Marcus:
“For too long, traditional banks have relied on outdated, slow, and expensive payment systems — akin to dial-up when the rest of the world uses 5G. In a world with a new, open Money Grid that enables instant, seamless transactions, we’re excited to see a global fintech such as Revolut lead the way.”
Lightspark’s platform also supports Universal Money Address (UMA), a new payment protocol that functions like an email address. UMA-compatible wallets allow users to send and receive funds using simple, human-readable identifiers.
Revolut’s Lightning rollout will begin with users in the UK and select EEA markets, with broader expansion expected as infrastructure and compliance conditions evolve.
The move reflects growing momentum around the Lightning Network, as global financial players seek alternatives to slow and expensive legacy payment systems.
For Revolut, it’s another step in positioning itself as a crypto-forward platform offering faster, cheaper, and more flexible money movement.
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