Share this article

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|Edited by Bradley Keoun

Updated May 22, 2023, 7:26 p.m. Published May 19, 2023, 8:58 p.m.

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.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the The Protocol Newsletter today. See all newsletters

By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

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).

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.

Lightning Network Strike Jack Mallers Bitcoin

Frederick Munawa

Frederick Munawa was a Technology Reporter for Coindesk. He covered blockchain protocols with a specific focus on bitcoin and bitcoin-adjacent networks. Prior to his work in the blockchain space, he worked at the Royal Bank of Canada, Fidelity Investments, and several other global financial institutions. He has a background in Finance and Law, with an emphasis on technology, investments, and securities regulation. Frederick owns units of the CI Bitcoin ETF fund above Coindesk’s $1,000 disclosure threshold.