{"id":103662,"date":"2025-08-20T04:45:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/?p=103662"},"modified":"2025-08-20T04:46:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:46:02","slug":"sofi-becomes-first-bank-with-bitcoin-lightning-uma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/sofi-becomes-first-bank-with-bitcoin-lightning-uma\/","title":{"rendered":"SoFi Becomes First U.S. Bank with Bitcoin Lightning and UMA Integration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>SoFi Technologies is set to make history by becoming the first U.S. bank to integrate Bitcoin\u2019s Lightning Network and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uma.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.uma.me\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Universal Money Address (UMA)<span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><g id=\"wpil-svg-outbound-7-icon-path\" fill=\"none\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_31_188)\">\r\n                            <path d=\"M9.16724 14.8891L20.1672 3.88908\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/>\r\n                            <path d=\"M13.4497 3.53554L20.5208 3.53554L20.5208 10.6066\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\r\n                            <path d=\"M17.5 13.5L17.5 16.26C17.5 17.4179 17.5 17.9968 17.2675 18.4359C17.0799 18.7902 16.7902 19.0799 16.4359 19.2675C15.9968 19.5 15.4179 19.5 14.26 19.5L7.74 19.5C6.58213 19.5 6.0032 19.5 5.56414 19.2675C5.20983 19.0799 4.92007 18.7902 4.73247 18.4359C4.5 17.9968 4.5 17.4179 4.5 16.26L4.5 9.74C4.5 8.58213 4.5 8.0032 4.73247 7.56414C4.92007 7.20983 5.20982 6.92007 5.56414 6.73247C6.0032 6.5 6.58213 6.5 7.74 6.5L11 6.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/>\r\n                        <\/g>\r\n                        <defs>\r\n                            <clipPath id=\"clip0_31_188\">\r\n                                <rect fill=\"white\" height=\"24\" width=\"24\"\/>\r\n                            <\/clipPath>\r\n                        <\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/a> system into its digital banking platform. The move signals a major shift in how mainstream banks approach blockchain technology, with a strong focus on making cross-border money transfers faster, cheaper, and more user-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" src=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unnamed-36.jpg\" alt=\"SoFi Becomes First U.S. Bank with Bitcoin Lightning and UMA Integration\" class=\"wp-image-103663\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">SoFi Becomes First U.S. Bank with Bitcoin Lightning and UMA Integration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Transforming Global Remittances<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The global remittance market continues to grow rapidly, with millions relying on international money transfers to support family and business needs. SoFi\u2019s new service is designed to address some of the biggest challenges: slow processing times, high fees, and a lack of transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the SoFi app, members will be able to send U.S. dollars that are instantly converted into Bitcoin, transferred across the Lightning Network, and converted back into the recipient\u2019s local currency within seconds. Thanks to UMA, users won\u2019t need to memorize complicated wallet addresses. Instead, they can send money using simple, email-style identifiers, making the process as easy as sending a text message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The entire system is built for speed and convenience. Transactions will clear in seconds, operate 24\/7 regardless of banking hours, and cost significantly less than traditional wire transfers. SoFi has also emphasized upfront transparency, with exchange rates and fees shown before a transfer is confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This launch represents SoFi\u2019s re-entry into the crypto space after stepping back during its transition to becoming a fully licensed bank. With this new feature, SoFi is showing that it intends to lead the way in bridging traditional finance with <a href=\"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/mastercard-jpmorgan-integrate-payment-solutions\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"100657\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blockchain-powered solutions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative also lays the foundation for other blockchain-related products the company could introduce, including trading, staking, or lending against digital assets. By starting with remittances, a use case with clear and immediate value, SoFi is positioning itself at the forefront of practical crypto adoption in banking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why UMA and Lightning Matter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Lightning Network is a Bitcoin scalability solution that allows for near-instant, low-cost transactions, while UMA simplifies the process by replacing long wallet addresses with user-friendly identifiers. Together, they make Bitcoin more usable as a payment rail rather than just an investment asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This integration shows how blockchain infrastructure evolves beyond speculation into real-world financial services. The benefit is clear for users: sending money abroad becomes as seamless as sending an email, without the high fees or long delays common in traditional remittance systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s Next for SoFi<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The service will first roll out for transfers to Mexico before expanding to additional countries. SoFi\u2019s nearly 12 million members will be able to join a waitlist for early access, with broader availability expected later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If successful, SoFi\u2019s adoption of Lightning and UMA could encourage more banks to explore blockchain technology for payments. It\u2019s a step toward making digital assets an everyday part of mainstream finance, delivering faster, cheaper, and more transparent services for millions of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SoFi Technologies is set to make history by becoming the first U.S. bank to integrate Bitcoin\u2019s Lightning Network and the Universal Money Address (UMA) system into its digital banking platform. The move signals a major shift in how mainstream banks approach blockchain technology, with a strong focus on making cross-border money transfers faster, cheaper, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":103663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[12179,17410,23464],"class_list":["post-103662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bitcoin-lightning","tag-sofi","tag-uma-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unnamed-36.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coinscreed.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}