Twitter users can now send Bitcoin (BTC) with a single tweet, after digital payments app Bottlepay launched its integrated Bitcoin social media feature.
Transactions between Twitter users can now apparently take place using the simple tweet template “@bottlepay send 1,000 sats to @twitteruser.” The command can be executed from directly within the Twitter app, and the Bitcoin is transferred from one user to another automatically.
Bottlepay describes itself as a global payments disruptor, and raised $15 million in a seed funding round towards the end of February. The Bottlepay app can also be used with other social media platforms, such as Reddit and Discord. The beta version of the app reportedly attracted 20,000 users without marketing and processed $2.4 million worth of transactions in just over a month since launching on Feb. 10.
Given the extent to which Bitcoin transaction fees exploded from 2020 into 2021, the coin’s suitability for use in a daily, social payments app could reasonably be brought into question. Bottlepay circumvents Bitcoin’s high transaction fees by using the Lightning Network, a second-layer solution that avoids network congestion by taking BTC transactions off-chain.
“Bottlepay’s social Bitcoin payments are a much-needed update on the clunky, outdated payment systems available up until now, and a leap towards smoother, easier transactions,” said Bottlepay CEO Mark Webster.
