Innovation has been a key part of SoFi Technologies' incredible success. The thriving fintech enterprise is always thinking ahead in an effort to provide its 12.6 million members with new ways to handle their finances. That philosophy has driven huge revenue growth over the years.
The digital banking powerhouse recently proved its product development prowess. In a related way, that move might demonstrate that the ultimate cryptocurrency has a clear use case.
Image source: SoFi Technologies.
Using the Lightning network to send money across borders
In August last year, SoFi announced a partnership with payments start-up Lightspark to provide cheap and fast cross-border payments capabilities using Bitcoin (BTC 5.94%) directly within the SoFi app. Founded in 2022 by former Meta Platforms executive David Marcus, Lightspark will essentially control the plumbing, as it's an infrastructure provider that connects financial institutions around the world.
This service, which will launch in Mexico first (before other countries are added), will leverage the Lightning network. This is a layer-2 scaling solution that increases speed and lowers costs, without the need to immediately settle transactions on the Bitcoin base layer.
The way it works is quite simple. Someone here in the U.S. has dollars that are converted to Bitcoin. They are then sent across the Lightning network. The Bitcoin is converted into the recipient's currency and deposited into that person's bank account.
In 2024, $63 billion in remittances was sent from the U.S. to Mexico. That's a sizable market just between this corridor, to say nothing of the activity in other countries. And given that people are usually forced to pay high fees and have to wait days for settlement, this offering by SoFi can be a winner.
It will be interesting to hear management speak about adoption going forward. If it's successful, other financial institutions could follow suit. At the end of the day, what matters most is the user experience and whether or not consumers see a clear value proposition here.
CRYPTO: BTC
Key Data Points
Adding utility for the world's dominant cryptocurrency
For Bitcoin, the potential to prove its technology is huge. Throughout its history and even today, the world's leading cryptocurrency has primarily been viewed as a tool for financial gains. And it makes sense why; Bitcoin's price has skyrocketed almost 23,000% in the past decade, making it one of the top assets to have owned.
Strong adoption of SoFi's latest feature could shine light on the digital asset's ability to transfer value to someone else seamlessly. Consumers can benefit. But the businesses that provide this type of service can gain as well with more users. And for Bitcoin, these fast and cheap cross-border transactions can drive more demand and volume, which can support higher prices over time.
