MicroStrategy, a business intelligence software firm co-founded by Michael Saylor, a Bitcoin bull, has integrated the Bitcoin (BTC) Lightning Network into its corporate email address. Saylor, who now serves as the executive chairman at MicroStrategy, shared a screenshot on April 17th of transactions sent to his corporate email address in the form of Satoshis or “Sats” – the smallest denomination of Bitcoin. The integration is enabled by the Lightning Address protocol, which allows users to link an “Internet Identifier” such as an email address, instead of having to copy wallet addresses or use QR codes. Fans of the Bitcoin bull have been transferring him 21 Satoshis as a way to test out the feature.
It is unclear if the feature has been integrated into all corporate emails at the firm. The Lightning Network is a popular Bitcoin layer 2 scaling solution that is capable of processing 1 million transactions per second (TPS) for a base fee of 1 Satoshi, or around four cents. Saylor has been the mastermind behind MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin investment strategy that aims to strengthen the firm’s balance sheet. MicroStrategy has spent $4.17 billion to accumulate 140,000 BTC since the company began buying in March 2021. The firm’s average purchase price is $29,800 according to data from Buy Bitcoin Worldwide.
With the price of Bitcoin currently sitting at $29,400, MicroStrategy is down a mere 1.3% on its total investment. However, the firm was in the green again for a short period of time last week when Bitcoin broke through the $30,000 mark. Saylor believes that integrating payment systems and upgrading business models based on Bitcoin and Lightning is a great way to reduce dependence on Big Tech, Big Banking, and Big Advertising. He also believes that Lightning is an open, ethical, scalable way to move money everywhere on earth, without gatekeepers.
Cointelegraph contacted MicroStrategy for comment on its plans to integrate the Lightning Network in more of its corporate email addresses but did not receive an immediate response. It is interesting to note that Bitcoin is being used in Senegal, an African country. The country is using BTC for cross-border transactions and to provide financial services to those who are unbanked. The use of Bitcoin in Senegal highlights the need for financial inclusion in the country.
In conclusion, the integration of the Lightning Network into MicroStrategy’s corporate email address is a significant development in the world of Bitcoin. It is a step towards making Bitcoin more accessible and easier to use. Saylor’s investment strategy has proven to be successful so far, and it will be interesting to see how MicroStrategy continues to integrate Bitcoin and Lightning into its business model.
