"The First in the U.S." Digital Bank SoFi Integrates Bitcoin Lightning Network: Achieving Instant Cross-Border Remittances with Low Fees Era

SoFi Bank collaborates with Lightspark to introduce the Bitcoin Lightning Network and UMA, announcing that cross-border remittances officially enter a new era of seconds-level transactions and low costs. (Background: CryptoQuant analyst: Bitcoin returns to the 115,000 level, futures cool down! Waiting for the Federal Reserve's speech on Friday) (Background information: U.S. policy bomb proposal: Suggesting Trump to use tariffs from other countries to "increase the position in Bitcoin," ensuring USA's greatness) U.S. digital bank SoFi announced on the 19th that it has partnered with cryptocurrency payment infrastructure provider Lightspark to be the first to deeply integrate the Bitcoin Lightning Network and universal currency address (UMA) into mainstream banking services, bringing a new vision to the global remittance market. According to the press release, this service will first launch on the SoFi App, targeting the cross-border remittance demand of $740.5 billion, challenging the pain points of traditional finance with seconds-level speed and lower costs. SoFi + Lightspark = instant global payments. Send money abroad in seconds, right from the @sofi app, powered by UMA. Coming soon for → with more countries to follow. The future of global payments is here: pic.twitter.com/GFVq4KhoxF — Lightspark (@lightspark) August 19, 2025 SoFi and Lightspark embed on-chain infrastructure into international remittances. In the past, banks involved in blockchain mostly remained at providing buying or custody functions. This time, SoFi directly embeds on-chain infrastructure into the core process of international remittance, becoming the first among major banks in the U.S. For immigrants and cross-border workers who need to remit frequently, this is equivalent to upgrading bumpy country roads to toll-free highways. Data from the World Bank indicates that the global average remittance cost is about 6.5%, with cumbersome procedures often taking days; SoFi states that the new on-chain solution can reduce the time to a few seconds and costs below the market average. Technical breakdown: How the Lightning Network and UMA achieve "seconds to account". The second-layer scaling solution Bitcoin Lightning Network can complete instant small payments without touching the mainchain. Lightspark's UMA allows users to receive and send payments through a simple e-mail-like address, eliminating lengthy bank codes. The actual process is that when the sender orders in U.S. dollars, the system immediately converts it to Bitcoin, transmits it via the Lightning Network, and then converts it back to fiat in the recipient's country for direct crediting. All exchange rates and fees are disclosed before confirmation, increasing transparency. SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said on the X platform: "For many SoFi members, being able to transfer money quickly at low cost is not only convenient but also a substantial improvement in daily life." For many SoFi members, sending money to family abroad isn’t optional – it’s essential. That’s why we partnered with @lightspark to power our soon-to-launch blockchain-enabled international money transfer service directly from the SoFi app. — Anthony Noto (@anthonynoto) August 19, 2025 Outlook: On-chain remittance is just the prologue. As technology spreads, the Lightning Network is expected to extend to B2B payments and supply chain finance, driving broader cost reductions and capital efficiency. SoFi's leadership symbolizes traditional finance officially opening the door to blockchain; and under the possible deregulation atmosphere of the Trump administration in 2025, similar attempts may accelerate. For users, future cross-border capital flows may be as instantaneous and low-cost as sending a message, and the landscape of global financial services is being redrawn at this moment. Related reports: Public medical company KindlyMD completes $200 million convertible bond: will be used to increase the position in Bitcoin, stock price falls instead of rising. Why has this round of Bitcoin bull market seen fewer retail investors as it breaks $100,000 and remains unasked for a hundred days? MicroStrategy has issued $6 billion in perpetual preferred stock to raise funds to buy Bitcoin. The first digital bank in the U.S., SoFi integrates the Bitcoin Lightning Network: cross-border remittances achieve the era of seconds-level transactions and low costs. This article was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media.