Mobile payment company Square is expanding its bitcoin trading support to all 50 states through its Cash App. This means that residents in all corners of the U.S. can utilize the platform to purchase and sell the digital currency.
The company was co-founded in 2009 by tech entrepreneur Jack Dorsey, who also heads Twitter. Last March, Dorsey was quoted as saying that bitcoin will likely serve as the world’s “single currency” in roughly 10 years.
Square’s announcement is particularly intriguing in that most bitcoin- or crypto-trading apps do not offer their services in every state. Robinhood, for example, only offers bitcoin and ether trading in 19 states including Arizona, California, Florida, Utah, Mississippi and Indiana, while other apps, such as Coinmama and CEX.io, are available in 23 and 24 states respectively. Entities like itBit — which also holds a New York–issued BitLicense — operate in every state except Texas.
Square originally launched bitcoin-trading capabilities on its app in November 2017 to only a handful of users. In January of this year, the company expanded the app’s trading services to virtually every state except Wyoming, Georgia, Hawaii and New York due to restrictions that placed limits on cryptocurrency transactions. In June, the company acquired a BitLicense to operate in the Big Apple and later announced that it had more than doubled its crypto-based income between quarters one and two from $34 million to $70 million.
“We are thrilled to now provide New Yorkers with Cash App’s quick and simple way to buy and sell bitcoin. Square and the New York State DFS share a vision of empowering people with greater access to the financial system and today’s news is an important step in realizing that goal,” stated Brian Grassadonia, head of Square’s Cash App, yesterday regarding the venture’s new relationship with New York.
Cash App downloads have grown three times faster than its competitors and later surpassed the company’s figures for the first time. The app now boasts an impressive 33.5 million users — about 3 million more than Venmo. It is also expected to top $100 million in sales by the year 2020.