Twitter rolls out Bitcoin tipping

Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR). announced that it will allow its users to tip their favourite content creators using Bitcoin by linking their profiles to Strike, the payments application built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

The social media company‘s Tips service will initially be rolled out through iOS and then brought to Android devices over the coming weeks, said Twitter’s staff product manager Esther Crawford in a blog post.

The company will allow users to add their Bitcoin address, so they can send and receive cryptocurrency tips.

“We want everyone on Twitter to have access to pathways to get paid. Digital currencies that encourage more people to participate in the economy and help people send each other money across borders and with as little friction as possible – help us get there,” said Crawford.

The addition of Bitcoin to the tipping feature had been expected, as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is a strong supporter of the cryptocurrency.

Twitter also plans to add non-fungible token (NFT) verification features to the platform, according to media reports, although no specific timeline has been laid out for the feature.

The feature enables users to track and showcase their NFT ownership on Twitter.

Over the past six months, the use of NFTs as avatars on the platform has exploded and a system for verifying the ownership and provenance of NFTs will probably reinforce the NFT ecosystem more broadly, according to the news website Coindesk.

According to media reports, Twitter is looking into new ways to help users have a safer experience on its platform, such as filtering out certain words to stop abusive language.

“We believe we can continue to incentivize the types of conversations that people want to see,” Crawford said in a briefing with reporters.