🛒 Bitcoin in Every Checkout

Happy Friday, In A Nutshell this week:

• 🛒 Bitcoin in Every Checkout

• 🥾 One Step Forward, Two Back

• 🇪🇺 Europe’s First Sovereign Stack

• ✨ Giving That Goes Further

• 📈 IBIT’s Rise to the Top

• 🇮🇳 India Doubles Down on CBDCs

• …and much more

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 🚀⏰ Today’s news should be a ~5.11-minute read (779 words).

🧠 Quote Of The Week

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."

— Vincent Van Gogh

🛒 Bitcoin in Every Checkout

Global payments giant Square has rolled out new features that let merchants accept and integrate Bitcoin directly through its point-of-sale app.

With millions of businesses already using Square worldwide, this update gives merchants the ability to accept Bitcoin payments with no fees, choose to hold or auto-convert to fiat, and even auto-convert fiat payments into Bitcoin.

It’s a major step toward normalising Bitcoin as real money, bringing peer-to-peer payments further into the mainstream. Block said the rollout would expand through 2025–26 “subject to regulatory approvals,” but no UK timeline has been announced.

Square is setting a new standard for how quickly Bitcoin can be woven into everyday commerce.

Full video

🥾 One Step Forward, Two Back

The FCA has officially ended its four-year ban on Bitcoin exchange-traded notes (ETNs), reopening the door for retail investors to access Bitcoin products.

Despite this, investors are still barred from buying them due to delays while regulators finalise operational details.

Some brokers are actively warning clients away, with the UK’s largest retail investment platform, Hargreaves Lansdown, noting in an email to customers that Bitcoin “has no intrinsic value.”

🇪🇺 Europe’s First Sovereign Stack

Luxembourg has become the first Eurozone nation whose sovereign wealth fund has invested in Bitcoin.

Finance Minister Gilles Roth confirmed that the government made the purchase as a “strategic investment,” emphasising Bitcoin’s role in diversifying the country’s reserves rather than serving as a speculative bet.

While the allocation remains small at just 1%, the move is symbolically powerful, positioning Luxembourg as a frontrunner among EU nations in recognising Bitcoin as a legitimate reserve asset.

✨ Giving That Goes Further

Tech founder Ismael Dainehine is on a mission to fix one of the charity world’s biggest flaws: financial instability.

His new venture, EverGive, is building the world’s first Bitcoin-backed reserve for charities, designed to make social impact sustainable forever.

Instead of using Bitcoin for speculation or hype, EverGive treats it as infrastructure. A transparent, inflation-proof store of value that gives charities long-term financial freedom.

Dainehine, who previously built the £100m donation platform MyTenNights, says the goal is simple: “to make social good last forever.”

📈 IBIT’s Rise to the Top

BlackRock’s IBIT has become the firm’s most profitable ETF, with nearly $100 billion in assets under management.

Launched in 2024, IBIT has attracted record-breaking inflows, highlighting the massive demand from traditional investors seeking exposure to Bitcoin.

The milestone underscores how institutions are increasingly viewing Bitcoin not just as a speculative asset, but as a core component of diversified portfolios.

🇮🇳 India Doubles Down on CBDCs

India’s central bank and government have renewed their skepticism of Bitcoin, warning it could threaten financial stability.

The Reserve Bank of India flagged concerns, saying only regulated digital assets are legitimate. At the same time, India is fast-tracking its own government-backed digital currency (CBDC).

Despite this, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said the government remains neutral. “We don’t encourage or discourage it. We only tax it,” he stated.

🌎 The Global Escape Hatch

Bitcoin is unlocking economic inclusion across the Globe.

From Argentina to Nigeria, millions are turning to Bitcoin as a stable alternative to failing currencies and restrictive banking systems.

Permissionless money empowers individuals shut out of the legacy system, offering a lifeline where traditional finance has failed.

Bitcoin isn’t just a hedge. For millions, it’s hope.

🔊 More Speakers Announced for Bitcoin | A Competitive Advantage

We’ve dropped yet another heavy-hitting speaker to the lineup for Bitcoin | A Competitive Advantage on Friday, 21st November, Derby:

• Dan Howitt — CEO & co-founder of Recap

From business leaders to independent thinkers, if you're taking action or ready to start, this conference is for you.

🎟️ Day tickets are now available, grab yours whilst you can!

🔥 What else have you missed?

1. Christine Lagarde says “Bitcoin has no intrinsic value”

2. Ten31, how sound money enables society to thrive

3. Charlie Lee, Litecoin founder says he would have been better off buying Bitcoin

4. S&P launch of the “Digital Markets 50 Index”

5. Palantir will not be participating in the UKs Digital ID Programme calling it “undemocratic”

6. Morgan Stanley advises up to 4% Bitcoin allocation

7. Opendoor will now accept Bitcoin for home purchases

🍾 Friday Fun!

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