Social network X now allows users to leave tips in bitcoins
Date: 2025-08-21 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BUSINESS
The social network X, owned by Elon Musk, has expanded its functionality: since August 18, users have been able to send tips in bitcoins. The new option is implemented through a third-party crypto wallet BitBit, which works with Lightning Network technology. For now, the service is supported in Chrome-based browsers.
BitBit functions as a built-in extension, allowing users to transfer and receive funds while maintaining full control over the assets. The recipient must collect the money within 21 days, otherwise it is returned to the sender. Despite the close integration, the wallet itself is not an official X product.
BitBit's technical base is built on the Spark infrastructure from Lightspark. Its CEO David Marcus explained that the main goal is to make digital money convenient and compatible with open Internet standards.
It is curious that Musk chose Bitcoin for the first stage, although the entrepreneur himself has been actively supporting Dogecoin for a long time and even called it "the people's cryptocurrency." Many expected that the meme token would become the first currency for the new tipping system, but the bet was made on a more stable asset.
Along with the launch of the tipping function, the platform introduced XChat - an updated messenger with support for voice and video calls, disappearing messages, encryption and the ability to share files. Musk described the security system as "Bitcoin-style encryption." However, the developers pointed out that Bitcoin itself does not use traditional encryption methods, but uses mechanisms based on elliptic curves and hashing.
At the moment, XChat is only available to users with a paid subscription. A four-digit password is required to log in, and the service itself is created in the Rust programming language, which emphasizes the emphasis on performance and security.
The launch of new features demonstrates Musk’s desire to transform X into a universal ecosystem that unites financial instruments, communication, and social interaction. The integration of cryptocurrency payments could be an important step towards the wider adoption of digital assets in everyday life, despite the fact that attitudes towards such services remain ambiguous in different countries.
Thus, X not only increases competition with other social networks, but also takes a step towards the formation of a new model for content monetization, where users can directly support authors with the help of a global digital currency.
