Compass Coffee Shop Debuts First-Ever Bitcoin Payment on Square Terminal in Washington, DC

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Compass Coffee Shop Debuts First-Ever Bitcoin Payment on Square Terminal in Washington, DC

A customer just bought a coffee using bitcoin at Compass Coffee. This reportedly marked the first-ever Square terminal in the world to accept bitcoin.

The pilot launch, showcased during DC Fintech Week, was made possible through Square’s new Bitcoin payment integration. According to a Compass Coffee X post, the system worked seamlessly across multiple Bitcoin wallets, demonstrating the power of open payment standards and the Lightning Network.

Compass Coffee, a beloved D.C. chain with 27 locations, hosted the demonstration and invited lawmakers and fintech leaders to see the technology in action. “Cannot wait to see this come to Square devices worldwide soon,” the team posted on X.

What is Square Bitcoin?

Square recently announced the launch of Square Bitcoin, which is going to be a new suite of tools designed to make bitcoin usable for everyday businesses — from coffee shops to local retailers. 

The platform will let merchants and small businesses accept bitcoin payments, automatically convert a portion of their sales into BTC, and manage holdings in a built-in Bitcoin wallet — all from the same dashboard they already use for point-of-sale and banking.

Square’s technology is now a familiar sight across the U.S. — an all-in-one payment and business management system that runs right on mobile devices. It gives businesses of any size the tools to process payments, track sales and inventory, and manage customer relationships.

The rollout will begin November 10, 2025, with no processing fees for Bitcoin payments during the first year. Square says the goal is to make using Bitcoin “as seamless as card payments,” simplifying what has long been a complex process for small businesses.

By integrating Bitcoin directly into Square’s ecosystem, sellers won’t need external wallets or third-party apps. They can choose to hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets or instantly convert it to dollars.

Miles Suter, Head of Bitcoin Product at Block, said the move aims to make Bitcoin “everyday money.” 

For merchants, it could mean lower costs and faster settlement than traditional card networks. For Bitcoin, this news is just another step toward mainstream adoption. 

Bitcoin can be used as payment elsewhere, popularly, Steak ‘n Shake began accepting Bitcoin payments at all U.S. locations in May using the Lightning Network via QR codes on kiosks and POS systems. 

The move boosted same-store sales by roughly 11% in Q2, cut payment processing fees in half, and drove more customer visits, establishing Bitcoin as a strong alternative to traditional payments.

This post Compass Coffee Shop Debuts First-Ever Bitcoin Payment on Square Terminal in Washington, DC first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

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