MicroStrategy will release software applications and solutions powered by the Bitcoin Lightning Network in 2023.
MicroStrategy executive chairman Michael Saylor spoke about his company’s plans in a Twitter Spaces room on Wednesday, shedding light on some of the offerings currently in the works at the software firm.
Saylor mentioned that as part of his transition from CEO to executive chairman, the company’s Bitcoin arm has been able to have a deeper focus on ways it can not only buy and hold BTC but also contribute to the ecosystem. As it seeks to branch out of regular software applications and into Bitcoin, MicroStrategy can leverage its existing knowledge to provide enterprises with tooling for the Bitcoin and Lightning ecosystem.
“We want to make it possible for any enterprise to spin up Lighting infrastructure in an afternoon” and onboard thousands of employees or customers, Saylor explained. “We want to plug it into enterprise technology and make it a marketing strategy for any forward thinking CMO.”
Areas that MicroStrategy is exploring for Lightning services include online content monetization, enterprise marketing, web paywalls, and internal corporate controls. Every chief marketing officer should be able give away satoshis — Bitcoin’s smaller denomination unit — as incentive for customers to post reviews or give feedback, Saylor said.
“We have teams working on it and are looking to bring something out by next year. We expect to show something in the first quarter.”
Saylor also said in the Twitter Spaces conversation that MicroStrategy’s upcoming Bitcoin event will feature a “Lightning for corporations” agenda, which should dive deeper into the company’s plans for how it wants to explore and contribute to the ecosystem and drive greater adoption.