Bitcoin Does: Block's campaign and the actual conditions for Square payments

An existing campaign returns to the spotlight

Block promotes everyday Bitcoin use through its “Bitcoin Does” campaign. The launch dates to October 1, 2026: the interview published by Bitcoin Magazine on October 23, 2026 revisits that initiative rather than marking a new service launch. Maria Pesce, who leads Bitcoin marketing at Block, explains an approach focused on practical uses rather than technical explanations of the network.

Keeping those dates separate avoids confusing advertising with commercial availability. An advertisement can portray a simple payment without summarising every provider rule. For merchants, the decisive questions remain actual access, the currency received after a sale and applicable fees. Square's terms allow these points to be checked separately from a campaign's consumer messaging.

Payments remain subject to conditions

Square's US documentation describes payments priced in dollars. Sellers can choose to receive bitcoin or dollars; with the latter option, conversion takes place immediately. Customers pay using a Lightning-compatible wallet, including by scanning the code displayed at checkout. Whether this option appears depends on the account and equipment being used.

Square determines eligibility and reviews it periodically. Businesses or locations in New York State are excluded from the arrangement described in that documentation. National advertising therefore does not mean every American merchant can enable the feature. Nor does it establish equivalent availability in other countries where the group sells some of its products.

A waiver limited to the relevant fees

Square advertises 0% processing fees for Bitcoin payments until December 31, 2026, followed by 1%. That pricing deadline is distinct from the advertising campaign's duration. The terms do not justify describing all of the group's Bitcoin services as free or promising sellers a permanent fee waiver.

The fee schedule separately identifies payments, conversions of sales into bitcoin, bitcoin purchases and sales, and withdrawals. Different charges may apply to these operations. Merchants wishing to retain bitcoin rather than dollars must also consider subsequent changes in value: making collection easier does not stabilise the price of the asset received.

The commercial results of “Bitcoin Does” remain to be measured. Running a campaign does not establish an increase in transactions or lasting adoption. Evaluating progress will require comparable, dated usage figures, separate from advertising audiences and accounts that are merely eligible. Block's challenge is to turn public interest into actual use within the stated conditions.