Voltage has rolled out a new financial product that blends traditional credit with Bitcoin’s fastest payment rail. Called Voltage Credit, the offering is a revolving line of credit that allows businesses to send instant Bitcoin and Lightning payments while settling their dues later in US dollars or Bitcoin.
The idea is simple but ambitious. Businesses can make real-time Lightning payments without pre-funding wallets or holding crypto on their balance sheets. Instead, they draw from a credit line and repay from a regular bank account or in Bitcoin, depending on their preference. Voltage positions the product as a send now, pay later option designed for finance teams that want speed without balance sheet exposure to digital assets.
Targeting CFOs and treasurers
Voltage says the product is aimed squarely at chief financial officers and treasury teams who deal with cross-border payments, liquidity management and working capital constraints. By settling in USD, companies can keep their accounting familiar while still accessing Lightning’s instant finality.
According to Graham Krizek, the credit line is not a standalone loan layered on top of crypto payments. Instead, it is embedded directly into the payment flow. Once credit is originated, it can be used immediately to send or receive Lightning and stablecoin payments, without manual treasury movements.
$1 million in a single Lightning transaction. Source: SDM
Krizek contrasted this with models from firms like Stripe and Block, which combine faster payments and working capital tools but do not integrate a revolving credit facility directly into Lightning transactions. He added that Stripe does not support Lightning at all, while Block keeps credit and Lightning as separate workflows.
Underwriting based on payment flows
A key difference between Voltage Credit and traditional crypto lending lies in how risk is assessed. Instead of lending against static Bitcoin collateral, Voltage underwrites based on payment flows moving through its own infrastructure. Because the company already operates Bitcoin and Lightning nodes for enterprises, it can evaluate transaction volumes in real time and adjust credit limits accordingly.
Voltage acts as the lender of record on its platform and originates the loans itself. Krizek said the company does not rely on banks, card networks or third-party fintechs to fund these credit lines. The facility carries a 12 percent annual percentage yield that accrues daily on outstanding balances. Pricing is structured around a flat platform fee rather than per-transaction charges, a design meant to prevent costs from ballooning as volumes scale.
Modernizing a familiar financial tool
Revolving credit lines are nothing new in corporate finance. What Voltage is trying to change is the speed at which they operate. By combining credit with Bitcoin and Lightning, the company wants to bring a familiar financial construct into an environment where money moves globally in seconds.
Krizek said the goal is to make revolving credit operate at internet speed rather than at the pace of legacy banking and card networks. For businesses that deal with high transaction volumes, volatile cash flows or international counterparties, this could reduce idle capital and improve liquidity management.
From pilot transaction to broader rollout
The launch of Voltage Credit follows the company’s involvement in a high-profile Lightning transaction earlier this month. Voltage supported a 1 million Lightning Network payment between Secure Digital Markets and Kraken on Feb. 5. The transfer was described as the largest publicly reported Lightning payment to date and was intended to test the network’s ability to handle institutional-sized flows.
Krizek said the pilot demonstrated that Lightning can support large volumes and is ready for broader institutional use. Voltage Credit is initially available to qualified US-headquartered businesses. The company can currently operate in all US states except California, Nevada, North Dakota, Vermont and Washington, D.C., where additional licensing requirements apply.
Early interest has come from crypto exchanges, Bitcoin miners, gaming platforms and payment processors. These firms are looking to avoid forced Bitcoin sales, reduce idle working capital and better align Bitcoin-denominated revenue with US dollar expenses, all without relying on uncertain off-ramps.
The broader Lightning Network continues to grow, even if momentum has cooled slightly since late 2025. Capacity hit a record 5,606 BTC in December before easing to around 5,121 BTC this week. Voltage is betting that products like its USD-settled credit line can push the network further into mainstream business finance.
