Twitter Introduces Bitcoin Tipping and Investigates NFT Authentication

Twitter has begun to roll out “Tips,” a feature that allows users to tip in bitcoin or cash. The update will first be available to iOS users, with Android users following shortly after. Support for non-fungible token (NFT) authentication is also in the works.

Twitter Launches ‘Tips' Using Bitcoin

Twitter Inc. announced on Thursday that the bitcoin tipping feature will be available to iOS users first. The company tweeted, "Tried the Tips feature, turns out people love money." “It is currently being rolled out on iOS, with Android to follow shortly,” Twitter explained:

Tips allow you to send bitcoin or cash tips depending on how your Tips settings are configured and the regional availability of third-party payment providers.

Twitter Support tweeted instructions on how to use the new tipping feature.

“Are you looking for assistance with Tips? All iOS users (18+) can now access Tips.

“From the 'Edit profile' button, add the Tips icon to your profile,” the support account wrote.

Looking to get a little support with tips? Tips is now rolling out to everyone (18+) on iOS.

Add the Tips icon to your profile from the “Edit profile” button. 💸 pic.twitter.com/bFcSIuAbFg
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 23, 2021

Esther Crawford, Twitter's product manager, explained that when an account turns on Tips, the Tips icon appears next to the follow button on the profile page. “Tap the icon, and you'll see a list of payment services or platforms that the account has enabled, and you can choose whichever is best for you,” she wrote, emphasizing:

When you tap the service you want to use, you'll be taken away from Twitter and to the app you've chosen to send money to. Twitter does not take a cut.

“In addition to the services already available through Tips, users can now tip with bitcoin via Strike — a payments app built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network that allows users to send and receive bitcoin. Strike offers free and instant payments all over the world,” Crawford added.

The strike is currently available in the United States, with the exception of Hawaii and New York, as well as El Salvador, where bitcoin is now legal tender alongside the US dollar. Users in eligible markets can create a Strike account and enter their Strike username to receive bitcoin tips via the Lightning Network.“You can use any Bitcoin Lightning wallet to send tips to someone's Strike account,” the product manager clarified.

“When you enable Tips on your profile, you can now add your bitcoin address. People can send you money directly by copying your address and pasting it into their preferred bitcoin wallet,” she explained.

Bandcamp, Cash App, Chipper, Gofundme, Patreon, Picpay, Razorpay, Wealthsimple Cash, and Paypal's Venmo are among the other payment options and platforms currently available.

Twitter Investigates NFT Authentication Support

Furthermore, Twitter stated that it intends to support non-fungible token authentication (NFTs). "We're excited to soon explore NFT authentication," Crawford was quoted as saying. “It's a way to show support for the artists who create this art by providing a stamp to prove authenticity.” People can track and display their NFT ownership on Twitter by allowing them to directly connect their crypto wallets.”

“We're interested in visually demonstrating that this is an authenticated avatar and then providing you with some interesting information and insight into the provenance of that NFT,” she added. According to a Twitter representative: