Most people think of bitcoin as a long-term investment. But it’s also progressing as a way to make everyday payments, or even to buy a home.
Over 4 million merchants now accept bitcoin
You can now spend bitcoin at millions of U.S. merchants who use Square payment terminals. For consumers, this is great news. We now have freedom to choose which currency we prefer to buy goods and services in: dollars or bitcoin.
For businesses, this is also great news. Bitcoin payments can meaningfully improve margins by replacing ~2% interchange fees with bitcoin transactions that cost just pennies. Even if a merchant chooses to auto-convert bitcoin to dollars, they still capture these savings on every transaction.
In other words, businesses will be reaping the benefits of bitcoin whether or not they own any. Some may even realize it’s worth investing in some in case it catches on.
Bitcoin is now entering the mortgage system
Last June, we wrote about bitcoin entering the mortgage system after the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), asked America’s largest mortgage liquidity providers to prepare to count bitcoin as an asset for a mortgage.
We’re now starting to see the first companies come out with these products.
Coinbase announced a mortgage product that allows homebuyers to pledge bitcoin as collateral for their down payment. These mortgages are backed by Fannie Mae, the government-owned enterprise that underpins a massive share of the U.S. housing market.
This move is a significant step forward for bitcoiners, making it easier to use bitcoin savings as a legitimate asset in major life decisions.
Why does this matter? Bitcoin won’t revolutionize the world overnight. Instead, it’s transforming our financial system one step at a time. Mortgages are a critical aspect of finance that many Americans interface with. Bitcoin holdings becoming a viable option for mortgages is a huge step forward.
River’s 2025 financials are now public
You deserve to know that your financial institutions are safe and sound. Today, we’re sharing our 2025 financials publicly, so you can review River’s financial strength for yourself.
Why does River share its financials as a private company?
Since our founding in 2019, River has encouraged clients to learn how to take direct ownership of their bitcoin. However, the reality is some people prefer to trust an institution with their bitcoin, and there are increasingly reasons why you may want to hold funds on River. As such, we’ve taken proactive steps to give clients the transparency they need to feel confident in River’s financial strength and the security of our infrastructure.
In 2024, we launched Proof of Reserves to enable clients to verify that we hold their bitcoin in 100% full reserve custody. Last year, we started sharing our financial statements so clients can see for themselves how River manages risk and builds lasting financial strength
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