TL;DR
- USD‑Settled Credit: Voltage launched a USD‑repayable revolving credit line embedded directly into Lightning payments, letting businesses send instant transactions without holding Bitcoin.
- Revenue‑Based Underwriting: The company sizes credit limits using payment flow data rather than BTC collateral, originating all loans itself, and applying a fixed APR with no origination fees.
- Institutional Lightning Growth: The launch follows a $1 million Lightning transaction powered by Voltage, which the firm said showed the network’s readiness for institutional‑scale payment volumes.
Voltage has introduced a USD‑settled revolving credit line designed to plug directly into Bitcoin and Lightning payment flows, giving businesses the ability to send instant payments without holding crypto on their balance sheets. The company framed the product, called Voltage Credit, as a way for enterprises to access Lightning‑style finality while repaying in USD or Bitcoin from a standard bank account.
Today we’re launching Voltage Credit. 👀
The industry’s first programmatic revolving line of credit built on top of Bitcoin payment rails. ⚡
Send payments with instant finality over BTC/Lightning.
Repay your credit line in USD from a standard bank account or in Bitcoin.
Pay…
— Voltage ⚡ (@voltage_cloud) February 19, 2026
A Credit Line Embedded Into Lightning Payments
Voltage positioned the facility not as a traditional Lightning‑backed loan but as an embedded component of the payment flow. CEO Graham Krizek said the product delivers instant payment finality with the option to settle entirely in USD, contrasting it with models from Stripe and Block that separate credit from Lightning transactions. Voltage said its approach removes the need for pre‑funding or manual treasury movements, allowing businesses to originate credit and immediately use it for Lightning or stablecoin payments.
The company said it departs from crypto lending norms by underwriting against payment flows rather than static Bitcoin collateral. Because Voltage already powers the underlying infrastructure, it can size and adjust credit limits based on the volume a business processes. Krizek noted that Voltage is the lender of record and originates all loans itself, avoiding reliance on banks or third‑party fintechs. The platform applies a fixed APR, with no origination fees, and uses a flat platform fee structure to avoid transaction‑based pricing.
Modernizing Revolving Credit for Bitcoin Payment Rails
Krizek said the goal is to modernize the familiar revolving credit model so it operates at internet speed. He argued that traditional banks do not underwrite loans based on Bitcoin‑denominated revenue, while existing crypto lenders require BTC collateral that can trigger tax events and expose treasuries to volatility. The protocol said its USD‑settled structure eliminates those tradeoffs while letting businesses deploy capital toward growth.
The rollout follows a $1 million Lightning transaction between Secure Digital Markets and Kraken, powered by Voltage, which the company described as the first publicly reported seven‑figure Lightning transfer. Krizek said the episode demonstrated that Lightning can handle institutional‑scale flows with minimal fees and near‑instant settlement.
