DESK RESEARCH

Strike review

Name: Strike Review 2026: Rates, Safety, Card & Who It's Best For
Item: Strike
Rating: 6.8
Author: Stephan Kulik

Bitcoin + Lightning payments app with USD bank account integration

Full methodology

BY STEPHAN KULIK · PUBLISHED 28 MAY · UPDATED WEEKLY · 12 MIN READ

The verdict

6.8 / 10 · CONSIDER

Strike is a Bitcoin/Lightning-first payments app with USD deposits, sub-second BTC payments via Lightning, and BTC auto-buy/DCA. Available in 100+ countries; US offering is the most-built-out, with FinCEN MSB + state money-transmitter licenses. Powered El Salvador's Chivo wallet (2021 launch) — that integration ended in 2024 but reflects Strike's Lightning-rail prominence. Bitcoin-only crypto exposure; no altcoins. Compliant US/international fintech posture; no major regulatory incidents.

◆ BUY IT IF

Lightning-native UX is the gold standard for fast BTC payments
BTC purchase fees among the lowest of major US-available platforms
Strong DCA + auto-buy product
Founder's Bitcoin-maximalist focus produces opinionated, focused product

◇ SKIP IT IF

Bitcoin-only — no ETH, no altcoins, no stablecoins as user-facing product
No FDIC deposit insurance on the USD balance (depends on partner-bank pass-through)
Customer support response can be slow during volume spikes
El Salvador Chivo integration ended in 2024 — reflects the Salvadoran-government decision, not a Strike-side failure, but worth noting

§ 01 SCORE BREAKDOWN

Eight axes, weighted.

DIMENSION WEIGHT RATING SCORE

Regulatory safety

US FinCEN MSB registration; state money-transmitter licenses in operating US states; international licensing p

2×

7.0

Card & IBAN

No card, no IBAN

1.5×

6.5

Yield

No yield product

1×

4.0

Coin selection

1 coins supported

1×

2.0

App UX

1×

9.0

Transparency

Proof of Reserves, public filings, incident history

1.5×

6.5

Fees & spreads

BTC purchase has a small spread (sub-1% typically) plus a per-transaction fee schedule disclosed at purchase.

0.5×

8.0

Support

0.5×

6.0

§ 02 THE FIELD TEST

How we tested Strike.

Drafted from public sources — FinCEN MSB registration verified against the public MSB registrant search; state MTL coverage per Strike's compliance disclosures. Founder Jack Mallers' public statements + 2021-2024 El Salvador Chivo integration covered extensively in mainstream and crypto press. Not yet field-tested.

DATE STEP TIME NOTES

— Account opened — KYC completed end-to-end

— First deposit — Not yet field-tested — record drafted from public sources + Strike documentation.

— First withdrawal — Not yet field-tested — record drafted from public sources + Strike documentation.

— Card activated — Card not supported / not ordered

— Last hands-on check — Drafted from public sources — FinCEN MSB registration verified against the public MSB registrant search; state MTL coverage per Strike's compliance disclosures. Founder Jack Mallers' public statements + 2021-2024 El Salvador Chivo integration covered extensively in mainstream and crypto press. Not yet field-tested.

§ 03 SPECIFICATIONS

Everything, in one table.

Regulation

Regulatory status: US FinCEN MSB registration; state money-transmitter licenses in operating US states; international licensing per market as required (varies)
FDIC insurance: No
MiCA compliant: No
Founded: 2017
HQ: Chicago, USA

Fees

Monthly account fee: —
Trading fee: —
Withdrawal fee: Lightning routing fees (typically <$0.01); on-chain BTC withdrawal at network fee

Yield & products

Earn yield: —
Max APY: —
Staking: No
Crypto-backed loans: No
Supported coins: 1

Banking

IBAN: No
Debit card: No
DeFi access: No
NFT support: No

Regions

Regions available: US, EU, Africa, Asia, Global
Markets served: US (all states with appropriate MTL coverage), Europe (most), Africa (most), Asia (most), 100+ countries globally

Support

Trustpilot: N/A

Reviewed by Stephan Kulik · Last updated: 2026-05-28 · How we rank

§ 04 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Strike safe? +

Strike has a regulatory status of: US FinCEN MSB registration; state money-transmitter licenses in operating US states; international licensing per market as required (varies). Always verify current regulatory status directly with the platform before depositing.

What is the maximum APY on Strike? +

Strike does not offer a traditional yield/APY product.

Where is Strike available? +

Strike is available in: US, EU, Africa, Asia, Global. Markets served: US (all states with appropriate MTL coverage), Europe (most), Africa (most), Asia (most), 100+ countries globally.

Does Strike have a debit card? +

No, Strike does not currently offer a debit card.