Strike secures New York BitLicense, opening bitcoin financial services to state residents
NYDFS approval allows the Bitcoin payments company to offer trading, bill pay and custody products across New York.
By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Oliver Knight Mar 6, 2026, 12:05 p.m.
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What to know:
- Strike has received a BitLicense and money transmitter license from the New York State Department of Financial Services, allowing the bitcoin financial services firm to operate in one of the nation’s most tightly regulated digital asset markets.
- With the approval, Strike can now offer New York individuals and businesses services including buying and selling bitcoin, converting paychecks into bitcoin, and paying bills such as utilities, credit cards and mortgages from bitcoin balances.
- Strike says customer bitcoin and cash balances are held one-to-one and not lent out, even as the company pursues expansion plans that include bitcoin-backed lending in a sector that has seen several high-profile bankruptcies.
Strike received a BitLicense and money transmitter license from the New York State Department of Financial Services, clearing the way for the bitcoin BTC$70,549.10 financial services firm to operate in the state.
“Receiving our BitLicense is a defining milestone for Strike,” said Jack Mallers, founder and CEO of Strike. “With our BitLicense, we can now bring that mission to New York, the global center of finance.”
Strike’s entry into New York is part of its expansion plans outlined in November 2025, when Mallers said his platform would add bitcoin-backed lending to allow users to borrow fiat currency while continuing to hold their bitcoin. The move would place Strike in a sector that saw several high-profile failures in 2022, when lenders including BlockFi, Celsius and Genesis filed for bankruptcy during the crypto market downturn.
The approval, announced Thursday, allows Strike to offer its products to individuals and businesses across New York, one of the most tightly regulated digital asset markets in the U.S. The company can now provide services that include buying and selling bitcoin, salary deposits converted into bitcoin and bill payments made from a bitcoin balance.
Strike can also offer tools such as recurring purchases and price-triggered orders that execute trades when bitcoin reaches a set level. Users can also convert up to 100% of direct-deposited wages into bitcoin, with conversion fees waived on deposits up to $20,000 each month.
Strike said customer bitcoin and cash balances remain held one-to-one and are not lent or used for company operations.
The license places the company under the New York State Department of Financial Services’ supervision, which includes audits, capital reserve rules and cybersecurity examinations.
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Bank of Canada, country’s largest banks complete first tokenized bond trial
By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Sheldon Reback1 hour ago
Project Samara will continue to test issuing, trading and settling bonds using digital Canadian dollars on a distributed ledger.
What to know:
- The Bank of Canada and major lenders completed a test of issuing, trading and settling a C$100 million ($73 million) bond on a distributed ledger.
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