Cash App lets you send bitcoin to any external wallet address or Lightning invoice directly from the app. You can no longer send bitcoin to another Cash App user by $Cashtag, as that feature was discontinued in December 2024. Instead, all bitcoin transfers now go through the Bitcoin network or the Lightning Network.
How to Send Bitcoin on Cash App
Sending bitcoin takes about a minute once you have the recipient’s wallet address or Lightning invoice. Here are the steps:
- Tap the Money tab on your Cash App home screen
- Tap the Bitcoin tile
- Tap the arrows button
- Choose Send Bitcoin
- Enter the amount and the recipient’s bitcoin address or Lightning invoice
- Tap Next
- Select a transfer speed (for on-chain transfers only)
- Confirm the payment
You’ll need the recipient’s bitcoin wallet address before you start. This is a long string of letters and numbers that looks something like “bc1qxy2kgdygjrsqtzq2n0yrf2493p83kkfjhx0wlh.” Ask the person you’re sending to for their address, and copy-paste it rather than typing it manually. One wrong character sends your bitcoin to the wrong place, with no way to get it back.
Sending Bitcoin via Lightning
The Lightning Network is a faster layer built on top of Bitcoin that processes transactions almost instantly. If the person you’re sending to gives you a Lightning invoice instead of a standard bitcoin address, Cash App handles it through the same steps above. Just paste the Lightning invoice where you’d normally enter a wallet address.
Cash App also offers a QR code option for Lightning payments, which is especially handy if you’re paying someone in person:
- Go to the Money tab
- Tap the Bitcoin tile
- Tap the QR icon in the top right corner
- Scan the QR code invoice or paste the Lightning invoice
- Confirm the payment
Lightning transfers skip the speed-selection step entirely because they settle in seconds. If the recipient has a Lightning-compatible wallet, this is generally the fastest and cheapest way to send bitcoin from Cash App.
You Can’t Send Bitcoin by $Cashtag Anymore
Before December 2024, you could send bitcoin directly to another Cash App user’s $Cashtag, similar to sending a regular cash payment. Cash App removed that feature on December 20, 2024. Now, even if you’re sending bitcoin to someone who also uses Cash App, they’ll need to share their bitcoin wallet address or a Lightning invoice with you. The recipient can find their address inside their own Cash App by navigating to the Bitcoin tile and looking for their receive address.
Transfer Speeds for On-Chain Sends
When you send bitcoin through the standard Bitcoin network (not Lightning), Cash App asks you to choose a transfer speed. Faster speeds carry higher network fees because they prioritize your transaction on the blockchain. The exact fee depends on how congested the network is at that moment, and Cash App displays the cost before you confirm.
Standard on-chain bitcoin transactions typically take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, though network congestion can push that longer. If you’re not in a rush, choosing a slower speed saves on fees. Lightning transactions, by comparison, arrive in seconds and generally cost a fraction of a cent in network fees.
Verification Before You Can Send
Cash App requires identity verification before it lets you buy, sell, or send bitcoin. If you haven’t already verified, the app will prompt you to provide your full legal name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Some users may need to submit additional documentation, like a photo ID, depending on the amount they want to send. Until verification is complete, the bitcoin features in Cash App stay locked.
Cash App also imposes withdrawal limits on how much bitcoin you can send within a given period. These limits vary based on your account history and verification level. If you hit a limit, the app will notify you, and you’ll need to wait for the next period to reset or contact support about increasing your limit.
Bitcoin Transfers Are Irreversible
Once you confirm a bitcoin transaction, it cannot be canceled, reversed, or altered. This is true across all cryptocurrency platforms, not just Cash App. Bitcoin’s protocol is designed so that completed transactions are permanent. If you send bitcoin to the wrong address, your only option is to contact the recipient and ask for a refund. If the address doesn’t belong to anyone (or you don’t know who owns it), that bitcoin is gone.
Triple-check the wallet address before hitting confirm. Copy and paste it directly from the recipient rather than typing it out. Even verify that the first and last few characters of the pasted address match what the recipient gave you, since some malware can swap wallet addresses in your clipboard. Taking an extra 10 seconds here can save you from an expensive, unrecoverable mistake.