Block, the parent company of Square, has begun a rollout of Bitcoin payments for merchants as it joins the S&P 500. The initiative, led by Owen Jennings, aims to facilitate a native Bitcoin payment acceptance experience through Square's point-of-sale systems. This new feature leverages the Lightning Network to enable faster and cheaper transactions, allowing small purchases with Bitcoin. Block's stock has seen a rise of over 14% in the past week, despite a more than 8% decline since the start of the year, reflecting a broader trend as companies increasingly explore Bitcoin payment options. Jack Dorsey, the company's focus on Bitcoin aims to promote its usage as a viable payment method. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at approximately $118,000, signaling a notable year-to-date increase of over 26%.

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