Lightning Pay
Lightning Pay (trading as Stacked) is a New Zealand-based, Bitcoin-only financial services platform offering a self-custody wallet, exchange, recurring-purchase (Autostack), and NZ bill-pay product to Kiwi consumers under FSP registration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersQueenstown, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lightning Pay does
Lightning Pay Limited, trading as Stacked, is a New Zealand-based Bitcoin-only financial services platform founded in 2024 and headquartered in Queenstown. The company offers a self-custody Bitcoin wallet, an integrated exchange, an automated recurring purchase feature (Autostack), a bill payment service for NZ bills, and a business solutions module for merchants. The platform holds Registered Financial Service Provider status in New Zealand (FSP1005773; NZBN 9429051417789) and serves individual Kiwi consumers as its primary customer segment, with a self-serve, mobile-first onboarding flow starting from as little as NZ$6.
The product is built around Bitcoin and the Lightning Network, with a self-custody architecture in which private keys remain under user control and Bitcoin is sent directly to user-controlled wallets rather than being held by the company. Distribution is entirely digital through iOS and Android apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, plus a web platform accessed at app.stackedbitcoin.com. Acquisition channels include the apps, a free Bitcoin email course funnel, organic word-of-mouth within NZ Bitcoin enthusiast networks, and on-site customer testimonials.
The business model is transaction-fee based: revenue is generated from Bitcoin buy/sell spreads and fees on its integrated exchange. No other revenue streams, partnerships, funding rounds, or ownership disclosures are present in the data. The company claims 30B+ Sats in monthly volume and thousands of Kiwi customers, but provides no published revenue, GMV in fiat, fee schedule, or headcount detail beyond a 1-10 employee band. The platform is single-country (NZ) and does not disclose international expansion plans.
Lightning Pay firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lightning Pay
- Legal name
- Lightning Pay Limited
- Website
- https://lightningpay.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lightning Pay (trading as Stacked) is a New Zealand-based, Bitcoin-only financial services platform offering a self-custody wallet, exchange, recurring-purchase (Autostack), and NZ bill-pay product to Kiwi consumers under FSP registration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lightning Pay industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cryptocurrency exchange and self-custody wallet
- SIC
- Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stablecoin Payment Rails & Settlement Networks (Issuer-Led) (FSADADAF)
Keywords
Where Lightning Pay is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Queenstown
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lightning Pay business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Exchange Transaction Fees: Revenue generated from Bitcoin buy/sell transactions with transparent, low-fee pricing. Users pay fees when buying and selling Bitcoin through the integrated exchange.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Self-serve exchange and wallet services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Lightning Pay product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lightning Pay (commercially branded as Stacked) is a New Zealand Bitcoin-only financial services platform that lets users buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin through a self-custodial wallet and integrated exchange. It offers a mobile app (iOS/Android) and web platform with Lightning Network-powered instant settlement, automated recurring purchases (Autostack), and a Bill Pay feature that converts Bitcoin to pay NZ bills in one transaction. The platform charges transaction fees on Bitcoin purchases, positioning itself as the lowest-fee Bitcoin exchange in New Zealand.
Product overview
Stacked (formerly Lightning Pay) is a Bitcoin-only financial services platform for New Zealand offering a unified ecosystem of exchange, self-custody wallet, Autostack recurring purchases, and bill pay services. The platform operates through both web interface and mobile applications (iOS/Android), with a focus on self-custody where users control their own keys. The core offering consists of the Stacked Wallet, Stacked Web exchange platform, Autostack automated purchasing, Bill Pay for NZ bills, and Business Solutions for enterprise customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stacked Wallet Self-custody Bitcoin wallet mobile application (iOS and Android) with integrated exchange services for individual Kiwi consumers. Users control their own private keys, with Bitcoin going directly to a wallet they control rather than being held by the company.
- Stacked Web Browser-based Bitcoin exchange platform (app.stackedbitcoin.com) where users sign up with email to buy Bitcoin and send it to the wallet of their choice. Real-time rates, transparent pricing, and instant settlement.
- Stacked Business Solutions Bitcoin services for New Zealand businesses, enabling merchants to accept, hold, and manage Bitcoin transactions through the Stacked platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30 Billion+ Sats processed monthly
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Lightning Pay
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lightning Pay technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Lightning Pay partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lightning Pay competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Easy Crypto: New Zealand-headquartered cryptocurrency broker where users can buy, sell, and trade crypto with NZD. Explicitly named in Lightning Pay customer testimony as the 'NZ competitor,' making it the most directly comparable peer in the same domestic market.
- BitPrime: New Zealand-based crypto retail broker historically focused on Bitcoin and major altcoins. Another domestic competitor serving Kiwi consumers with similar fiat on-ramp and exchange functionality.
- River Financial: US-based Bitcoin-only financial services platform offering self-custody, recurring purchases, and Lightning Network integration. Closest conceptual analog to Lightning Pay's Bitcoin-only, self-custody, Lightning-rail philosophy, just at larger US scale.
- Swan Bitcoin: US-based Bitcoin-only platform with a strong emphasis on recurring automated purchases (Auto-Stacking) and self-custody. Very directly comparable product philosophy to Lightning Pay's Autostack feature and Bitcoin-only mandate.
Broad incumbents
- Coinbase: US-listed global crypto exchange with retail and institutional offerings across dozens of assets. Serves New Zealand customers and dwarfs Lightning Pay on liquidity, marketing, and feature breadth, but does not specialize in Bitcoin-only self-custody.
- Kraken: Long-standing US-based crypto exchange with global reach, strong NZD support, and deep Bitcoin liquidity. Operates as a broader multi-asset platform rather than a Bitcoin-only self-custody specialist, but directly competes for the same retail Kiwi Bitcoin customers.
- Cash App: Block's consumer fintech app with prominent Bitcoin purchase, sale, and Lightning payment features embedded in a broader P2P payments product. Reaches millions of users in the US and is a mass-market benchmark for consumer Bitcoin UX.
- Binance: World's largest crypto exchange by volume, though it has wound down or limited services in New Zealand due to regulatory pressure. Historically competed directly with Lightning Pay for Kiwi retail volume; its reduced NZ presence is part of the regulatory vacuum Stacked is filling.
Regional players
- Independent Reserve: Australia-based regulated cryptocurrency exchange serving retail and institutional clients with strong AUD/NZD fiat rails. Comparable in regulatory legitimacy and fiat on-ramp focus, but operates in a different geography.
- Shakepay: Canadian Bitcoin-focused app enabling everyday Canadians to buy, sell, earn, and spend Bitcoin. Closest Canadian analog to Lightning Pay's consumer Bitcoin utility positioning, though it operates in a different regulatory and geographic market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lightning Pay social profiles
Digital presenceLightning Pay compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Lightning Pay financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lightning Pay leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lightning Pay funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lightning Pay M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lightning Pay
What does Lightning Pay do?
Lightning Pay (commercially branded as Stacked) is a New Zealand Bitcoin-only financial services platform that lets users buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin through a self-custodial wallet and integrated exchange. It offers a mobile app (iOS/Android) and web platform with Lightning Network-powered instant settlement, automated recurring purchases (Autostack), and a Bill Pay feature that converts Bitcoin to pay NZ bills in one transaction. The platform charges transaction fees on Bitcoin purchases, positioning itself as the lowest-fee Bitcoin exchange in New Zealand.
Is Lightning Pay a public or private company?
Lightning Pay is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Lightning Pay founded?
Lightning Pay was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lightning Pay based?
Lightning Pay is headquartered in Queenstown, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Lightning Pay make money?
One revenue line is on record: exchange Transaction Fees.
Who are Lightning Pay's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Easy Crypto, BitPrime, River Financial and Swan Bitcoin. Broad incumbents are Coinbase, Kraken, Cash App and Binance. Regional players are Independent Reserve and Shakepay.
Does Lightning Pay have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lightning Pay.
What industry is Lightning Pay in?
Lightning Pay's product category is Cryptocurrency exchange and self-custody wallet. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADADAF, Stablecoin Payment Rails & Settlement Networks (Issuer-Led). Its SIC code is 6221.