Coinbase Commerce, the payment platform for merchants, has announced the removal of support for native Bitcoin and other UTXO coins, as confirmed by Lauren Dowling, the company’s head of product.
Dowling mentioned difficulties in delivering recent updates on the EVM payment protocol for Bitcoin as the reason behind the decision to remove support for native Bitcoin and UTXO coins.
Despite the removal, shoppers using Coinbase Commerce can still utilize Bitcoin if they have an account with the exchange. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong highlighted ongoing efforts to integrate the Lightning Network into Coinbase, potentially offering opportunities for Lightning-based commerce payments in the future.
Armstrong expressed the belief that mainstream adoption of crypto payments online will require moving away from layer 1 and reducing transaction fees and confirmation times, suggesting a shift toward a more efficient payment environment.
Bitcoin operates on the UTXO model, designed for transparency and security. This model is also used by other coins like Dogecoin, Litecoin, Dash, and Bitcoin Cash. The removal of native Bitcoin support has sparked criticism within the community, with concerns raised about its potential impact on Bitcoin adoption and merchant flexibility.
Some users criticized the decision, questioning assumptions about customer accessibility and the necessity of Coinbase accounts for all transactions. They highlighted the importance of maintaining options for merchant and customer convenience.
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