Bitcoin rewards app Lolli enables Lightning withdrawals
Bitcoin rewards app Lolli can now support withdrawals on Bitcoin’s Lightning network following an integration with Spark, according to an announcement on Thursday.The move may help address complaints from some Lolli users lodged following its acquisition by Thesis*, a Bitcoin venture and software development studio, in July.Spark is an open-source Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol developed by Lightspark that enables instant, low-cost, self-custodial transactions of Bitcoin and Bitcoin-based assets, including stablecoins, with full Lightning interoperability. The Spark’s SDK will power "Lightning Network withdrawals for bitcoin rewards held on the [Lolli] platform," the firms wrote.Lightspark was founded in 2022 by David Marcus, the former lead of Facebook’s now-defunct stablecoin project. One of its main products, Spark, settles back to Bitcoin's base layer, like Lightning, and could be seen as a user-friendly, self-custodial complement to Bitcoin’s largest Layer 2.Spark addresses some of the issues downstream of Lightning’s channel-based design. Lightspark also launched a Grid API to facilitate cross-border payments and the Universal Money Address standard for human-readable Lightning addresses, used by companies like SoFi for Lightning transactions."Now integrated directly with Lolli, Spark will help streamline access to BitcoinFi through Lolli's rewards platform, as well as the broader Thesis* BitcoinFi economy," the companies wrote. Lightspark and Thesis plan for "future collaboration” on wallet integrations and “integrating bitcoin-native assets into Spark’s infrastructure."Thesis argumentsThesis's acquisition of Lolli, a browser plugin that rewards users in BTC for certain online purchases, has been criticized by some users.Shortly after the acquisition announcement, Lolli paused all Bitcoin reward transfers and withdrawals to facilitate a backend migration to Thesis's infrastructure, causing some consternation among users.Hardcore Bitcoin maximalists were further inflamed by Thesis integrating its EVM-compatible Mezo Bitcoin scaling and programmability layer into Lolli before allowing onchain Bitcoin or Lightning transfers. Thesis also acquired the Bitcoin rewards platform Slice, which pays users for "passive" internet behaviors, like scrolling and streaming, in October. The venture studio, founded by Matt Luogo in 2014, previously incubated and spun out the now-public Bitcoin company Fold (ticker FLD).Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.