Today, the bitcoin exchange River has introduced its latest product, River Link, with the goal of transforming the way bitcoin is sent and received on a global scale. River Link facilitates the seamless transfer of bitcoin via text message, offering users a simple, easy-to-use experience that eliminates the complexities often associated with bitcoin transactions.
Traditionally, sending bitcoin to new users involves creating and exchanging a public address, a process that can be cumbersome for non-technical users. River Link seeks to overcome these challenges by leveraging the widespread use of messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, as well as social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. With River Link, users can now effortlessly send bitcoin to anyone, anywhere in the world, regardless of their technical knowledge.
“River Link aims to take advantage of the incredible avenues that bitcoin offers by allowing you to send bitcoin to anyone via text, email or direct message,” said River CEO Alex Leishman. “We reimagined the bitcoin transaction experience, embracing the simplicity of a user-centric application with the spirit of an open bitcoin network.” This flexibility ensures that recipients can claim their bitcoin securely and conveniently, regardless of their jurisdiction or technical knowledge.
River envisions River Link as a significant step toward realizing its goal of positioning bitcoin as the primary medium of exchange worldwide. “The traditional bitcoin transaction experience is clunky. Other companies have tried to solve this problem with siled functions that require both parties to use the same application,” says Leishman. “This improves the transaction experience, but restricts user choice and dictates where people should store their bitcoin.” By providing an accessible and easy-to-use platform for bitcoin transactions, River aims to bring the benefits of bitcoin to a wider audience, making it easier for people to transact.
Addressing common challenges associated with bitcoin transactions, River COO Julia Duzon notes that River Link simplifies the multi-step process of paying for or gifting bitcoin. Duzon emphasizes the practical applications of River Link, stating: “There is now an easier way to give your friend a birthday gift, pay for lunch for a coworker, or simply get your family into bitcoin. With River Link, bitcoin It's another step.” closer to our vision of being the best medium of exchange in the world.
“Simply enter the River Link amount, text it to your friend and they can claim the bitcoin in any wallet,” Duzon says. “This experience is truly seamless, interoperable and open, just like bitcoin was always intended to be.”
