NYSE-listed Vida Global starts paying some employees in Bitcoin via the Lightning Network

Vida Global, an AI operating system company listed on NYSE American under the ticker VIDA, said it has begun paying employees in Bitcoin through the Lightning Network without holding Bitcoin on its balance sheet. The Austin, Texas-based company said the move started after an employee in Argentina asked to be paid in Bitcoin. To handle that request, Vida used Bitcoin infrastructure firm Voltage. Under the setup, Vida sends the cash equivalent through Voltage’s platform, employees receive Bitcoin, and the company continues to keep its books in U.S. dollars. CEO Lyle Pratt said the arrangement helps serve a global team, including staff in Argentina who prefer Bitcoin because of problems tied to their local currency. He said the company settles with Voltage in dollars at month-end, similar to a standard vendor invoice, which keeps finance operations simple. Voltage CEO Graham Krizek said the model gives workers payment in seconds in the money they want, while the finance team never has to touch crypto. Bitcoin Magazine said the approach shows how a public company can use Bitcoin payment rails for compensation while leaving accounting treatment unchanged.