248 - Bitcoin for Merchants: Getting Started with Settlement Rails

In this episode of Satoshi’s Plebs, McIntosh and Kenshin explore how Bitcoin is reshaping the payment landscape for merchants and consumers, focusing on the concept of “settlement rails” and what happens behind the scenes when money moves. They break down traditional systems like credit cards, ACH, and wire transfers—highlighting fees, delays, intermediaries, and chargebacks—before contrasting them with Bitcoin’s base layer and the Lightning Network, where transactions can be faster, cheaper, and final. The conversation makes a compelling case for why merchants should care, from reducing fees to gaining more control over their revenue. Along the wa...