Sell Bitcoin for US Dollars (USD) — fastest non-custodial path

Selling Bitcoin for US Dollars is straightforward once you understand the two things that cost you money: the spread (gap between buy and sell price) and the payout fee (what the rail to your bank charges). With the right wallet and rail, the all-in cost is typically under 0–1.5% all-in.

• FedNow — settles to US Dollars bank accounts.
• ACH — settles to US Dollars bank accounts.
• Wire — settles to US Dollars bank accounts.

Lightning Pay routes BTC → USD through Strike for North American and UK payouts and through regional Lightning-native partners elsewhere. You see one checkout regardless of which rail clears fastest in your region.

1. 1

   Open Lightning Pay Wallet

   Desktop or mobile, non-custodial.
2. 2

   Tap Sell → Bank (USD)

   Pick your rail or let Lightning Pay choose the fastest.
3. 3

   Enter the amount

   The all-in quote includes spread, network fee, and payout fee — no hidden markup at confirmation.
4. 4

   Enter your bank details

   Account/routing for ACH, IBAN for SEPA, sort code + account for Faster Payments.
5. 5

   Confirm

   Lightning Pay broadcasts the payment; the partner pays out via your chosen rail.
6. 6

   Funds arrive in seconds (fednow) to 1–3 business days (standard ach)

   Logged with full cost basis for the Tax Assistant.

Headline fees are usually misleading. Look at the all-in cost:

For larger amounts (>$10k), wire economics start to beat instant rails — Lightning Pay surfaces both options before you confirm.

On an exchange, you deposit BTC to a custodial address, sell against an order book, then withdraw USD via ACH or SEPA. That's three steps, three sets of fees, and a 1–5 day window where your funds sit on the exchange's balance sheet.

With Lightning Pay it's one step: a single Lightning payment from your wallet triggers a FedNow payout to your bank. The BTC stays in self-custody right up to the instant of sale, and there's no exchange account to set up, fund, or maintain.

Selling Bitcoin is a taxable event in most jurisdictions — you owe capital gains on the difference between your purchase price and sale price. Long-term gains (held over 12 months) usually qualify for a lower rate.

Lightning Pay's Tax Assistant automatically exports a cost-basis report for United States compatible with Koinly, CoinTracker, and most country-specific tax software. Every sale records the fiat amount, BTC quantity, spread, fee breakdown, and matching purchase lot using FIFO or HIFO — your choice.