Bitcoin
Accept bitcoin, and give it its place in the treasury
Network Effect helps shops, SMEs and mid-sized companies in France accept bitcoin payments, in store and online, in minutes and without a terminal, then decide bitcoin's place in their treasury, with accounting kept under French rules. We explain, we install, we train. We don't give investment advice.
A final payment in one second. Zero chargebacks. Zero terminal to rent. Zero borders.
Who benefits from accepting bitcoin?
- The merchant paying for a terminal and a fee on every sale, who wants one more till that costs nothing until it's used.
- The online shop losing baskets at checkout, and margin on disputes.
- The company selling abroad, juggling currencies and settlement delays.
- The content or service creator who would like to charge a few cents, which cards don't allow.
- The leader wondering whether part of a treasury, today in euros whose central bank targets a 2% loss of purchasing power a year, belongs in a fixed-supply asset.
What does bitcoin change for a merchant?
Cut your costs. No terminal to buy or rent: your phone and an app are enough. Network fees are tiny and paid by the payer. No exchange rate per country. No counterfeit notes or bounced cheques: every payment is verified by the network.
Sell with less friction. A 100% authorisation rate: the customer alone decides. Fewer abandoned baskets: no form, no SMS code. Final payments: no chargeback possible from an intermediary. No obligation to collect customer identity for a simple sale.
Reach more customers. Bitcoin holders look for places to spend it, and they talk. Foreign visitors pay with no exchange. And you open models impossible with cards: pay-per-use, tips, access to content for a few cents.
A card payment is seven to twelve invisible steps between your customer and you. Lightning is one.
How do you accept bitcoin in practice?
In three levels, and you move up when ready:
- The trialAn app on your phone, and you take Lightning payments today. A few minutes. Funds arrive in bitcoin, or are converted to euros automatically if you prefer.
- The equipped shopA point-of-sale terminal or a plug-in for your online store, automatic conversion of part of the takings, accounting export.
- The sovereign companyYour own Lightning node, your keys, and an automatic transfer of what you keep to a cold wallet.
We install with you, we train your team, and we connect you with the solutions we have tested: Swiss Bitcoin Pay, Accessing.app, Flash, and others depending on your case.
What place for bitcoin in a company treasury?
The question comes in three parts, and we put it to Théo Mogenet of Bull Bitcoin in an episode of our show (in French).
- The problemA euro treasury loses purchasing power, the euro area's inflation target being 2% a year. Traditional instruments yield little or expose the company to risks it isn't there to take.
- The assetBitcoin has a fixed supply, trades 24/7, moves without intermediaries, and is held with no counterparty if you keep your keys. It is volatile in euros, and that is the price of its scarcity.
- The practiceAn allocation and a time horizon matching the company's profile, written rules, secure custody, and clean books.
What is scarce doesn't get diluted. What gets printed does.
How is bitcoin accounted for in a French company?
In France, bitcoin is not a currency but a digital asset. Tokens held are booked to account 5202 “Tokens held” (French chart of accounts, art. 619-1). When you use them, to pay a supplier or convert to euros, you compute the gain or loss between acquisition and disposal, which goes into the company's result and is taxed under corporate income tax. As long as you hold, there is no tax on the unrealised gain. This requires keeping the transaction history, which the tools do for you.
We devoted an episode (in French) to the subject with Houssen Issouf Aly of HODL Consulting: in most cases, bitcoin accounting is simple. We work with your accountant, not instead of them.
These are the 2024 rules: check them with your accountant.
How do you start?
A half-hour conversation. Tell us what you sell, where, and to whom. We tell you which level to start at, and we install it with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does accepting bitcoin cost a merchant?
Nothing until you take a payment: a free app on your phone is enough to start. Network fees are tiny and paid by the customer. Some solutions charge a fee for conversion to euros, generally lower than a card terminal's.
Do I have to keep the bitcoin I receive?
No. You can convert 100% of takings to euros automatically at each sale, or keep only a share. It's your choice, and it changes any time.
Can a bitcoin payment be reversed?
No. Once settled, a Lightning payment is final. That's the end of chargebacks, and it's why the customer confirms the payment themselves on their phone.
How are bitcoin sales declared?
Like any other: revenue is recorded in euros at the day's rate, and VAT applies normally. Bitcoin kept is booked as tokens held. Your accountant knows how, and we can support them.
Is Lightning safe?
Lightning rests on Bitcoin's security, running without interruption since 2009. For a merchant, the real risk is operational: an app without a backup, funds left on a third-party service. Course F102 and a cold wallet for what you keep settle both.
Is bitcoin in the treasury legal for a company?
Yes. A company may buy and hold digital assets. Accounting and tax rules exist and are clear. The allocation decision belongs to the leader, with their accountant; we don't give investment advice.
Let's talk about your project.
A question, a training course, a payment or AI project? Write to us. We answer ourselves, and quickly.