Bitrefill

To unlock the power of internet money for the global spender and enable financial freedom for everyone.

Founded in 2014, Bitrefill bridges cryptocurrency and everyday purchases through gift cards, mobile top-ups, eSIMs, and bill payments across 180+ countries. The platform serves over 1 million customers who can spend Bitcoin, Ethereum, Lightning Network, and dozens of other cryptocurrencies on real goods without traditional banking. With about 90 employees distributed globally, Bitrefill has been profitable since launch and operates as a fully remote company with few meetings and high autonomy. The team ships consistently while maintaining a culture built on ownership, trust, and getting things done.

Products

The core platform offers digital gift cards from over 5,000 retailers including Amazon, Apple, Walmart, Netflix, and Starbucks. Users can purchase mobile airtime top-ups, data plans, and eSIMs for international travel across 140+ countries. Bitrefill accepts payments in Bitcoin, Lightning Network, Ethereum, USDC, USDT, Dogecoin, Solana, and Dash. The company also provides Thor and Thor Turbo services for Lightning Network onboarding, helping users create channels and manage capacity. API services allow businesses to integrate gift card purchases and mobile top-ups into their own platforms.

Funding

Bitrefill raised $2 million across two seed rounds. The initial seed occurred on May 12, 2015, followed by a late seed round on June 13, 2019 that raised $2 million. Key investors include Boost VC in the initial round and Coin Ninja leading the 2019 round. Other participants include Charlie Lee, Fulgur Ventures, and Bnktothefuture. A more recent round in February 2024 involved 3Comma Capital, bringing total funding to approximately $2.35 million. The company has focused on operational growth rather than additional equity financing.

Recent news

On March 1, 2026, Bitrefill suffered a significant cyberattack attributed by the company to the North Korea-linked Lazarus Group. The attackers gained initial access through a compromised employee laptop, allowing them to extract production secrets, drain some cryptocurrency hot wallets, and exploit gift card inventory supply lines. The breach exposed approximately 18,500 purchase records containing customer emails, IP addresses, and payment addresses. Bitrefill took systems offline for containment, later confirmed that operations had resumed, and stated that all financial losses would be covered by its own operational capital. The company noted this was its first major security incident in over a decade of operation.

Technology

Backend runs on Node.js and TypeScript with React powering the frontend. Data storage uses both MongoDB and MySQL depending on use case. Infrastructure lives on Amazon AWS with Kubernetes handling container orchestration. Web3 integration includes WalletConnect, MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, and Wagmi for React-based crypto payment flows. The payment system handles wallet ecosystems, QR code generation, address display, and maintains compatibility across website, mobile app, and affiliate widget environments.

Benefits

Fully remote with 25 days paid vacation plus local holidays and paid parental leave. Employees can choose to be paid in cryptocurrency and receive a €600 annual wellness allowance plus €300 for education and courses. Global health insurance and remote workspace allowance help with home office setup. The company hosts biannual in-person retreats - one in Sweden and one international location. Regular gatherings, meetups, and conferences keep the distributed team connected. Work culture emphasizes real ownership with minimal meetings and maximum autonomy.