easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou launches easyBitcoin, a new app to make Bitcoin trading more accessible.
The app offers rewards including a 1% welcome bonus and 4.5% APY on USD balances, with a U.S. launch live and UK rollout planned for 2025.
easyBitcoin enters a crowded crypto market, competing with Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood, Revolut and PayPal.
The founder of budget airline easyJet, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has turned his attention from low-cost flights to cryptocurrency with the launch of easyBitcoin, a new Bitcoin-trading app aimed at everyday investors.
The app, launched under a brand licensing deal with crypto exchange Uphold, joins more than 350 ventures under the easyGroup umbrella, a collection that already spans everything from gyms to coffee shops. With easyBitcoin, Haji-Ioannou says the mission is simple: make Bitcoin accessible.
“For too long, investing in Bitcoin has felt like an exclusive club, out of reach for the general public with very high transaction costs,” he explained. “This isn’t just about technology; it’s about financial empowerment and making Bitcoin a practical investment option for all.”
The app will allow users to buy Bitcoin and earn rewards on their holdings. Announced this week in the US, a UK launch is expected later in 2025. Rewards include a 1% welcome bonus and an attractive 4.5% APY on USD balances, designed to draw in first-time investors.
Simon McLoughlin, CEO of Uphold, believes this will hit the right note with hesitant newcomers:
“easyBitcoin’s rewards system will prove the perfect draw for that huge segment of the population that has become aware of Bitcoin, but yet to take the plunge.”
Despite its high-profile brand name, easyBitcoin faces an uphill climb. The space is already dominated by industry veterans like Coinbase and Kraken, while fintech challengers such as Robinhood, Revolut, and PayPal are expanding their crypto offerings at pace.
The timing is equally complex. Bitcoin soared to a record high of $124,128 in August, buoyed by enthusiasm for US President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance. But uncertainty around tariffs and global market pressures have since pushed prices down almost 10% from those highs.
For Haji-Ioannou, the move into crypto is about extending the easyGroup philosophy, democratizing access to something once considered out of reach. Just as easyJet transformed budget air travel, easyBitcoin aims to simplify and popularize crypto trading, especially for people who’ve stayed on the sidelines.
Whether it can carve out space in a crowded US market remains to be seen. But with a recognizable brand name, a rewards system designed to lower entry barriers and Uphold’s backing on the technical side, easyBitcoin hopes to give newcomers a smoother landing into Bitcoin.
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By
Staff Writer
