Blackbird, Web3 Startup From Resy Co-Founder, Wants Diners to Pay for Meals in Crypto

Blackbird Labs, the innovative startup co-founded by Ben Leventhal, known for his involvement in Resy and Eater, is introducing Blackbird Pay, a new payment system that enables participating restaurants to accept cryptocurrency as payment. Backed by American Express and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Blackbird raised over $24 million last year amidst the growing interest in Web3 technology. Initially focused on providing diners with rewards and benefits from their favorite restaurants, Blackbird aimed to boost traffic and generate additional revenue for the restaurant industry. With the introduction of Blackbird Pay, customers can now pay for their meals using the $FLY cryptocurrency, which can be earned as loyalty points or purchased in the Blackbird app using Coinbase’s USDC stablecoin. Participating restaurants can also benefit from lower transaction fees compared to traditional credit card fees, further contributing to their profitability. Blackbird Pay leverages the new Blackbird Mainnet, a layer-3 blockchain built on top of Coinbase’s Base chain, which offers a fast and cost-effective solution for transactions on the Ethereum blockchain. With two decades of experience in the restaurant industry and previous successes with Resy and Eater, Leventhal recognizes the challenges faced by individual restaurants and aims to create a platform that focuses on rewards and payments to improve their overall profitability and strategy.