A crypto exchange came to us with a product that worked and a user base that was growing. The platform handled crypto-to-crypto just fine. The problem was getting money in and out. Users who wanted to buy crypto with a card or bank transfer couldn't. Users who wanted to cash out to their bank account couldn't. The exchange was stuck in a crypto-only loop.
They'd tried the obvious route — go to a bank, open an account, connect a payment processor. Every bank said no. Crypto is a category that most traditional banking partners won't serve. It doesn't matter how clean the compliance is or how well the platform is built. The word crypto in the application is enough to get declined.
What was broken
Without fiat on-ramp and off-ramp, the exchange could only serve users who already held crypto. That's a shrinking pool of your total addressable market. The majority of new users — the ones driving growth — want to deposit with a card or bank transfer, buy crypto, and eventually withdraw back to fiat. If you can't offer that loop, you lose them at signup.
- No bank account — every banking application rejected due to crypto classification
- No card processing for fiat deposits
- No bank transfer capability for fiat withdrawals
- Platform limited to crypto-to-crypto users only
- Growth capped by the inability to onboard fiat-first users
The exchange had explored third-party on-ramp widgets — white-label solutions that embed someone else's KYC and payment flow. These work as a stopgap, but they take a cut of every transaction, own the customer relationship on the payment side, and limit the exchange's control over the user experience. The founders wanted their own rails.
What we set up
We connected them with payment partners and banking providers that specialize in serving crypto businesses. Not mainstream banks that say yes and reverse course six months later. Partners that have crypto in their risk appetite, understand the compliance requirements, and have a track record of keeping accounts open.
We set up card processing for fiat deposits — users can now buy crypto with Visa and Mastercard. We also established bank transfer rails for both deposits and withdrawals, giving users the full fiat loop they expect. The setup covers their primary markets across EU and MENA.
- Identified banking and payment partners with proven crypto-serving track records
- Onboarded card processing for fiat-to-crypto deposits
- Established bank transfer rails for deposits and withdrawals
- Covered EU and MENA — the exchange's primary user geographies
- Full fiat loop live: deposit fiat → buy crypto → sell crypto → withdraw fiat
Where they are now
The exchange runs a complete fiat loop. Users deposit via card or bank transfer, trade on the platform, and withdraw back to their bank. The payment infrastructure is stable — no account closures, no surprise terminations. The partners we connected them with know exactly what business they're serving.
User acquisition changed immediately. The exchange can now market to people who have never held crypto before. That's a fundamentally different growth trajectory than being limited to existing crypto holders. The fiat rails didn't just add a feature — they unlocked the market the exchange was built for.
"We had the platform. We had the users. We just couldn't let them use real money. That's fixed now."