The post 8 Crypto Startups Powering the Next Wave of Embedded Finance appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News Embedded finance is everywhere. That’s its job. Rather than forcing you to visit a payment gateway every time you need to pay for something online, or to open your banking app when you order an Uber, embedded finance brings the checkout to you. By integrating directly into the social media apps and other non-financial platforms you use, it makes life that little bit simpler by eliminating friction. Even if you haven’t used the term, you’ve certainly used embedded financial services in your daily life. Powered by APIs and smart fintech solutions, the technology enhances user experience and expands access to financial services. And we’re not just talking about traditional financial services either: the same trend applies equally to crypto, which has been quietly making in-roads into mainstream apps and websites. Credit for driving this stealth takeover must go to the following crypto companies in particular, which have done more than most to deeply embed web3 services into every facet of our digital lives. Stripe As a global fintech payments leader, Stripe needs no introduction. It does it all and that includes crypto. Despite not being a crypto-native company, Stripe’s on- and off-ramp APIs allow developers to connect crypto to their apps effortlessly. From Coinbase to Uniswap and MetaMask to Phantom, Stripe’s worked with a host of leading crypto companies and its pilot with Solana and USDC is a case study in how major fintechs can embrace digital assets. Like Circle, Stripe is primarily interested in stablecoins when it comes to crypto acceptance and it deserves credit for working quietly yet efficiently to mainstream stablecoin acceptance among global businesses. Thanks to its Stablecoin Financial Accounts service, companies in more than 100 companies can accept assets such as USDC and connect blockchain rails to traditional financial ones such as SEPA and ACH. Mercuryo Mercuryo is a full-stack fiat-crypto infrastructure provider that’s intent on making it easier to move money in and out of the thriving cryptoconomy. It’s deeply integrated into a slew of fintech applications, both web3 and web2, making fiat-crypto conversion a cinch. Mercuryo’s on-ramps can be found in the apps you use everyday and the DeFi services you connect to using your web wallet, bolstered by Passkey login for biometric UX that adds an additional layer of security while simplifying authentication. When you decide it’s time to convert your cold storage crypto back into fiat, for example, Mercuryo’s Ledger Live integration is the solution you turn to. Its Spend crypto debit card, embedded in Ledger Live and other major wallets such as MetaMask, securely facilitates this. Mercuryo does similar for centralized crypto exchanges too such as Bitget and Bybit and has recently added partners such as zkSync and 1inch. The power of Mercuryo lies in its ability to make crypto spendable in the real world without needing to leave the sanctity of your web wallet or switching apps. It’s convenient and it’s just what crypto needs to inch its way into mainstream finance. Circle You might not have interacted with them directly, but if you’re a crypto user, you’ve almost certainly used Circle . Issuer of USDC, the second largest stablecoin by market cap with a total supply approaching $50B , Circle has done more than virtually any other company to mainstream crypto adoption. Not by shilling volatile tokens, but by quietly providing the infrastructure for blockchain-based payments to flourish. Dull, predictable, and drama-free, USDC does everything you could ever wish of a stablecoin. But driving mainstream adoption of stablecoins calls for more than merely issuing millions of the tokens onchain: there needs to be a way of getting them into the wallets of ordinary people – people who might not ordinarily have cause to consider using crypto. To achieve that, Circle’s constructed APIs and SDKs to embed stablecoin payments and treasury management into web2 and web3 platforms. Circle has its tentacles into fintech and e-commerce apps all over the web, making it easier to pay for goods and services using USDC. Zero Hash Zero Hash is a lot better than it sounds. Its API-based infra is all about making crypto easier for businesses to accept – with a particular focus on stablecoins. Are you spotting a pattern yet? Zero Hash has proven to be particularly popular with neobanks and fintechs that are looking to add crypto functionality. After getting them accustomed to the softer stuff – stablecoins – Zero Hash is amenable to serving them harder cryptos such as BTC, but all in good time. A phrase you’ll encounter a lot in the context of embedded finance is “turnkey” which can be loosely translated as “we’ll do the hard work for you.” Zero Hash’s turnkey solution allows your business to send and receive crypto without getting bogged down in integration and regulation. With more than $45B in volume settled through its infra, Zero Hash is the largest crypto company you’ve never heard of. That’s because it’s all abstracted away, freeing the company to focus on supplying crypto-as-a-service infrastructure to power trading, custody, and rewards in apps such as Step and Stripe. Ramp Network Looking for an on-ramp? An off-ramp perhaps? There’s a full-stack crypto provider out there that’s got what you need. Ramp Network is in the ramp business, giving web2 and web3 companies the tools they need to move from onchain to off and then back again on a dime. Its embeddable fiat-crypto ramps, complete with customizable UX, slot seamlessly into your app – that’s why they call it embedded finance. There’s a lot to like about Ramp, such as free integration, excellent support, and the promise of ultra-fast transactions, putting an end to interminable waiting for crypto to confirm. This may not mean much to the current generation of crypto kids, but to the OGs who were raised on Bitcoin’s 10-minute block times – with no instant mempool confirmation – it means a lot. Integrated into leading wallets such as Ledger, Brave, and Trust Wallet, Ramp is a much-loved gateway to and from the cryptosphere. All roads lead through Ramp. Stables No surprises for guessing what Stables is all about. The Australian startup offers stablecoin-powered wallets and Mastercard debit cards that integrate into everyday apps. The firm’s all about making it easier to use dollar-pegged tokens in daily life, be it for savings, bill payments, or groceries. Users can access Apple or Google Pay via the Stables app, with the crypto-fiat conversion slickly handled in the background. Stables is also popular with users requiring remittance services – something that stablecoins are well equipped to do given their borderless nature and instant settlement. The Stables app allows users to send stablecoins and receive cash, converting to more than 30 fiat currencies. Particularly popular across APAC markets, Stables is bringing onchain payments into the real world by blurring the lines between where one ends and the other begins. Unlimit Unlimit is a UK-based payment processor that bridges traditional finance and crypto via embedded rails for DeFi, wallets, and exchanges. Its cross-border, plug-and-play payment modules are prized by crypto companies expanding into global markets. Unlimit’s target market is businesses operating across EMEA, APAC, and LatAm, but it’ll work anywhere there’s a web connection and a need to convert between currencies. Unlimit helps businesses accept credit and debit cards in multiple currencies and from all the major card issuers. As a result, it forms a universal solution for businesses that are looking to expand but don’t want to get bogged down in regional regulations and red tape. A single API integration courtesy of Unlimit allows web businesses to accept it all. Nunchuk Nunchuk is a little different from the other companies featured here in that its primary business is Bitcoin custody. But make no mistake, it’s still a participant in embedded finance, since its multisig solutions are designed to be easily integrated by third parties. Nunchuk allows multisig key management, spending policies, and hardware security to be embedded into DeFi and treasury tools. As Bitcoin evolves into a global currency and digital gold – the bedrock for a host of other financial products – it’s critical that security for managing it is top-notch. In the future, you’ll take a loan against your BTC assets and Nunchuk’s multsig technology will protect it all, ensuring that everyone from DAOs to institutions is able to offer Bitcoin-backed products. Embedded Finance Is Taking Root Embedded crypto finance is the quiet revolution, mainstreaming digital assets from stablecoins to BTC with little fanfare. When it’s working properly – as it invariably is – you don’t even notice it’s there. But that’s the whole point. Its role is to meet people where they are on their turf, be it their favorite video game or their go-to social media app. For payments and savings; for tipping and remittance; for on-ramping and off-ramping. For value transfer of all kinds, crypto’s leading payment specialists are proving that anything traditional finance can do, they can do every bit as well.
