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One app does not mean one provider. 🏦 When you open a fintech app, everything looks like one service. Behind the interface, multiple companies may be responsible for moving your money. Here are 5 infrastructure models: 1. Bank-Led Fintech @Revolut • Banking services operate through licensed entities. • Visa and Mastercard provide card payment networks. • Different jurisdictions can have different infrastructure. 2. Payment-Network Fintech @Wise • Builds its own international payment infrastructure. • Connects to local banking and payment systems. • One transfer can cross several financial networks. 3. Exchange-Led Fintech @cryptocom • Crypto trading, fiat accounts and cards may be provided by different regulated entities. • Card issuers and legal structures vary by country. • One app combines several financial services. 4. Wallet-Led Card @MetaMask • Users retain crypto in a self-custody wallet. • Baanx/Monavate provides card infrastructure. • A regulated issuer and Mastercard connect the wallet to merchants. 5. Hybrid Crypto + Banking @Anotherapp_io • Non-custodial wallet for crypto. • Bridge for stablecoin-backed banking infrastructure. • Verestro for separate card and payment-network dependencies. • In house technology for onboarding multiple providers for any module of the app. --- One app. Multiple providers. Multiple potential failure points. A banking outage doesn't necessarily stop crypto transfers. A blockchain outage doesn't necessarily stop EUR payments. But losing one critical provider can disable an entire payment flow. More providers don't automatically mean more resilience. What matters is whether the infrastructure has alternative routes when something fails. Stay notified for more.

A crypto card is not one architecture. 💳 Two cards can look identical and work at the same checkout, while the technology behind them is completely different. Here are 6 approaches: 1. Custodial + Prepaid @cryptocom • Crypto is held within the provider's account system. • Crypto is converted to fiat before spending. • Users spend from a preloaded card balance. 2. Custodial + Instant Conversion @RedotPay @wirexapp • Crypto is held within the provider's account system. • Conversion happens automatically when paying. 3. Custodial + Crypto-Backed Credit @Nexo • Crypto is held within the provider's account system. • Users borrow against their crypto instead of selling. • Credit and debit spending modes are available. 4. Self-Custody + Direct Card Spending @MetaMask • Crypto remains in the user's wallet until payment. • Card payments trigger authorized conversion and spending. 5. Self-Custody + DeFi Credit @ether_fi • Crypto remains in the user custody until payment. • Spend eligible stablecoins directly from a smart-contract account. • Alternatively, borrow against crypto collateral without selling. 6. Self-Custody + Stablecoin-to-IBAN Banking @Anotherapp_io • Users control their crypto in their own wallet. • Crypto converts to EURC and moves through a personal stablecoin-backed IBAN. • Funds can then move to a card-linked EUR account for spending. --- Same checkout. Different financial architecture. The differences determine who controls your funds, when crypto is converted, which intermediaries are involved, and where payments can fail. Understand the architecture before choosing the card. Stay notified for more.

You can have $10,000 in crypto and still be unable to spend $10 of it. Recent @Revolut outage reminded us of something important: Owning crypto and controlling crypto are not always the same thing. You can own crypto but someone else controls it on your behalf. If they are unavailable, so are your assets. Millions of people buy, hold and spend crypto without understanding who actually controls their assets. Not all crypto wallets, cards and fintech apps work the same way. There are 7 different models of crypto custody and spending, each with different advantages, limitations and risks. Let's start with the highest level of self-custody and move toward fully custodial platforms. 1. SELF-CUSTODY + STABLECOIN-TO-IBAN BANKING @Anotherapp_io | @holyheld Your crypto remains in a wallet you control until you convert it into fiat through a regulated provider, funding a personal IBAN or debit-card balance for everyday banking and spending. 2. SELF-CUSTODY + DIRECT CARD SPENDING @MetaMask | @minipay Your crypto stays in a self-custodial wallet until an authorized payment converts or transfers the required amount for spending, without manually pre-funding a traditional bank account. 3. SELF-CUSTODY + DEDICATED CARD SMART WALLET @gnosispay | @avici Your crypto is held in a dedicated smart-contract wallet or spending contract, allowing card payments through predefined permissions while retaining onchain control subject to the contract's rules. 4. CUSTODIAL CRYPTO + COLLATERALIZED CREDIT @Nexo The provider holds your crypto and allows you to use it as collateral for borrowing and card spending, potentially avoiding an immediate sale but introducing debt, interest and liquidation risks. 5. CUSTODIAL CRYPTO + INSTANT CONVERSION @wirexapp | @RedotPay Your crypto is held by the provider, which automatically converts supported assets into fiat when you make a card payment, removing the need to manually sell your crypto before spending. 6. CUSTODIAL EXCHANGE + PREPAID CARD @cryptocom Your crypto is held by the platform and converted into fiat to top up a prepaid card balance, which you then use for everyday purchases. 7. FULLY CUSTODIAL NEOBANK @Revolut | @N26 Your fiat banking and crypto investments are managed by regulated financial institutions and their custody partners, meaning you depend on those providers to access, transfer or sell assets rather than controlling the crypto private keys yourself. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? On 20 October 2026, Revolut experienced a major service disruption linked to a Google Cloud outage. Crypto was there but users couldn't use it or move it. Having funds and being able to access them are two different things. In February 2025, @Bybit_Official suffered a roughly $1.5 billion crypto theft. Even sophisticated centralized platforms can be compromised. Self-custody can protect users from certain centralized custody risks, but it doesn't eliminate dependence on regulated payment infrastructure. A card can stop working while your crypto remains safe in your own wallet. Provider custody provides convenience when things are working. Self Custody gives you options when they are not. There are also responsibilities: • Lose your private keys, and you may permanently lose access to your funds. • Sign a malicious transaction, and your wallet can be drained. • Use a compromised smart contract, and your assets may be stolen. • Send crypto to the wrong address or network, and recovery may be impossible. BEFORE CHOOSING A CRYPTO PROVIDER, ASK: • Who controls my private keys? • Where are my assets actually held? • How is my crypto converted or used when I spend? • Can I independently access my crypto if the platform goes offline? • What happens if the provider gets hacked or becomes insolvent? Crypto ownership, custody and spending are three different things. Understanding the difference is essential. You could be trading a lot of control for a little bit of convenience.