Metallicus
Metallicus is a digital asset banking infrastructure provider that builds Layer 0, Layer 1, and Layer 2 blockchains, stablecoin, wallet, and FedNow-certified payments infrastructure for banks, credit unions, and fintechs, operating as a Credit Union Service Organization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Metallicus does
Metallicus is a private digital asset banking infrastructure provider founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, operating as a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) to serve banks, credit unions, and fintechs. The company markets itself as "The Digital Banking Network" (TDBN) and builds a vertically integrated stack spanning three blockchain layers — Metal Blockchain (Layer 0, Proof-of-Stake, 4,500+ TPS with sub-0.5 second finality), XPR Network (Layer 1 DPoS with zero gas fees), and Metal L2 (Layer 2 on OP Stack) — alongside on-chain DID, FedNow Service-certified payments (including Request for Payment), stablecoin infrastructure (Metal Dollar index, plus credit-union-issued stablecoins like Cloud Dollar), a self-custody wallet (WebAuth with WebAuthn/Secure Enclave), a decentralized exchange (Metal X), and a consumer-facing fiat on-ramp app (Metal Pay). The product architecture is governed by a compliance-first design with on-chain DID for KYC/AML and is intended to integrate alongside existing core banking systems (Jack Henry SilverLake via jXchange, Temenos Exchange) without core replacement.
The business model combines multi-year enterprise API subscriptions (Metal Pay Enterprise API, with revenue share and transaction/processing fees), infrastructure services for private blockchain deployments, transaction fees on Metal X, stablecoin settlement/treasury services, and freemium Banking Innovation and Stablecoin Pilot programs as onboarding funnels. Primary distribution is partner-led through credit union associations (CrossState representing 400+ CUs and $93B in assets, MD|DC, Cornerstone League, GoWest), the Bonifii acquisition (which added 80+ US credit unions), and platform integrations with Jack Henry and Temenos. Founders Marshall Hayner (CEO) and Glenn Mariën (CTO) remain in leadership, with CFO Irina Berkon and a senior advisory board drawing from Citigroup, BNY Mellon, and the OCC. The 51–100 employee company is 100% globally remote across 16+ countries and reached access to 750+ financial institutions through its network as of Q1 2025, with 15+ credit unions in active stablecoin test environments by Q3 2025.
Metallicus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metallicus
- Legal name
- Metallicus
- Website
- https://metallicus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Metallicus is a digital asset banking infrastructure provider that builds Layer 0, Layer 1, and Layer 2 blockchains, stablecoin, wallet, and FedNow-certified payments infrastructure for banks, credit unions, and fintechs, operating as a Credit Union Service Organization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metallicus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Banking Infrastructure
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stablecoins & On-Chain Money (fiat-backed, crypto-backed, algorithmic; issuance/redemption) (FSAPAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mint/Redeem, Issuance APIs & Treasury Operations Platforms (FSADADAE), Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms (BPAMAFAL), On-Chain Payments & Stablecoin Infrastructure (Issuance, Rails, Treasury) (FSAGAMAD), Enterprise Payments & Tokenized Money (stablecoins, tokenized deposits, CBDC rails) (FSAPAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Metallicus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Metallicus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Metal Pay Enterprise / API Platform Fees: White-label crypto-as-a-service platform for financial institutions. Revenue generated through API integration fees, transaction processing fees, and revenue share arrangements with bank/credit union partners. Institutions maintain customer relationships while Metallicus provides custody, verification, and transaction infrastructure.
- Metal X Exchange Trading Fees: Decentralized exchange with trading fee model. Zero fees on BTC trades mentioned; competitive trading fee model for other assets. Exchange includes lending, borrowing, swapping, and farming features.
- Metal Dollar Transaction/Settlement: Digital dollar framework for on-chain settlement, redemption, and programmable payments. Revenue potentially from transaction fees and treasury management services for participating institutions.
- Metal Blockchain Infrastructure Services: Private blockchain deployment for financial institutions. Revenue from network participation fees, validator services, and interoperability connections via The Digital Banking Network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Metal Pay Enterprise API - Institutional white-label solution |
| Freemium | Annual | Banking Innovation Program - Zero-cost research and onboarding path |
| Freemium | Annual | Stablecoin Pilot Program - Risk-free sandbox testing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels6 records
Metallicus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metallicus builds proprietary blockchain infrastructure (Metal Blockchain Layer 0, XPR Network Layer 1, Metal L2) and a suite of digital-asset banking products including the Metal Pay Enterprise white-label API, Metal Pay consumer app, Metal X decentralized exchange, WebAuth self-custody wallet, and Metal Dollar reserve-backed stablecoin. It operates as a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) distributing compliant digital-dollar, custody, wallet, payments, lending, swap, and identity infrastructure to banks, credit unions, and fintechs without requiring replacement of existing core systems.
Product overview
Metallicus operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture providing the Digital Banking Network (TDBN), an open-source blockchain banking protocol for digital assets and payments. The product portfolio includes blockchain infrastructure products (Metal Blockchain Layer 0, XPR Network Layer 1, Metal L2 Layer 2), consumer applications (Metal Pay fiat on-ramp/wallet, Metal X DEX, WebAuth self-custody wallet), stablecoin products (Metal Dollar XMD stablecoin index), and enterprise/B2B solutions (Metal Pay Enterprise API, Stablecoin Pilot Program, Banking Innovation Program). These products work together to provide compliant blockchain infrastructure for banks, credit unions, and fintechs, enabling stablecoin programs, digital wallets, payments, and institutional deployment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Metal Pay: Compliant fiat on-ramp and custodial digital wallet designed for buying, selling, and sending cryptocurrency with ease.
- Metal X
- Metal Blockchain
- Metal L2
- XPR Network
- WebAuth
- Metal Dollar (XMD)
- Metal Pay Enterprise
Products and services
- Metal Pay Compliant fiat on-ramp and custodial digital wallet designed for buying, selling, and sending cryptocurrency with ease, available in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Metal X Decentralized exchange with a fully on-chain order book, gas-free trading, and non-custodial access to advanced DeFi tools including lending, borrowing, swapping, farming, and OTC trading.
- Metal L2 Institutional layer 2 blockchain built on OP Stack for compliant, low-cost DeFi, identity, and digital-asset infrastructure, connecting Ethereum-based chains to The Digital Banking Network.
- Metal Blockchain Layer-zero blockchain purpose-built for financial institutions to launch private, compliant, and interoperable networks, with compliance-first on-chain DID for KYC/AML monitoring and 4,500+ TPS with sub-0.5 second finality.
- XPR Network Layer 1 delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) blockchain with zero gas fees, @usernames, instant transactions and on-chain identity, built for compliant, low-latency DeFi and digital payments.
- WebAuth Wallet Self-custody crypto wallet supporting Ethereum, XPR Network, Metal Blockchain, Optimism and more, secured by native WebAuthn biometric authentication using device Secure Enclave.
- Metal Dollar (XMD) Reserve-backed US dollar stablecoin index governed by Metal DAO; the basket contains USDC, PYUSD and USDP within a smart-contract-managed structure optimized for risk distribution, with mint/redeem at 1:1 between XMD and any basket stablecoin.
- Metal Pay Enterprise Crypto-as-a-service white-label API platform for banks and credit unions enabling digital-asset access, custody, and payments without ceding the customer relationship; includes built-in custody, KYC/AML, transaction processing, and revenue share.
- Stablecoin Pilot Program Risk-free sandbox program for financial institutions to explore stablecoin infrastructure in a regulatory-aligned environment without custodying digital assets; includes proprietary stablecoin deployment, sandbox access, live test network, and deployment planning support.
- Banking Innovation Program Compliance-first program for financial institutions to explore practical blockchain use cases including stablecoins, digital identity, and embedded digital-asset services within a secure and regulated framework at zero-cost onboarding.
- Loan Protocol Native lending protocol on Metal X where the $LOAN token rewards borrowers and lenders and governs the platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 750+ financial institutions have access to Metallicus infrastructure through network partnerships
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Metallicus
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Metallicus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Metallicus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- CrossState Credit Union AssociationcorePartnership to launch Innovation Program 2.0 with 50 credit unions exploring stablecoins, digital identity, blockchain infrastructure, and faster payments through executive education, sandbox testing, and strategic collaboration.
- InvestiFimajorStrategic alliance to deliver institution-backed stablecoins within InvestiFi's digital investing platform.
- Cornerstone LeaguecorePartnership to bring stablecoin innovations to credit unions. Cornerstone League member credit unions gain access to the Metallicus Stablecoin Pilot, a controlled sandbox for exploring, testing, and deploying custom branded stablecoins.
- St. Cloud Financial Credit Union / DaLand CUSOcoreLaunched Cloud Dollar ($CLDUSD), the nation's first credit-union-issued stablecoin as milestone in St. Cloud's digital asset vault launch. Partnership with DaLand CUSO for regulated stablecoin infrastructure.
- Velera (Digital Asset Lab)coreMetallicus selected as first platform partner for Velera's newly launched Digital Asset Lab, providing digital asset infrastructure and blockchain capabilities.
- DaLand CUSOmajorPartnership to provide regulated stablecoin and digital asset infrastructure to financial institutions.
- MD|DC Credit Union AssociationcorePartnership offers MD|DC CUA members access to collaborative Innovation Program focused on fraud prevention, digital identity, and operational efficiency. Available at no cost as part of membership benefits.
- PayfiniamajorPartnership with instant payments service provider and CUSO to establish framework for offering embedded instant payment capabilities coupled with cryptocurrency services to credit union members nationwide.
- Bonifii (acquired)coreMetallicus acquired fintech company Bonifii (formerly CULedger), a Credit Union Service Organization connected to 70+ credit unions. Acquisition expands blockchain solutions for financial institutions and establishes a CUSO for credit union partners on The Digital Banking Network.
- Jack Henry (Vendor Integration Program)majorMetallicus joined Jack Henry Vendor Integration Program to integrate Metal Blockchain with SilverLake System. Through jXchange, integration enables advanced bank transaction analysis, fraud and money laundering detection.
- Temenos ExchangemajorMetal Blockchain, WebAuth Wallet, and Metal Pay API available on Temenos Exchange. Solutions offer enhanced transaction security and operational efficiency for financial institutions on Temenos platform.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Metallicus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fireblocks: Fireblocks provides custody, settlement, and tokenization infrastructure for digital assets, including wallets-as-a-service and stablecoin operations used by banks and fintechs. It overlaps with Metallicus's custody, wallet, and Metal Pay Enterprise API offerings targeting regulated FIs.
- Paxos Trust Company: Paxos issues regulated stablecoins (USDP, PYUSD on behalf of PayPal) and provides tokenization, custody, and brokerage infrastructure for financial institutions. Paxos is a direct competitor in regulated stablecoin issuance and digital asset APIs serving banks and fintechs.
- Circle Internet Group: Circle is the issuer of USDC, the leading regulated US dollar stablecoin, and offers APIs, on-chain settlement, and treasury services for financial institutions. Circle is the most direct competitor to Metallicus's Metal Dollar and Stablecoin-as-a-Service offering, but operates at materially larger scale with stronger brand recognition across crypto and TradFi.
- Anchorage Digital: Anchorage is a federally chartered crypto bank offering custody, staking, and stablecoin issuance/management services for institutional clients. It competes with Metallicus's institutional custody and stablecoin infrastructure but serves a different (larger institution) customer profile.
- Ripple Labs: Ripple issues RLUSD stablecoin and offers enterprise blockchain payments infrastructure (XRP Ledger, RippleNet) targeting banks and financial institutions for cross-border and on-chain settlement. Ripple directly competes with Metallicus in the FI-stablecoin and blockchain-payments space.
- Zero Hash: Zero Hash provides embedded crypto and stablecoin infrastructure-as-a-service (custody, trading, payments, staking) for banks, brokerages, and fintechs via APIs. It is a direct competitor to Metal Pay Enterprise API for white-label digital asset services.
Broad incumbents
- BitGo: BitGo provides institutional custody, staking, trading, and lending infrastructure for digital assets, serving banks, exchanges, and large fintechs. Comparable to Metallicus's enterprise-grade custody and wallet stack but operating at much larger institutional scale.
- Bakkt Holdings: Bakkt offers regulated digital asset custody, trading, and consumer crypto access powered by institutional-grade infrastructure, targeting banks, fintechs, and consumer brands. Comparable to Metallicus's regulated crypto-as-a-service offerings for FIs but with broader consumer reach.
- Coinbase Institutional: Coinbase offers institutional custody (Coinbase Prime), staking, and USDC distribution infrastructure for banks and fintechs. As a broad incumbent in regulated digital asset services, it overlaps with Metallicus's enterprise API and stablecoin rails but at vastly greater scale.
Emerging players
- Figure Technologies: Figure operates the Provenance Blockchain for financial services, including HELOC and lending tokenization, and has explored credit union partnerships. It is comparable to Metallicus in targeting FIs with blockchain-native infrastructure but with a different product focus (lending/RWA).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Metallicus social profiles
Digital presenceMetallicus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metallicus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Metallicus subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Metallicus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metallicus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Metallicus
What does Metallicus do?
Metallicus builds proprietary blockchain infrastructure (Metal Blockchain Layer 0, XPR Network Layer 1, Metal L2) and a suite of digital-asset banking products including the Metal Pay Enterprise white-label API, Metal Pay consumer app, Metal X decentralized exchange, WebAuth self-custody wallet, and Metal Dollar reserve-backed stablecoin. It operates as a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) distributing compliant digital-dollar, custody, wallet, payments, lending, swap, and identity infrastructure to banks, credit unions, and fintechs without requiring replacement of existing core systems.
Is Metallicus a public or private company?
Metallicus is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Metallicus founded?
Metallicus was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Metallicus based?
Metallicus is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Metallicus make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Metal Pay Enterprise / API Platform Fees are the primary driver. The others are metal X Exchange Trading Fees, metal Dollar Transaction/Settlement and metal Blockchain Infrastructure Services.
Who are Metallicus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fireblocks, Paxos Trust Company, Circle Internet Group, Anchorage Digital, Ripple Labs and Zero Hash. Broad incumbents are BitGo, Bakkt Holdings and Coinbase Institutional. Figure Technologies is listed as an emerging player.
Does Metallicus have an API?
Yes. Metal Pay API is a fully customizable, secure, compliant solution that enables any financial services or consumer-facing business to cater to their customers' growing interest in cryptocurrencies. The API is a white-label solution that can be easily integrated into digital applications and enables partners to utilize features including: customized choice of Top 100 cryptocurrencies, revenue generation through competitive trading fee model, fully compliant cryptocurrency transaction monitoring, and crypto deposits and withdrawals. Available to enterprise partners and financial institutions. Developer documentation is at www.metallicus.com/crypto-banking-api.
What industry is Metallicus in?
Metallicus's product category is Digital Banking Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAEAB, Stablecoins & On-Chain Money (fiat-backed, crypto-backed, algorithmic; issuance/redemption), with a secondary code of FSADADAE, Mint/Redeem, Issuance APIs & Treasury Operations Platforms. Its SIC code is 6199.