Helio
Helio, now MoonPay Commerce, provides crypto payment infrastructure enabling 6,000+ merchants and developers to accept digital asset payments across Solana, EVM, and Bitcoin via APIs, Pay Links, and a Shopify plugin, monetizing through transaction fees and the HelioX premium NFT tier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Helio does
Helio, now operating as MoonPay Commerce, is a crypto payment infrastructure platform founded in 2022 and acquired by MoonPay, Inc. in January 2025, at which point the platform was rebranded and Helio Fintech Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of MoonPay. The company enables merchants and developers to accept cryptocurrency payments through direct, non-custodial peer-to-peer transactions on Solana, EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Base), and Bitcoin. Core products include hosted Pay Links, an embeddable checkout widget, deposit and withdrawal APIs, subscription billing, and headless payment flows, with supporting infrastructure such as embedded wallets (via Turnkey and Web3Auth), automated swaps (via Jupiter and Swaps.xyz), auto off-ramp to fiat (via Iron.xyz), gated access, split payments, and a webhook system with HMAC-SHA256 verification.
The platform monetizes primarily through transaction-based take rates: a 2% standard fee, reduced to 1% for holders of the HelioX Pass NFT (gating access to a premium tier), with additional 0.25% swap fees, 0.50% off-ramp fees, and a $500 one-time token listing fee. Distribution is product-led and self-serve through a merchant dashboard, REST APIs, SDKs on npm under the @heliofi namespace, the official Solana Pay Shopify plugin, and integrations with Stripe, Framer, Discord, and Telegram. The platform serves 6,000+ businesses across e-commerce merchants, Web3 developers, gaming/DeFi platforms, and content creators, with named customers including Magic Eden, Pudgy Penguins, Solana Mobile, DEXTools, Hivemapper, EtherMail, and BAXUS.
In 2025, the company launched Agentic Payments via the x402 protocol, enabling AI agents to autonomously complete purchases using the HTTP 402 Payment Required standard with mainnet USDC settlement across EVM and Solana chains. Other recent expansions include subscriptions, Trading APIs, Base integration, and multichain support, signaling a push beyond merchant checkout into recurring billing, programmatic trading, and machine-to-machine commerce. Helio is headquartered in London (Covent Garden), registered in England and Wales, and operates under MoonPay's compliance and audit infrastructure (KYC/AML, Ackee Blockchain smart-contract audits).
Helio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Helio
- Legal name
- Helio Fintech Limited
- Website
- https://hel.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Helio, now MoonPay Commerce, provides crypto payment infrastructure enabling 6,000+ merchants and developers to accept digital asset payments across Solana, EVM, and Bitcoin via APIs, Pay Links, and a Shopify plugin, monetizing through transaction fees and the HelioX premium NFT tier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Helio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crypto Payment Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs (FSADAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers) (FSADAIAB), Invoice, Billing & Subscription Payments (Crypto) (FSADAIAG), Settlement, Reconciliation & Merchant Treasury Tools (Crypto) (FSADAIAK), On/Off-Ramp Providers (Fiat↔Crypto) & Cash-In/Cash-Out Networks (FSADAIAE)
Keywords
Where Helio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Helio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: Platform charges a per-transaction fee on all peer-to-peer blockchain payments facilitated through the platform. Standard tier at 2% per transaction, HelioX premium tier at 1%. High-risk platforms subject to minimum 2% rate. Fees are deducted automatically from merchant revenue.
- Token Listing Fees: Merchants pay a one-time fee of $500 to add their custom token as a supported payment option on MoonPay Commerce, Shopify, and WooCommerce. HelioX Pass holders receive 50% discount ($250). Tokens must meet minimum $1M market cap and be listed on CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, or Jupiter.
- Swap Fees: 0.25% fee charged when merchants enable automated token swaps or bridging within the checkout widget, converting customer payments to desired digital assets.
- Auto Off-ramp Fees: 0.50% fee for fiat settlement service enabling merchants to automatically convert and transfer crypto earnings to their bank account via partner Iron.xyz.
- HelioX Premium Subscription: Premium tier subscription accessible by holding a HelioX Pass NFT in any wallet linked to the account, offering lowest transaction fees (1% vs 2% standard) and advanced features.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard tier - 2% transaction fee for all crypto payments |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | HelioX premium tier - 1% transaction fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Swap feature - 0.25% additional fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Auto-offramp - 0.50% fee for fiat settlement |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Token listing - $500 one-time fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Helio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Helio (now MoonPay Commerce) provides crypto payment infrastructure enabling merchants and developers to accept cryptocurrency payments, deposits, and subscriptions across Solana, EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Base), and Bitcoin. The platform offers Pay Links (hosted checkout), an embeddable Checkout Widget, headless API-driven payment flows, subscriptions, deposits, withdrawals, and agent-native x402 payments. Transactions are peer-to-peer with no custody, settling instantly in crypto or auto-converting to stablecoins or fiat.
Product overview
MoonPay Commerce (formerly Helio) is a unified crypto payment infrastructure platform providing payment processing, deposits, and subscriptions across Solana, EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Base), and Bitcoin. The core product consists of Pay Links (hosted checkout pages), Checkout Widget (embeddable component), Deposits, Withdrawals, Subscriptions, and Headless Payments API. Additional features include Auto Off-ramp, Swaps/Bridges, Embedded Wallets, Split Payments, Gated Payments, and Discounts. The platform integrates with Shopify (via Solana Pay plugin), Stripe, Discord, Telegram, and third-party swap providers (Jupiter, Swaps.xyz). A premium tier called HelioX offers 1% transaction fees (vs 2% standard) accessible via HelioX Pass NFT. Agentic Payments feature enables AI agents to autonomously pay via x402 protocol.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MoonPay Commerce (formerly Helio) Core crypto payment infrastructure platform/SaaS providing REST API, SDKs, hosted Pay Links, embeddable Checkout Widget, deposits, withdrawals, subscriptions, headless payments, and webhook infrastructure. Used by e-commerce merchants, developers, gaming platforms, and NFT/Web3 businesses to accept and process crypto payments across multiple blockchains.
- HelioX Pass Standalone NFT (formerly called Helion) minted on Solana that grants holders access to the HelioX premium tier of MoonPay Commerce, including the lowest transaction fees (1% versus 2% standard) and advanced platform features. Also provides 50% discount on token listing fees. Sold as a separate NFT asset on the Magic Eden marketplace.
- Solana Pay Shopify Plugin Standalone Shopify app developed and operated by MoonPay that brings Solana Pay (and now multichain) crypto payment capabilities to Shopify merchants. Distributed via the Shopify app store as a separate installable plugin.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2% standard transaction fee (1% for HelioX), compared to typical 2.5-3.5% for traditional payment processors
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Helio
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Helio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration15 records
AI capability2 records
Feature12 records
Helio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- MoonPayflagshipMoonPay acquired Helio in January 2025 and rebranded the platform to MoonPay Commerce. Helio Fintech Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of MoonPay Inc. The acquisition combines MoonPay's established crypto payment brand with Helio's merchant-focused crypto payment infrastructure.
- EtherMailminorEtherMail partnered with Helio to power subscription payments for their Web3 email platform using Helio's crypto payment infrastructure.
- Ackee BlockchaincoreAckee Blockchain conducts regular security audits of MoonPay Commerce smart contracts, helping secure the protocol and maintain trust in the platform's infrastructure.
- Shopify (Solana Pay)coreMoonPay is the developer and operator of the official Solana Pay plugin for Shopify, bringing crypto payments to Shopify merchants. MoonPay Commerce powers the Solana Pay integration on Shopify.
- Swaps.xyzcoreThird-party swap provider integrated within the Checkout Widget for automated token swaps and bridging. Swaps.xyz handles the swap mechanics while MoonPay Commerce facilitates the payment flow.
- JupitercoreThird-party swap and bridge aggregator providing liquidity for automated swaps within the checkout widget. Jupiter aggregates swap routes across Orca Whirlpool, Raydium CLMM, and Raydium CPMM pools.
- TurnkeycoreThird-party embedded wallet provider integrated within the Checkout and Deposit widgets. Turnkey provides the self-custody wallet infrastructure enabling merchants and buyers to create and fund wallets.
- Web3AuthcoreThird-party embedded wallet provider integrated within the app through checkout and deposit widgets, enabling self-custody wallet functionality.
- Magic EdencoreNFT marketplace where HelioX Pass (formerly Helion) NFTs are sold. Merchants can purchase HelioX Pass to access premium platform features at 1% transaction fee.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Helio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crypto.com Pay: Merchant crypto payment solution from Crypto.com supporting multiple digital assets and merchant settlement. Comparable in merchant checkout and ecosystem-integration strategy.
- BitPay: Long-established crypto payment processor enabling merchants to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with fiat settlement. Closely comparable in merchant-targeting and transaction-fee revenue model, though more custodial.
- BTCPay Server: Open-source, self-hosted Bitcoin and crypto payment processor. Competes with Helio at the merchant-integration layer, particularly appealing to cost-sensitive merchants who prefer zero transaction fees.
- Alchemy Pay: Hybrid fiat-crypto payment gateway enabling merchants to accept both traditional and digital assets through a single integration. Closely comparable in bridging conventional and crypto payment flows.
- CoinsPaid: Crypto payment processor offering merchant acquiring, mass payouts, and settlement tools across major chains. Overlaps directly with Helio's PSP, gateway, and settlement capabilities.
- Coinbase Commerce: Coinbase's merchant-focused crypto payment gateway supporting multiple coins and self-custody settlement. The most direct competitor in non-custodial merchant checkout, with deeper brand recognition and broader coin support.
- NOWPayments: Multi-cryptocurrency payment gateway for merchants supporting 200+ coins with non-custodial and custodial options. Direct competitor on multi-coin checkout, subscriptions, and pay-link features.
Emerging players
- Strike: Bitcoin-native payment network enabling merchants to accept BTC with instant conversion to fiat. Comparable in low-fee instant settlement philosophy and merchant checkout focus, though concentrated on Bitcoin.
- Request Network: Crypto-native invoicing, billing, and subscription payment protocol on Ethereum. Closely comparable to Helio's subscription and billing use cases for crypto-paying B2B customers and freelancers.
Broad incumbents
- Binance Pay: Crypto payment service from Binance leveraging the exchange's massive user base. Comparable peer-to-peer crypto checkout functionality, with the structural advantage of distribution through Binance's existing wallet and exchange ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Helio compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Helio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Helio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Helio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Helio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Helio
What does Helio do?
Helio (now MoonPay Commerce) provides crypto payment infrastructure enabling merchants and developers to accept cryptocurrency payments, deposits, and subscriptions across Solana, EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Base), and Bitcoin. The platform offers Pay Links (hosted checkout), an embeddable Checkout Widget, headless API-driven payment flows, subscriptions, deposits, withdrawals, and agent-native x402 payments. Transactions are peer-to-peer with no custody, settling instantly in crypto or auto-converting to stablecoins or fiat.
Is Helio a public or private company?
Helio is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Helio founded?
Helio was founded in 2022.
Where is Helio based?
Helio is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Helio make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are token Listing Fees, swap Fees, auto Off-ramp Fees and helioX Premium Subscription.
Who are Helio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Crypto.com Pay, BitPay, BTCPay Server, Alchemy Pay, CoinsPaid, Coinbase Commerce and NOWPayments. Emerging players are Strike and Request Network. Binance Pay is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Helio have an API?
Yes. MoonPay Commerce offers a REST API for crypto payment infrastructure supporting Solana, EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Base), and Bitcoin. The API enables Pay Links, embeddable checkout widgets, headless payment flows, deposits, withdrawals, subscriptions, and webhook-based transaction tracking. Authentication uses public API key as query parameter and secret key as Bearer token. Production endpoint: https://api.hel.io/v1 | Devnet: https://api.dev.hel.io/v1. SDK packages are published under the @heliofi/* namespace on npm, supporting JavaScript/TypeScript with example code in Node.js. Webhook verification uses HMAC-SHA256 signatures. Rate limiting is enforced per IP with stricter limits on specific endpoints like Pay Link creation. Developer documentation is at docs.hel.io.
What industry is Helio in?
Helio's product category is Crypto Payment Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAIAA, Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs, with a secondary code of FSADAIAB, Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers). Its NAICS code is 522320.