Guide
Guide to Web3 banking and financial services
The practical fundamentals of Web3 banking, the challenges Web3 companies face with traditional banks, and how a VQF-supervised Swiss intermediary completes the fiat leg for Web3 companies that cannot hold a traditional bank account.
Key insights
- Web3 banking means financial services built for companies whose treasury, revenue or payroll lives partly on-chain.
- The core need is a reliable bridge between stablecoins and fiat, operated by a regulated counterparty.
- Benefits: faster settlement, lower fees, global reach and a clean audit trail.
- XEROF covers three regulated activities for Web3 companies: settlement, payouts and custody.
What is Web3?
Web3 is the stage of the internet that uses blockchains for settlement and ownership. Value moves between addresses without an intermediary, and every transfer is recorded on a public ledger.
Decentralisation
Data and value move across a distributed network rather than through one institution, giving users direct control over their assets.
Blockchain ledger
A transparent, tamper-resistant record of every transaction, verifiable by anyone with the address.
Transparency
On-chain settlement is visible in real time. The fiat leg is confirmed by the bank. Both sit on the same XEROF confirmation.
Web3 banking versus traditional banking
Web3 banking connects digital assets with the fiat system: compliant, fast, low-fee conversion and payment services built for companies that traditional banks struggle to serve.
The challenges, and how XEROF addresses them
Regulation
Rules differ by country and change quickly. XEROF operates under the Swiss AMLA as a VQF member supervised by FINMA, so the compliance framework is fixed and documented.
De-banking
Traditional banks routinely close or refuse accounts for Web3 companies. XEROF was built for exactly these clients and settles fiat through tier 1 banking partners.
The fiat bridge
Converting stablecoins to operating capital and paying suppliers in fiat is the daily operational gap. XEROF's settlement and payout services close it.
XEROF's role in Web3 financial services
Three regulated activities. Nothing else.
Settlement
USDC, USDT, BTC, ETH and SOL to USD, EUR, CHF and GBP, and back. Tier 1 liquidity at cost, XEROF fee shown separately.
Payouts
Pay suppliers, contractors and invoices in fiat, funded in stablecoins, typically the same business day, with beneficiary screening on every payment.
Custody
One segregated on-chain wallet per client on institutional custody infrastructure, with statements and reporting on online.xerof.ch.
Web3 banking: common questions
- What is Web3 banking?
- Financial services designed for companies that hold or earn digital assets: converting between stablecoins and fiat, paying fiat invoices from crypto, and holding assets with a regulated custodian.
- Is XEROF a bank?
- No. XEROF is a Swiss financial intermediary under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, regulated through VQF membership No. 100954. Fiat settles through regulated banking partners; cryptoassets are held in segregated wallets.
- How long does onboarding take?
- Online onboarding for an individual or a company typically completes in 3 to 5 business days once documents are provided.
- Which assets and currencies are supported?
- Stablecoins USDC and USDT, cryptoassets BTC, ETH and SOL, and fiat in USD, EUR, CHF and GBP.
Ready to run your Web3 company's fiat operations through a regulated Swiss counterparty?