Crypto Payments Firm Wirex Expands to US, Begins Distributing Crypto-Linked Visa Debit Card
Wirex currently has over 4.5 million customers across the European and Asia-Pacific regions.
Feb 7, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. UTCUpdated May 11, 2023 at 4:10 p.m. UTC
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U.S.-based users of Wirex will be able to use the company’s app to buy, store and exchange 37 different cryptocurrencies, as well as traditional currencies. The service is available to all states except New York and Hawaii, which is coming later this year, according to Wirex.
- "U.S. users have been demanding an alternative to traditional forms of payments that are antiquated, slow and non-transparent, and that's where Wirex steps in,” said Harold Montgomery, Wirex USA managing director. The company’s domestic partners are Zero Hash, Checkout.com, Visa and Sutton Bank.
- The Wirex app will link to a contactless Visa debit card, allowing for clients to spend their crypto either online or in-store at more than 61 million locations around the world. The “Cryptoback” rewards program allows users up to 8% back in X-points (Wirex's native token) for purchases.
- The company said its other growth initiatives include a recently launched non-custodial wallet and an investment in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Nereus.
- Since its launch in 2014, Wirex has garnered more than 4.5 million customers in 130 countries across the European and Asia-Pacific areas.
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Michael Bellusci is CoinDesk's crypto reporter focused on public companies and digital asset firms.