Exchanges, NFT marketplaces, on-ramps

A payment gateway for crypto exchanges and Web3 platforms.

OpenGate is a payment gateway for crypto businesses: exchanges, fiat on-ramps and NFT marketplaces that need card and bank acquiring for customer deposits. Mainstream processors treat crypto as fraud risk and refuse most of the category. We underwrite the flow of funds, the AML program and the dispute history, then place the file with acquirers that already work with crypto businesses.

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At a glance

Crypto & Web3

Sector: Financial & trading
Payment methods: Cards (Visa/Mastercard) · SEPA and open banking · Local payment methods
Documents in the file: 5
First answer: Within 1 business day

Why processors refuse

Why mainstream PSPs refuse crypto and Web3

Crypto businesses combine the two things acquirers fear most: irreversible money movement and card fraud. A stolen card buys stablecoins, the stablecoins move off-platform in minutes, and the chargeback lands on the merchant. That is why the refusals are blanket ones.

On-ramps attract stolen cards
A fraudster turns a stolen card into crypto within minutes. The merchant ships digital value that cannot be clawed back, and the issuer claws back the card payment instead. On-ramp fraud typically runs well above ordinary retail.
How OpenGate handles it
Fraud scoring runs on every deposit: velocity checks, device signals and per-vertical thresholds tuned during onboarding. 3DS2 challenges first deposits and shifts fraud liability to the issuer on authenticated transactions.
AML obligations make banks nervous
Exchanges sit inside anti-money-laundering rules in most jurisdictions, and the acquirer inherits part of that exposure. A weak KYC program on your side becomes a fine on theirs.
How OpenGate handles it
The AML policy, the KYC steps you apply and the screening tool in use are evaluated before activation. We prepare the file so it answers the questions banks ask.
Volatility and reputational risk
Price swings, platform collapses and consumer fraud reports keep the vertical in the news. Banks remember the headlines, and headlines translate into conservative underwriting.
How OpenGate handles it
We structure reserves and caps against the model rather than the news cycle. A marketplace with settlement discipline files differently from a margin-trading exchange, and the offer reflects that.
Regulatory patchwork
MiCA governs the European Union, the Payment Services Act governs Singapore, US firms answer to FinCEN and state money transmitter rules, and some jurisdictions have no dedicated regime at all. Acquirers must verify which regime your entity falls under, and most would rather refuse than research.
How OpenGate handles it
We map the jurisdictions before submission and route the file to acquirers that hold licenses for your markets. The legal position is documented in the file, not assumed.
Irreversible settlement
A card payment can be reversed for months after the sale. A settled crypto payment cannot. The asymmetry scares acquirers, because the merchant holds the funds while the acquirer holds the risk.
How OpenGate handles it
Settlement rails are agreed in writing before go-live: fiat settlement where the acquirer requires it, stablecoin settlement where the model and jurisdiction allow. Nothing switches on without your signature.

The file

How we underwrite a crypto merchant account

The underwriter reads the flow of funds first: where deposits enter, where value is stored, how withdrawals leave. Then the AML program, the dispute history and the platform itself. The file goes to acquirers that already underwrite crypto businesses.

Corporate records

Registration, shareholder structure and identity documents for directors and UBOs. Token projects and DAOs need a clear legal entity behind them; no acquirer underwrites an unincorporated wallet.

Licenses, AML program and screening

Your VASP or CASP license or registration for each market served, the written AML policy, the KYC steps you apply to users and the screening provider in use. Required at onboarding. Travel rule coverage matters where your licenses require it.

Flow of funds description

A written map of the product: fiat in, fiat out, custody, conversion and payout rails. Acquirers price the risk from this document, so it must match the live product.

Processing history

Monthly volume, dispute ratios and refund rates from the current processor. New platforms file with projected volumes and tighter caps until real history builds.

Platform and policies

The live exchange or marketplace, its terms and the refund policy as published. What users agree to at signup is checked against what the product actually does.

Payment methods

Payment methods for crypto and Web3

Fiat rails in, settlement rails out. The checkout and the payout side get configured together.

See every capability

Cards (Visa/Mastercard)
Fiat deposits for on-ramps, with 3DS2 and fraud scoring on every first buy. Card schemes route crypto purchases under their own category, commonly MCC 6051, and the classic fraud vector gets the heaviest controls.
SEPA and open banking
Credit transfers and account-to-account payments for European on-ramps. Push payments cannot be charged back like cards, which lowers the dispute exposure and the price.
Local payment methods
Pix for Brazilian users, iDEAL for Dutch users, and the regional rails that carry real volume in your markets.
Stablecoin settlement
Settle fiat volume in stablecoins where the model and jurisdiction allow it. Agreed in writing in the offer.

The process

A crypto file starts with the application at /apply and follows the same four steps as every vertical: file, analysis, offer, go-live, documented on /how-it-works. The difference is the review depth on AML and flow of funds.

See the 4-step process

FAQ

Crypto and Web3 payment processing FAQ

Can I use Stripe or PayPal for a crypto exchange?

Rarely. Stripe lists crypto exchanges and wallets as restricted with limited availability, and PayPal requires pre-approval for anything crypto. Exchanges and marketplaces that start there often get frozen when volume grows. The rejection targets the vertical, not your compliance record.

What documents do I need for a crypto merchant account?

Corporate records with UBO identity, your licenses or registrations, the written AML program and screening tool, a flow of funds description, processing history, and the live platform with its terms. We list the gaps within 1 business day, and the review starts with what you have.

How long does onboarding take for a crypto business?

A complete file can go from first review to go-live in as little as two weeks. AML documentation is the usual bottleneck, because acquirers read it line by line. Send the policy and the screening details early.

Do NFT marketplaces need different acquiring than exchanges?

The acquiring logic differs. A marketplace billing collectors carries retail-style disputes, while an exchange carries on-ramp fraud and AML exposure. The same gateway reads both files; the reserve and caps come out different.

Why did my processor close my crypto account?

Most closures trace to one of two causes: dispute ratios crossed a scheme threshold, or the processor's bank exited crypto entirely. Ask for the closing reason in writing. Often the account died because the vertical was on the bank's exit list, not because of your file.

Will I need a rolling reserve?

On-ramp businesses almost always do, because card fraud concentrates on the deposit side. The percentage and the release schedule are written in the offer. Reserves are your funds, held against exposure and returned on schedule.

Can you settle in stablecoins?

Yes, where the model and the merchant's jurisdiction allow it. Settlement currency and rails are agreed in the offer before go-live, and fiat settlement stays available wherever the acquirer requires it.

What happens when a cardholder disputes an on-ramp purchase?

You receive the dispute with its reason code and a deadline. KYC records, login timestamps and transaction logs go into the representment file as evidence. You refund instead when the evidence is weak. Alert feeds catch many disputes before they file.

Do you work with token projects and DAOs?

Yes, when a clear legal entity stands behind the token. An unincorporated wallet is not a merchant, and no acquirer can underwrite one. A project with a company, a treasury and a compliance program produces a readable file.

Related guides

Read all guides

Comparison11 min read

Offshore Merchant Account vs EU Acquiring: How to Choose

Licensed European acquirers and offshore jurisdictions both accept high-risk files. The differences that matter are licensing, cost, stability, settlement rails and how each fits your customer base.

Acquiring & banking Explainer10 min read

3DS2 and SCA for High-Risk Merchants

What 3DS2 and Strong Customer Authentication actually do, how the liability shift works, which exemptions apply, and how high-risk merchants should route authentication.

Compliance & security Explainer10 min read

How High-Risk Merchant Underwriting Works

What an underwriter reads in your file, how the four steps of high-risk underwriting run, why files get declined and how to prepare a file that gets placed.

Getting approved

Related industries

All industries

Open your crypto gate.

Send the flow of funds, the AML program and the history. An underwriter reads the file within 1 business day and replies with an offer, a document list, or an honest no.

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A payment gateway for crypto exchanges and Web3 platforms.

Why mainstream PSPs refuse crypto and Web3

On-ramps attract stolen cards

AML obligations make banks nervous

Volatility and reputational risk

Regulatory patchwork

Irreversible settlement