Crypto wallet provider Exodus has announced a strategic move to expand its footprint in on-chain payments by acquiring W3C Corp, the parent company of payment infrastructure firms Monavate and Baanx, in a deal valued at $175 million. The NYSE-listed company plans to utilize its Bitcoin holdings and credit facilities to finance this acquisition, signaling a major shift toward integrated payment solutions within the crypto ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
- •Exodus is acquiring W3C Corp to control its entire payments infrastructure, including card issuance and processing.
- •The company intends to reduce reliance on third-party vendors by integrating issuing, processing, and compliance tools directly into its platform.
- •The deal will leverage Bitcoin reserves, with Exodus already loaning $58.8 million to support the acquisition.
- •The move positions Exodus as a comprehensive platform, bridging storage and spending through on-chain technology.
Exodus’s Strategic Shift Toward On-Chain Payment Infrastructure
Exodus plans to harness its Bitcoin holdings and credit facilities to finance its acquisition of W3C Corp, which owns Monavate and Baanx. This move aims to position Exodus as one of the few self-custodial wallets with end-to-end payment capabilities, from crypto storage to card issuance. By bringing card and payments infrastructure in-house, the company seeks to close the gap between holding and spending assets, offering users a seamless experience with support for a wide range of assets, including popular stablecoins.
The company has already advanced its plans by loaning $58.8 million to W3C to facilitate the acquisition, with an additional $10 million earmarked for working capital. The deal is expected to conclude by 2026, with Exodus’s on-chain aggregator XO Swap gaining access to Monavate and Baanx’s programmable payout and card issuance tools.
Following its recent acquisition of LATAM stablecoin payments startup Grateful, Exodus continues to diversify its on-chain financial services. The integration of these tools will enable Exodus to offer enhanced transaction options and broader support for card issuance through major networks such as Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.
This strategic move mirrors industry developments. For instance, in September, Visa tested a pilot program for cross-border transactions using USDC and EURC stablecoins, signaling traditional financial institutions’ increased appetite for blockchain-based settlement systems.
Meanwhile, earlier efforts by Swift to collaborate with Ethereum developers and financial institutions on a blockchain settlement platform further underscore the shift toward real-time, blockchain-enabled payments.