Access to European banking remains elusive for many high-risk industries — such as crypto, iGaming, and cross-border eCommerce. Traditional banks, constrained by AML obligations and regulatory scrutiny, often sideline these sectors. This enduring trust gap impedes growth and limits financial access.
Why Banks Avoid High-Risk Clients
Banks in the EU and UK are burdened by AML frameworks (e.g. MiCA, AMLD), which significantly raise compliance costs and risk exposure. This drives widespread IBAN discrimination — refusal to accept IBANs from other EU countries. From February 2021 to September 2023, nearly 3,500 reported cases emerged on platforms like “Accept My IBAN”.
Despite legal safeguards under SEPA Regulation (EU No 260/2012) and PSD2, enforcement gaps persist.
How Xpaid Works: Compliance-First Crypto-Friendly IBANs
Xpaid positions itself as the compliant bridge:
- With licensed EMI partners, it offers crypto‑friendly IBAN accounts integrated with stablecoin (USDC) settlement rails
- Onboarding includes full KYC/KYB and transparent risk evaluation.
- Companies receive an EU‑based IBAN within 3 business days, paired with instant EUR-to-USDC conversion and OTC support.
Real-World Cases: iGaming, Crypto, eCommerce
- iGaming firms often face abrupt account freezes in the UK or Germany — not for illegality, but banks’ risk aversion.
- Crypto exchanges find it nearly impossible to secure euro-denominated accounts despite regulatory operations.
- eCommerce players with high-volume or cross-border models risk being labeled “too risky” by conservative banks.
Xpaid solves this by offering regulated IBANs, seamless crypto‑fiat operations, and jurisdictional flexibility — particularly beneficial when UK banks increasingly block or reject accounts due to post‑Brexit risk sensitivities.
Benefits for Banks and Businesses
- Banks: Gain exposure to high-growth sectors without inheriting compliance burdens — Xpaid handles the risk via its EMI infrastructure.
- Businesses: Achieve financial access, predictability, and legitimacy. They bypass IBAN rejections and banking bureaucracy.
Thus, Xpaid forms a bridge, converting regulatory complexity into operational reliability and scaling opportunity.
Xpaid doesn’t just offer IBANs — it delivers trust. In a landscape where high-risk businesses and European banks remain cautious of each other, Xpaid provides clarity, compliance, and connection. It transforms friction into synergy, turning a compliance barrier into a growth pathway.
