MoonPay is a global crypto payments company based in the U.S. It enables individuals and businesses to buy, sell, and integrate digital assets through a wide range of non-custodial, on-ramp, and API-based services.
Founded | 2019 |
Headquarters | Miami, Florida, USA |
Website | https://moonpay-affiliate-program.sjv.io/raBmgy |
Target clients | Individuals, businesses integrating crypto payments |
Employees | 200–500 |
Market cap | Not applicable (private company) |
Daily volume trading | Not publicly disclosed; $2B processed overall |
Revenue | Not publicly disclosed; profitable since 2024 |
Fiat supported | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, BRL, ZAR, and 30+ others |
Cryptocurrencies | Over 100, including BTC, ETH, SOL, USDT, USDC, ADA, LINK, AAVE |
Pricing Plans | Standardized fees; not customized per client |
Cryptocurrency Fees | Up to 4.5% MoonPay fee + network fee + spread; 0% with MoonPay Balance (non-US only) |
Tokenization services | |
Offers Bitcoin ETF | |
Staking services | |
Interest on savings | N/A |
Crypto Custody | |
Crypto Trading |
Invoicing service | |
Payments Services | |
Cards | |
API | |
Insurance Coverage | |
Interest on savings | N/A |
Crypto licenses VASP | UK: FCA (FRN 944746) EU: Dutch AFM (MoonPay Europe B.V.) Australia: AUSTRAC (DCE Registration) Canada: FINTRAC (MSB Registration) |
Banking licenses (IBAN) | None – MoonPay does not hold any traditional banking or IBAN licenses |
Money Transmitter or E-Money Licences | USA: MSB + 47 State MTLs (FinCEN Registration: 31000296483350) Ireland: Central Bank of Ireland (Tech Services Reg.) Italy: OAM (Agent Registration) |
MoonPay is a financial technology company that powers fiat-to-crypto transactions for both consumers and businesses. Founded in 2019 and based in Miami, the company has built its reputation on simplifying cryptocurrency purchases through familiar payment method credit cards, Apple Pay, and local bank transfers. It doesn’t operate as a traditional bank, nor does it hold user funds. Instead, it focuses entirely on infrastructure, which means handling transactions behind the scenes while leaving custody to users and partner platforms.
It’s embedded into over 300 apps, wallets, and exchanges, including MetaMask, OpenSea, and Trust Wallet. As of 2025, it serves more than 30 million users across 180 countries and has processed over $8 billion in transaction volume. The company also runs HyperMint, a minting service used by brands and artists for large-scale NFT creation.
MoonPay’s value proposition is built on access. It’s designed for people new to crypto as well as businesses that want to add crypto payments without building their own compliance stack. It has regulatory coverage across the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia, making it available for anyone trying to bridge fiat and digital assets in a compliant way across all these regions.
What MoonPay does is handle the part most platforms avoid, which is converting fiat to crypto and back again, without forcing the user to leave the app they are in. So technically, MoonPay sits in the background and runs the transactions, which makes its usability much simpler.
For everyday users, MoonPay offers three primary functions: buy, sell, and swap. These are accessible through its app or directly through partner platforms like Trust Wallet or OpenSea. Unlike some platforms that only support card purchases, MoonPay supports a wider range of payment methods. Users can buy or sell crypto using Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, SEPA bank transfers (Europe), PIX (Brazil), Faster Payments (UK), and even PayPal or Venmo in selected regions.
The crypto selection spans over 100 tokens, and not just major assets. Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, MoonPay supports USDT, USDC, Solana, Aave, Chainlink, and many others. These can also be swapped directly through the app or via MoonPay-powered interfaces embedded in external wallets. Swaps are executed through DeFi liquidity sources, which means tokens are exchanged using decentralized protocols rather than a central order book. The platform currently supports cross-chain swaps for over 700 token pairs.
All of this happens through non-custodial flows. MoonPay doesn’t store your crypto or hold your private keys. Users send and receive funds to and from wallets they control. This approach reduces risk and places MoonPay in a different category from exchanges like Coinbase or Binance, which custody user assets by default.
MoonPay allows users to purchase NFTs using credit cards, skipping the need to buy crypto first. The same goes for its minting tool, HyperMint. This service is aimed at creators and brands, letting them issue large-scale NFT drops with built-in payment rails and no backend development needed.
At the core is its SDK and API, which lets any app or website integrate crypto payments in a matter of days. This is used by consumer wallets, Web3 platforms, and even traditional fintech apps that want to add crypto features without applying for licenses or building their own KYC systems.
The infrastructure supports both on-ramps (fiat-to-crypto) and off-ramps (crypto-to-fiat), with custom UI components available for different user flows. Businesses also have the option to share in transaction revenue through MoonPay’s partner model, which makes the service appealing to platforms that want to monetize user activity without taking custody of funds.
HyperMint, while available to individuals, is increasingly pitched as a white-label solution for enterprise NFT drops. It supports metadata configuration, royalty structuring, and even gated storefronts, and plugs directly into MoonPay’s payment system. This allows brands to build full-scale NFT commerce flows that feel like any other e-commerce checkout.
MoonPay doesn’t offer invoicing tools, cards, or insurance products. Its business model is focused entirely on providing regulated, compliant infrastructure to move fiat in and out of crypto.
MoonPay keeps the interface minimal on purpose. Most users don’t come to the standalone app, rather they encounter MoonPay inside something else (i.e. MetaMask, OpenSea, etc.). For example, when buying an NFT on OpenSwea with MoonPay, the NFT is delivered to the user’s wallet without requiring crypto in advance. MoonPay runs in the background with a pop-up or embedded interface that handles the payment flow.
That experience is what made MoonPay so widely adopted. It removes the need to jump between apps or copy wallet addresses. Users choose the asset, select a payment method, and complete the transaction without ever leaving the original platform. The conversion happens in seconds, and funds are sent directly to the user’s non-custodial wallet.
For those using MoonPay directly, the app and web interface offer simple layout and navigation. Currency management is straightforward. Users can select their default fiat currency, see conversion previews before confirming orders, and track recent transactions. There are no trading charts or order books since MoonPay avoids being like an exchange.
MoonPay Balance, when topped up, allows users to buy and sell crypto with no platform fees. Top-ups can be done via bank transfer or card depending on the region, and transaction histories are exportable for tax or record-keeping purposes.
The total cost of a transaction is made up of several components, some of which are fixed and others that vary depending on how the user accesses the platform, what payment method is used, and which partner platform is involved.
Type | Description |
Network Fee | Variable blockchain fee based on congestion. Paid directly to miners or validators. |
MoonPay Fee | Up to 4.5% per transaction. Minimum charge ranges from $3.99 to $4.50, depending on the interface used. |
Ecosystem Fee | Applied by partner platforms when using MoonPay within third-party apps. Not always present, but can add an additional percentage. |
Spread | Built into the asset price to account for market volatility. MoonPay doesn’t itemize it, but it exists in every transaction. |
Fee-Free Option | Available via MoonPay Balance for users outside the U.S. Transactions made with preloaded Balance funds carry no MoonPay fees. |
Additional costs may apply depending on the user’s bank. Some cards incur international or foreign exchange fees, especially when the transaction involves non-local currency. These charges are outside MoonPay’s control but are disclosed before payment is finalized.
Blockchain withdrawal fees and slippage from swaps still apply, just like any other DeFi platform.
Fee disclosures differ slightly depending on the region. Users in the EEA or UK will see separate breakdowns, and those differences are reflected in MoonPay’s pricing documentation.
While it doesn’t operate as a traditional bank, it holds the necessary registrations to function legally across multiple jurisdictions.
Region | License Type | Regulatory Authority |
USA | MSB + 47 State MTLs | FinCEN + Individual State Regulators |
UK | VASP Registration | Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 944746) |
EU | VASP Registration | Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets |
Ireland | Technology Services Registration | Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) |
Italy | Agent of VASP | Organismo Agenti e Mediatori (OAM) |
Australia | DCE Registration | AUSTRAC |
Canada | MSB Registration | FINTRAC |
MoonPay operates legally in the vast majority of jurisdictions where its services are available. In the U.S., it is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FinCEN and holds individual Money Transmitter Licenses in 47 states. These include major regulatory environments like New York, where MoonPay has secured a BitLicense, completing its full compliance footprint across the country. Each U.S. state where MoonPay operates includes a jurisdiction-specific notice, often with direct contact information for the state financial regulator. These disclosures meet consumer protection requirements and make it clear where users can file complaints or seek remediation.
In the EU, MoonPay Europe B.V. is registered as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) with the Dutch AFM, and other localized registrations. Similar arrangements are in place in the UK under the FCA and in Australia under AUSTRAC.
Canada is covered through FINTRAC, with MoonPay operating as a registered Money Services Business.
MoonPay doesn’t custody user funds. That’s a core part of its model. All transactions are processed through non-custodial flows, meaning users must supply their own wallet address before any crypto is sent. MoonPay does not store private keys, and it does not hold assets on behalf of users or businesses.
The company uses multi-party computation (MPC) to secure critical operations. MPC allows actions to be performed across distributed servers without any single party holding full access to user data. This setup minimizes the risk of internal compromise or third-party breaches.
On the infrastructure side, MoonPay states that it adheres to enterprise-grade security standards. While specific certifications (such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2) are not publicly listed, its legal disclosures reference compliance with global data protection frameworks, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant U.S. financial regulations under FinCEN and individual state MTLs.
To prevent fraud, MoonPay utilizes domain-based message authentication (BIMI) and signed emails from the MoonPay.com domain to verify the authenticity of communication. The company explicitly warns users against fake support emails, impersonation websites, and Telegram scams, which are outlined in a dedicated scam protection resource.
If a user suspects fraud or exposure of recovery phrases, they are advised to move funds immediately and contact support. However, MoonPay makes clear that transactions, once completed, are irreversible.
No system is immune to social engineering or external threats, but MoonPay’s architecture limits its exposure by not holding funds or private keys. That distinction separates it from custodial exchanges, which are often the primary target of large-scale crypto hacks. Hence, why many may consider lack of custody a drawback for this type of institution, it can be a blessing in disguise.
Opening a MoonPay account is straightforward. The process starts through the mobile app or any MoonPay-integrated platform and follows a standard flow for identity verification. To use the service, users must be at least 18 years old and provide a government-issued photo ID, an active phone number, and a verifiable email address. This is required before any transaction can take place, even for low-volume purchases.
The verification process is tied to MoonPay’s global compliance obligations, which means personal details must match the ID provided. Users in certain countries will also be asked to submit proof of address. Once the documents are reviewed and approved, the account becomes active; however, transaction limits may still apply, depending on the region and payment method.
MoonPay does not support anonymous usage and does not allow self-custody wallets to bypass onboarding. Even if a transaction is routed through a third-party app like MetaMask or Trust Wallet, MoonPay still enforces KYC before the fiat-to-crypto conversion occurs.
For businesses, the process involves Know Your Business (KYB) checks, which include documentation on company registration, beneficial ownership, and the source of funds. These checks are handled manually, and setup times vary depending on jurisdiction and corporate structure. Business onboarding is required for platforms that want to integrate MoonPay’s SDK or API into their services.
Not all jurisdictions are supported. MoonPay blocks usage in sanctioned or high-risk countries, including North Korea and Iran, as well as others flagged under international sanctions programs. It also restricts access in regions where crypto-related activity is prohibited or where regulatory licenses are not yet secured.
MoonPay’s support system is built around self-service documentation rather than live agents. The Help Center is structured into distinct sections, covering onboarding, account management, trading, NFTs, security, and business integration. Each section includes direct guides and FAQs, written clearly for non-technical users.
Support is available through a ticket-based form and email, with most inquiries routed to support@MoonPay.com. There’s no live chat, and users won’t find in-app messaging or real-time agents, but support is available 24/7. Response times vary depending on the region and the nature of the issue, though most transactional problems are addressed through automated flows that resolve without needing support intervention.
The business section of the Help Center includes partner-specific guidance on KYC, transaction fees, and minimums. It also provides information on integrating MoonPay’s SDK or API, making it easier for developers to go live without separate onboarding calls.
Overall, while MoonPay doesn’t provide real-time help, the support materials are detailed and legally complete. Most of the information needed for compliance, payments, or partner questions is already available online and written in plain language.
Most users turn to MoonPay for one reason: simplicity. The platform consistently receives positive feedback for its quick processing times, clean transaction flow, and ease of use. For users who just want to buy crypto fast and without dealing with a full exchange, MoonPay generally delivers.
That said, one of the most common points of frustration is the fee structure. Many users find the costs higher than expected, and several mention that other platforms charge less for similar services.
MoonPay discloses fees before checkout, but the layered nature of network fees, MoonPay’s own markup, and potential ecosystem surcharges often leads to sticker shock.
Support also divides opinion. Some users report smooth and helpful interactions, particularly when dealing with verification issues or failed transactions. Others are less satisfied, especially when delays occur and no real-time help is available. Without live chat, users must rely on email or ticket-based responses, which can lead to longer resolution times in more urgent cases.
A few users have flagged failed wallet deliveries, unclear transaction statuses, or prolonged KYC verification as friction points. In most of these cases, support responses cite regulatory requirements or internal processing timelines, which suggests the issue lies more with operational rigidity than outright failure.
Still, for users in supported regions who meet verification requirements and use recommended payment methods, the feedback trend is largely positive. The experience is especially smooth for recurring users, and MoonPay’s reliability improves once a customer is verified and onboarded.
MoonPay is a cryptocurrency payment platform that lets users buy and sell crypto using traditional payment methods like credit cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay, and more. It supports over 160 countries and integrates with hundreds of crypto apps and wallets.
No. MoonPay is not a proper “bank” and does not offer traditional banking services. It is a registered Money Services Business (MSB) and holds crypto-related licenses in multiple jurisdictions, but it does not provide fiat accounts, custody, or interest-bearing services.
MoonPay does not allow direct fiat withdrawals to bank accounts for individual users. Any crypto purchased is sent to an external wallet. Off-ramping to fiat is only available through select partner platforms and primarily for business integrations.
MoonPay charges up to 4.5% per transaction, with a minimum fee that ranges between $3.99 and $4.50. Additional costs may include network fees and potential partner ecosystem fees. Users outside the U.S. can access fee-free transactions using MoonPay Balance.
MoonPay operates in over 160 countries, including the U.S., UK, EU, Australia, and Canada. However, some countries and U.S. states are excluded due to regulatory restrictions. Users can check availability during onboarding or in MoonPay’s support documentation.
MoonPay uses a non-custodial model, so users retain control of their assets. It employs multi-party computation (MPC) for secure data handling and complies with international KYC and AML regulations. Email authentication and anti-phishing tools also help protect users.
No. MoonPay does not offer staking, yield, or interest-bearing products. Its service is limited to crypto purchases, sales, swaps, and NFT checkout. Users seeking staking or DeFi options must transfer their assets to external platforms that support those features.
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