Key takeaways
- "Crypto friendly" isn't a licence or a legal term. Check three things: whether the provider serves your exact activity, whether it can hold stablecoins, and whether it can pay third parties.
- As of November 2026, Customers Bank, AMINA Bank, Bank Frick and Xapo Bank are banks that say they work with crypto businesses. Each has limits, and Xapo's institutional account doesn't allow third-party payments.
- Mercury and Slash are fintechs on partner banks, not banks. Mercury holds fiat only and doesn't take exchanges or money services businesses.
- Wise doesn't serve businesses involved in cryptocurrency. Align isn't a bank either: it's an account for registered companies that holds USD, EUR, GBP and AED next to USDC, USDT and EURC.
The short answer
For a crypto company, a good account is one that accepts your actual activity, holds what you need to hold and lets you pay people. "Crypto friendly" says nothing about those three things, and no regulator defines it.
As of November 2026, the options fall into three groups. Banks such as Customers Bank, AMINA Bank, Bank Frick and Xapo Bank take deposits and say they work with crypto businesses. Fintechs on partner banks such as Mercury and Slash name crypto companies among their customers, and mainly suit US startups. Payment and stablecoin accounts such as BCB Group and Align aren't banks, and they suit companies that move money between stablecoins and bank rails.
If you need insured deposits, lending or custody of tokens like BTC and ETH, a bank is the better fit, and Align isn't one.
What "bank" means in this market
Many pages about crypto friendly banks list companies that aren't banks. The difference matters for three reasons: who holds your money, what protects it and who can close your account.
- A bank holds your deposits itself. Protection depends on its country. Xapo Bank, for example, says eligible fiat deposits are protected up to £120,000 by the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme, and that crypto isn't covered.
- A fintech on partner banks runs the product and the sign-up, while a bank holds the money. Mercury says it's "a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank", with banking services through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A. The OCC gave preliminary conditional approval for a Mercury Bank, National Association on 24 April 2026. That isn't final approval, and the bank can't open until its preopening requirements are met. Slash says the same of itself, with Column N.A. as its bank. Your partner bank can have its own view of your business.
- A payment or e-money institution is regulated, but it isn't a bank. BCB Group calls its products "fiat payment accounts rather than traditional bank accounts or crypto custody solutions". Align Payments Ltd. is a money services business registered with FINTRAC, and there's no deposit insurance on Align balances.
Crypto friendly business accounts compared
This table uses each provider's own pages, as of November 2026. None of them promises to accept you, and terms change.
| Provider | What it is | Who it says it serves | Crypto on the account | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customers Bank (cubiX) | US bank, FDIC no. 34444 | Institutional customers, including digital asset firms | Its payments page describes fiat rails: wire, ACH, RTP, FedNow and a 24/7 network between its customers | Onboarding goes through a bank representative |
| AMINA Bank | Swiss bank, regulated by FINMA | Corporates, plus a package for startups under 5 years old or with funding up to CHF 10M | Custody and trading; current accounts in CHF, USD, EUR, GBP, HKD and AED | Says its products are licensed only in Switzerland; Corporate package is CHF 1,000 a month unless you meet its thresholds |
| Bank Frick | Liechtenstein bank | Established blockchain and crypto companies, including exchanges and brokers | Trading and custody; current accounts in CHF, EUR, USD, GBP and other convertible currencies | Aimed at established firms and professional clients |
| Xapo Bank | Gibraltar credit institution, with a separate licensed crypto company | Legal entities such as corporates, foundations, exchanges and funds | Bitcoin custody, a USD account and stablecoin conversions | No third-party payments, so no paying suppliers or payroll |
| BCB Group | UK payment institution and French e-money institution; not a bank | Exchanges, liquidity providers, brokerages and others | Trading across fiat, stablecoins and other crypto; 30+ currencies; instant settlement between members on BLINC | Doesn't publish eligibility rules; you apply through its contact form |
| Mercury | US fintech on partner banks | Crypto and web3 startups, DAOs and funds | Fiat only; can send to exchanges | No exchanges or money services businesses; the company must be formed in the US, as of October 2026 |
| Slash | US fintech on Column N.A. | Crypto companies | Send and receive USDC and USDT, with custody by Bridge; its own USDSL stablecoin | "Geographic, regulatory, and other eligibility limits apply" |
| Revolut Business | Multi-currency business account | Accepts non-custodial wallets, NFT platforms and blockchain technology providers; not exchanges, as of October 2026 | Buy, sell and hold as a Treasury feature | See Align vs Revolut Business |
| Wise Business | Payment provider | Doesn't work for "businesses involved in cryptocurrency" | None | Not an option for most crypto companies |
| Align | FINTRAC-registered money services business; not a bank | Registered companies; licensed activity needs its licence | USDC, USDT and EURC next to USD, EUR, GBP and AED balances | No BTC, ETH or other tokens listed; no customer money; no deposit insurance |
Which account fits your company
The right choice depends more on what you do than on which name appears on the most lists.
| Your company | Look first at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| US startup building a protocol or app | Mercury or Slash | Both name crypto companies. Mercury if you only need fiat, Slash if you want stablecoins in the same place |
| Holds BTC, ETH or its own token and wants a bank to hold them | AMINA Bank, Bank Frick or Xapo Bank | They offer custody, which Align doesn't |
| Exchange or broker | Bank Frick, BCB Group or Customers Bank | They name exchanges or digital asset firms as clients. Mercury and Revolut don't take exchanges |
| Non-US company paid in stablecoins, paying staff and suppliers by bank | Align, or BCB Group | Named accounts and stablecoins in one place, and you can pay third parties |
| Large holder moving money only between its own accounts | Xapo Bank | Its institutional account is built for holdings "in the millions" and same-name transfers |
| Fund or DAO without a registered company | Mercury, if a US entity exists; otherwise form one first | Align needs a registered company, and a token vote can't complete KYB. See crypto treasury management |
Consider two accounts: a bank for reserves, and an operating account for payments. A second account also protects you if one provider leaves your sector.
Crypto friendly banks in Europe
Europe has real options, but check which country's rules apply to you.
- Liechtenstein. Bank Frick offers business current accounts in CHF, EUR, USD and GBP, alongside regulated access to crypto trading and custody.
- Switzerland. AMINA Bank is regulated by FINMA and says its products aren't registered or approved outside Switzerland. Its group also has AMINA (Austria) AG, which it describes as a MiCAR-regulated provider of crypto asset services.
- France and the UK. BCB Payments (Europe) SASU is an e-money institution authorised by the ACPR, and BCB Payments Limited is an FCA-authorised payment institution.
- Gibraltar. Xapo Bank is regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Gibraltar isn't in the EU.
If you run a crypto business in the EU, your own licence affects who will bank you. The grandfathering period under MiCA ended by 1 July 2026 at the latest, and earlier in member states that shortened it, according to ESMA, which publishes a register of authorised crypto-asset service providers. Expect banks to check it. For stablecoins held by EU companies, see is USDT MiCA compliant?.
What changed for US banks
US regulators removed several barriers to banks working with crypto in 2025:
- OCC. On 7 March 2025, Interpretive Letter 1183 confirmed that crypto custody, certain stablecoin activities and participation in node verification networks are permissible for national banks.
- FDIC. On 28 March 2025, it said supervised banks "may engage in permissible crypto-related activities without receiving prior FDIC approval".
- Federal Reserve. On 24 April 2025, it withdrew its 2022 and 2023 crypto guidance for banks.
- White House. Executive Order 14331, of 7 August 2025, targets restricting services over "lawful business activities" a provider disfavors for political reasons. It doesn't mention digital assets.
These changes let banks serve crypto companies. They don't require any bank to accept yours, and risk reviews still apply.
What to prepare before you apply
Every provider asks for its own set of documents, but a crypto company should expect more than the standard KYB pack. Align's KYB list is a fair baseline: certificate of incorporation, articles, shareholder and director registers, proof of business address, ID for each owner of 25% or more, a structure chart and source of funds.
Add these to get ahead of the usual questions:
- A plain description of your activity. Say what you do, who your customers are, and whether you ever hold their money.
- Your licence position. Include your licence, or a lawyer's note on why you don't need one where you operate.
- Source of funds. Include investment agreements, grant letters and transfer receipts. If funds came from a token sale, ask first which evidence the provider accepts.
- Your wallets. List the addresses you control, the networks you use and what each one is for.
- Expected flows. Give monthly volumes, currencies, countries and your largest counterparties.
- Token details, if you have one. Add the white paper, the allocation table, and the legal entity that issued it.
See documents you need to open a business account.
How this works with Align
Align is built for a company that's paid or funded in stablecoins and needs to pay people by bank. You get named USD, EUR, GBP and AED accounts in your company's name and hold USDC, USDT and EURC next to them. You can convert between them, with the rate and fee shown before you confirm, then pay out over ACH, Fedwire, SWIFT, SEPA, Faster Payments, IPP or UAEFTS, or send USDC or USDT to a wallet. USD ACH and wire access is on request, after a second review by Align's US banking partner, which can decline or set limits.
The limits matter, so here they are:
- Align isn't a bank, and there's no deposit insurance.
- Its docs list USDC, USDT and EURC only, so you'd need an exchange or custodian for BTC, ETH or your own token.
- Align opens accounts for registered companies. Crypto and web3 companies go through a review, and a business that needs a licence where it operates must hold one.
- You can't collect, hold or forward customers' money on an Align account. Platforms that need that can look at AlignConnect, where each customer is onboarded with Align directly.
- Align doesn't onboard companies in sanctioned countries or on the FATF grey list, and USD and AED aren't available in some other countries. See the eligibility page.
Run the eligibility check, read Align for web3 companies, or contact us for a quote. Pricing is by quote, with no fixed rate card.
Sources
- Customers Bank, Digital payments and cubiX (November 2026)
- AMINA Bank, Corporate banking and Homepage (November 2026)
- Bank Frick, Blockchain banking (November 2026)
- Xapo Bank, Institutional and Regulatory and compliance FAQ (November 2026)
- BCB Group, Payment accounts and Homepage (November 2026)
- Mercury, Banking for crypto companies (November 2026) and Eligibility and requirements (read 23 October 2026)
- OCC, Conditional approval for Mercury Bank, National Association (April 2026)
- Slash, Web3 business account (November 2026)
- Wise, Can my business use Wise? (November 2026)
- Revolut, Unsupported industries for Revolut Business (read 23 October 2026)
- ESMA, Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (November 2026)
- OCC, News release 2025-16 (March 2025)
- FDIC, FDIC clarifies process for banks to engage in crypto-related activities (March 2025)
- Federal Reserve, Withdrawal of crypto-asset guidance (April 2025)
- The White House, Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans (August 2025)
- Align docs, Business (KYB) verification, Source of funds verification, Blockchains and stablecoins and Prohibited activities
Common questions
- Which banks work with crypto companies?
- As of November 2026, Customers Bank in the US says its cubiX platform serves digital asset firms, AMINA Bank in Switzerland offers corporate accounts and a web3 startup package, Bank Frick in Liechtenstein serves established blockchain and crypto companies, and Xapo Bank in Gibraltar has an institutional account. Each decides case by case, so confirm your activity before you apply.
- Are there crypto friendly banks in Europe for business?
- Yes. As of November 2026, Bank Frick in Liechtenstein and AMINA Bank in Switzerland both offer business accounts alongside crypto custody and trading, though AMINA says its products are licensed only in Switzerland. BCB Group offers payment accounts through a French e-money institution and a UK payment institution; those aren't bank accounts.
- Can a crypto exchange open a Mercury account?
- No. As of November 2026, Mercury says it serves crypto and web3 startups, DAOs and funds, but doesn't support money services businesses or exchanges. Its accounts hold fiat only. BCB Group and Bank Frick name exchanges among the businesses they serve.
- Is Align a crypto friendly bank?
- Align isn't a bank. It's a business account for registered companies, run by Align Payments Ltd., a FINTRAC-registered money services business, with regulated services provided through licensed financial institutions. It holds USD, EUR, GBP and AED next to USDC, USDT and EURC, and there's no deposit insurance on those balances.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.
