Choosing Providers
Custody, Compliance, and Ramps
🧩 Understanding the Stablecoin Stack
As we covered in the Anatomy of the Stablecoin Fintech Stack, launching a successful stablecoin product requires integrating five distinct layers:
| Layer | Function | Provider Options |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application Layer | User-facing interfaces (mobile apps, web) | Rehive or custom-built solutions |
| 2. Platform Layer | Fintech engine with ledger, users, compliance logic | Rehive (core platform) or custom-built solutions |
| 3. Connectors Layer | Linking and routing platform to providers | Rehive's Bridge Integration or custom integrations |
| 4. Infrastructure Providers | Custody, KYC/AML, on/off-ramps, card issuance | Various specialized providers including Bridge (details below) |
| 5. Value Transfer Networks | Blockchains, banking rails, card networks | Public chains, ACH/SWIFT, Visa/Mastercard |
This guide focuses on selecting providers for all layers of your stablecoin stack, with special emphasis on the critical infrastructure providers. We also highlight the benefits of using Rehive and Bridge.
💡 Pro Tip: Your choice of providers at each layer impacts not just your product capabilities, but your speed to market, operational costs, and ability to scale globally.
📱 Layer 1: Choosing Application Layer Providers
The Application Layer is what your users directly interact with — your mobile apps, web interfaces, and admin dashboards. There are two primary approaches: building custom interfaces or using pre-built solutions.
| Approach | Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Custom-Built Interfaces |
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| White-Label Solutions |
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| Hybrid Approach |
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What to Look For in Application Layer Providers:
🎨 User Experience
- Intuitive navigation and flows
- Clean, modern design aesthetic
- Responsive performance
- Accessibility compliance
- Customizable branding elements
📊 Features
- Comprehensive transaction flows
- Multi-currency/multi-account support
- Transaction history, statements and exports
- Email, SMS and push notifications
- QR code scanning and generation
🛠️ Customization
- Theming and white-labeling options
- Feature toggling capabilities
- Custom frontend development
- Navigation customization
- Language localization support
📱 Platform Support
- Native iOS and Android apps
- Progressive web app capabilities
- Responsive web design
- Consistent cross-platform experience
- SDK availability for custom extensions
✅ Rehive's Application Layer: Rehive provides fully customizable white-label web and mobile applications that can be branded and configured to your specifications. Launch in weeks, then progressively customize as your product evolves. Our UIs support both consumer and business use cases, with mobile apps for iOS and Android plus responsive web applications.
🔄 Layer 2: Choosing Platform Layer Providers
The Platform Layer serves as the operational brain of your fintech product. It manages users, balances, compliance, and transaction flows.
Platform Layer Options:
| Option | Best For | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Approaches (In-House or Core Banking) |
Large enterprises with specific compliance needs and traditional financial institutions with existing infrastructure |
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| Modern Fintech Platforms | Startups and growth companies needing speed-to-market with full stablecoin capabilities |
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Critical Platform Layer Capabilities:
📒 Ledger Management
- Multi-asset and currency support
- Double-entry accounting
- Real-time balance updates
- Transaction history and audit trails
- Reconciliation capabilities
🔒 User Management
- Secure authentication
- Role-based permissions
- KYC/AML status tracking
- User groups and tiers
- Business account hierarchies
💸 Transaction Processing
- Fee management
- Multi-currency conversions
- Transaction types and categories
- Automatic verification flows
- Support for various payment methods
📊 Business Logic
- Configurable rules engine
- Workflow automation
- Compliance controls
- Notification system
- Analytics and reporting
✅ Rehive's Platform Layer: Rehive provides a complete fintech platform with a robust ledger system, user management, transaction framework, and business logic engine — dramatically accelerating your time-to-market.
🔄 Layer 3: Choosing Connector Layer Providers
The Connectors Layer links your Platform Layer to real-world infrastructure providers and intelligently routes transactions based on various factors.
Key Connectors Layer Capabilities:
🔌 Provider Integrations
- Pre-built provider connections
- Intelligent routing between providers
- Failover mechanisms
- Normalized APIs across providers
- Smart transaction optimization
🔄 Smart Routing
- Cost optimization
- Speed prioritization
- Compliance-aware routing
- Geographic intelligence
- Dynamic provider selection
🔀 Connectivity
- Multi-provider management
- API version compatibility
- Error handling and recovery
- Transaction monitoring
- Provider performance analytics
🛡️ Reliability
- Automatic failover
- Redundant connections
- Transaction recovery
- Service health monitoring
- Maintenance coordination
✅ Rehive's Bridge Integration Layer: Rehive's Bridge provides critical infrastructure connectivity with intelligent routing capabilities — seamlessly integrated with Rehive to create a complete stablecoin stack.
🔍 Layer 4: Choosing Infrastructure Providers
Launching a stablecoin fintech product is more than just sending and receiving digital dollars — it requires stitching together infrastructure that is secure, compliant, and accessible. The key building blocks? Custody, Compliance, and Ramps.
These components form the foundation of your fintech stack and determine your speed to market, trustworthiness, and geographic reach.
Custody: How and Where Funds Are Held
Custody refers to how you store user funds — particularly stablecoins like USDC or USDT. You'll need to choose between custodial and non-custodial solutions:
Custodial: Funds are held by a licensed third party. Easier for compliance and user support.
→ Example providers: e.g. Bridge
Non-Custodial: Users control their own keys (via browser wallets or apps). More sovereignty but higher UX friction.
→ Example: MetaMask, Safe, custom self-custody solutions
What to consider:
- Do you need licensing or coverage via the provider?
- Do you want multisig or programmable treasury tools?
- How easy is it to scale across jurisdictions?
💡 Tip: Rehive supports both custodial and self-custody models depending on your market and user profile.
Compliance: KYC, AML & Risk Controls
Compliance is not optional — but it doesn't have to kill your user experience.
At a minimum, you'll need:
- KYC/KYB (Know Your Customer/Business)
- AML (Anti-Money Laundering) monitoring
- Sanctions screening
- Tiered user flows (e.g., different limits for verified vs. unverified)
What to consider:
- Coverage for the regions you're targeting
- Flexibility in how/when KYC is applied (pre or post-wallet creation)
- Fraud detection, velocity checks, and audit trails
Top providers:
- Sumsub, Persona, Veriff (identity verification)
- Chainalysis, Elliptic, TRM Labs (risk & blockchain monitoring)
- Bridge (built-in compliance for both individual and business users)
💡 Rehive integrates with these providers natively — with modular triggers based on your use case and regulatory exposure. Bridge offers comprehensive built-in compliance solutions that handle both individual KYC and business KYB requirements, simplifying your regulatory stack.
Ramps: Bridging Fiat and Stablecoins
On-ramps let users buy stablecoins using local currency.
Off-ramps let them cash out or spend.
You'll need both — and ideally, regionally tailored providers.
What to consider:
- Supported countries and currencies
- Payment methods (cards, bank transfer, mobile money, etc.)
- FX fees, transaction limits, and compliance scope
Top providers:
- Global/US: Sardine, MoonPay, Stripe (via Link or crypto integrations)
- Emerging markets: Bridge, Onramper, TransFi, Bitso, Nilos
- Programmable payout platforms: Borderless, Paydeck
💡 Bridge also serves as an infrastructure provider, integrating directly into Rehive to enable USD account creation and ACH/Wire rails for non-US users — with auto-conversion to USDC.
🌐 Layer 5: Value Transfer Networks
Value Transfer Networks form the foundation where actual value moves. While these networks are powered by your infrastructure providers (Layer 4), understanding which networks are prevalent in your target regions is crucial for provider selection.
Regional Network Considerations
Different regions have dominant payment networks that your stablecoin product must integrate with to achieve adoption:
| Region | Key Networks | Provider Implications |
|---|---|---|
| North America |
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Need providers with strong US banking relationships and card issuing capabilities |
| Europe |
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Requires EMI-licensed providers or banking partners with PSD2 compliance |
| Africa |
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Need specialized providers with mobile money integrations and strong local networks |
| Latin America |
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Requires providers with local payment method integration and regulatory compliance |
| Asia-Pacific |
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Fragmented markets require multiple specialized providers with local licenses |
Blockchain Network Selection
For direct on-chain transactions, selecting the right blockchain networks is critical:
| Network Type | Examples | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 1 Networks | Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche |
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| Layer 2 Solutions | Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism |
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| Enterprise Chains | Stellar, XDC, Corda |
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When selecting blockchain networks, consider:
- Transaction speed and cost
- Regional adoption and user familiarity
- Stablecoin issuance and liquidity
- Developer ecosystem and tooling
- Regulatory stance in your target markets
Aligning Provider Selection with Networks
When selecting infrastructure providers (Layer 4), ensure they support your target networks:
- Custody providers should support all blockchain networks where your stablecoins exist
- On/off-ramps must connect to local payment networks in your target regions
- Compliance providers need regional coverage for your specific markets
- Consider providers' ability to add networks as you expand geographically
💡 Pro Tip: While you can't directly select networks (they're accessed through providers), understanding regional network dominance should guide your infrastructure provider selection. The right provider mix gives you access to the networks your users already trust.
⚖️ Key Considerations When Selecting Providers
Beyond specific features, these factors should guide your provider selection process across all layers of the stack:
| Factor | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Cost to Get Started |
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| Configurability |
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| Extendibility |
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| Platform Support |
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| Support |
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| Developer Documentation |
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| Track Record |
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| Future Roadmap |
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✅ How Rehive Measures Up: As your Layer 1 (Application) and Layer 2 (Platform) provider, Rehive offers transparent startup-friendly pricing, extensive configurability through our dashboard and APIs, cross-platform support for iOS/Android/Web, dedicated support channels, comprehensive developer documentation, and a proven track record powering fintech products across 30+ countries. Rehive is also integrated with Bridge via our Layer 3 (Connector) layer, leveraging Bridge's full suite of features including custody, compliance, and on/off-ramp capabilities to provide a complete end-to-end stablecoin solution.
🧠 Pro Tip
Don't over-optimize for "perfect" — instead, pick providers that help you:
- Get to market fast
- Stay compliant with less overhead
- Swap or upgrade as you scale
Use Rehive to orchestrate the layers — and make switching providers easier without rewriting your whole product.
🧠 Final Thought
Choosing the right providers is about more than plugging in APIs. It's about assembling a stack that aligns with your use case, geography, and compliance profile.
With Rehive, you get a modular infrastructure layer that abstracts complexity while letting you plug in the partners that fit your needs.
Pick partners that get you live fast — and evolve with you as you grow.