The infrastructure play that is rewriting self-custody at scale
When you have 2 million users waiting for a product, speed is not a luxury, it’s survival. Simple Wallet needed card infrastructure built for millions of transactions while preserving complete self-custody. They needed it yesterday. Wirex BaaS delivered.
The Numbers That Matter
Global reach from day one
2 Million Users. Zero Infrastructure. One Solution.
Simple Wallet was not starting from scratch, they were sitting on a goldmine. Over 2 million installs. Tens of thousands of active users. A community of creators, freelancers, and digital professionals all earning in crypto, all waiting for one thing: a way to actually spend it.
The problem? Building card infrastructure from scratch takes years. Licensing alone could eat 18-24 months. Direct Visa relationships? Even longer. Every week of delay was users lost to competitors.
“Building this infrastructure independently would likely have taken a couple of years. Wirex BaaS collapsed that timeline into weeks.”
Wirex BaaS changed the equation. What should have taken years took weeks. Simple Wallet went from zero card infrastructure to a fully operational, compliant card program capable of serving their entire 2M+ user base, without compromising their self-custody architecture.
The result? Immediate traction. Explosive demand. And a clear path to scale into the millions.
Meet Simple Wallet: 2 Million Users and Counting
Self-Custodial Crypto Wallet
Europe, LATAM, SEA (expanding)
The Scale Opportunity
Simple Wallet is not a startup hoping for users, they already have them:
2 million+ app installs and growing
Tens of thousands of active users transacting regularly
Strong demand signals across European markets
Expansion pipeline into Latin America and Southeast Asia
AI-agent layer in development to drive next-gen engagement
The User Base
These aren’t speculators. They’re professionals:
Creators monetizing content globally. Streamers receiving international payments.
Freelancers billing in crypto. Remote workers managing multi-currency income.
Entrepreneurs running borderless businesses.
For them, crypto is income, not investment. And income needs infrastructure.
“Our mission is to make crypto a practical financial tool for everyday use. With 2 million users waiting, we needed infrastructure that could match our ambition.”
The Challenge: 2 Million+ Users, Zero Card Infrastructure
Simple Wallet faced the classic scale-up dilemma: massive demand, missing infrastructure. Their 2 million users were ready. The card rails were not.
Building in-house was not an option. Not at the speed required. Not with users waiting.
The Timeline Problem
Licensing: 12-24 months
Visa partnership: 18-36 months
Infrastructure: 12-18 months
Testing and compliance: 6-12 months
That’s not an optimization. That’s a complete rewrite of what’s possible.
The Self-Custody Constraint
Most BaaS providers require custody. They want to hold funds. Control wallets. Manage assets. That breaks Simple Wallet’s entire model, and their promise to 2 million users.
What They Couldn’t Do vs. What They Needed
Wait 2+ years for infrastructure
Launch in weeks to capture momentum
Compromise self-custody for card rails
Preserve 100% user control over assets
Build from scratch while competitors scaled
Plug into proven infrastructure
Navigate complex multi-jurisdiction compliance
Access compliance-ready architecture
Lose users to slower time-to-market
Activate 2M+ users immediately
The Solution: Wirex BaaS, Built for Millions
Simple Wallet evaluated multiple providers. Only one could deliver infrastructure at the scale and speed required, while respecting their self-custody architecture.
Why Wirex BaaS Won
đ Built for Millions
Weeks to launch, not years. While competitors were still planning, Simple was live.
Settlement model that preserves complete self-custody. No compromises.
Infrastructure trusted by 7M+ Wirex users. $20B+ processed. Ready for scale.
“At Simple Wallet, we want to focus on building a product, not infrastructure. Wirex BaaS let us do exactly that, at exactly the speed we needed.”
Infrastructure for Hyper-Scale
Virtual and physical cards, global acceptance via Visa
On-chain infrastructure with automatic fiat to stablecoin conversion
6 networks: Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Ethereum, BSC, Tron
ACH, SEPA, PIX, FPS, SWIFT and more
KYB, KYT, and Travel Rule ready architecture
Powering $20B+ in transactions across 7M+ users in 130+ countries
Product Showcase: Wirex BaaS-Powered Features
Virtual Card Management
Full card details, balance tracking, instant activation
Multi-Chain Top Up
USDC/USDT across 6 major networks, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Ethereum, BSC, Tron.
Instant Transactions
Real-time USDCâEUR conversion. Global merchant acceptance.
Professional-Grade Infrastructure
Enterprise-level spending controls with comprehensive tracking and reporting
Auto-Earn Yield
5% APR on card balances. Passive income while users wait to spend. One-tap claims.
The Impact: From Zero to Scale-Ready in Weeks
Entire base activated for cards
Global reach from day one
What Wirex BaaS Unlocked
đ Immediate Market Capture
While competitors were still negotiating licenses, Simple Wallet was live. First-mover advantage in the self-custody card space.
Infrastructure that scales with the user base, not infrastructure that limits it. Ready for 2M users. Ready for 20M.
đ Product Transformation
From “crypto wallet” to “complete financial platform.” Cards, IBANs, yield, 1:1 fiat to stablecoin conversion, stablecoin Push to card, crossboarder payment rails, transfers, compliance-first architecture, all in one self-custodial app.
âď¸ Category Definition
Neither custodial fintech nor pure Web3. A new category: self-custody meets real-world financial infrastructure.
Licensed infrastructure means user confidence. Compliance means longevity. Both mean growth.
Executive Perspective
“Our partnership with Wirex has been instrumental in accelerating the next stage of Simple Wallet’s growth. Building a scalable card program while preserving our self-custody architecture required more than infrastructure, it required alignment in vision and execution. Wirex delivered both. Together, we are creating a financial product that combines full asset control with seamless everyday usability, a balance that defines the future of digital finance.”
Alex Emelian, CEO and Co-Founder, Simple Wallet
Looking Ahead: From 2 Million to Tens of Millions
Scaling the Partnership
Geographic Expansion (LATAM and Southeast Asia)
Stablecoin On/Off-Ramp Infrastructure
Additional Payment Rails
Enhanced Card Program (Premium tiers, higher limits)
Expansion Markets
Massive stablecoin adoption. Underserved by traditional finance. Perfect fit for self-custody + card infrastructure.
Crypto-forward population. High remittance flows. Growing demand for alternative financial rails.
Next-Gen Features
AI-Agent Layer (In Development)
Automated transaction monitoring
Intelligent balance management
Personalized financial insights
Predictive spending analytics
The goal: Make interacting with digital assets as intuitive as modern digital banking, powered by AI, protected by self-custody.
Ready to Scale Your Product?
Wirex BaaS: The infrastructure layer for companies building the future of digital finance.
Get Started
Founded in 2014, Wirex has processed over $20 billion in transactions and serves 7 million+ users across 130+ countries. As a principal Visa and Mastercard member, Wirex provides the infrastructure for next-generation financial products, combining the best of traditional finance with crypto-native innovation.
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