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COMPANY detail
COLOSSUS The next card network
COLOSSUS
Company Overview.
Year Founded
2025
Status
Private
Specialties
Card Issuer, Payment Infra
Company Size
NOT DISCLOSED
Industry
Financial Services
Location
Delaware, USA
Description.
Colossus is a stablecoin credit card network built as an Ethereum L2 rollup by EthStrategy Inc., a Delaware C Corporation. Founded in 2025, it provides a B2B infrastructure layer that enables banks, fintechs, and crypto issuers to dual-issue payment cards with ColossusNet running alongside existing Visa or Mastercard programs. The network uses ERC-4337 account abstraction, EMV standards, and ECDSA P-256 cryptography to repurpose standard credit card terminals into signing on-chain stablecoin transactions. Issuing partners include Frax, Solayer, and Kraken.Â
ColossusNet supports USD-pegged stablecoins (frxUSD preferred, plus USDC, USDT, USDG, USAT) and settles transactions non-custodially with measured 172ms end-to-end latency. The network operates under the GENIUS Act regulatory framework, which classifies stablecoin transfers as payment instrument transactions, eliminating the need for money transmitter licenses at the network layer. "Colossus transactions are purely incremental. At zero Colossus merchant acceptance, your card is exactly what it was yesterday. At any level of Colossus acceptance, you are earning more." No funding data is publicly disclosed.
Key Infrastructure.
ColossusNet L2 Rollup
An Ethereum Layer 2 built on the OP Stack with 1-second block times and Flashblock 100ms preconfirmation, settling card transactions on-chain using ERC-4337 account abstraction and RIP-7212 P-256 precompile for native EMV signature verification within the EVM.
Dual-Network Card Issuance
A JavaCard applet that loads alongside existing Visa or Mastercard applets on the same physical chip, enabling automatic preferential routing through ColossusNet with seamless fallback to legacy networks when Colossus is not accepted at a given terminal, with zero adoption risk for issuers.
EMVValidator Smart Contract
An ERC-7579 validator module deployed on each cardholder's ERC-4337 Kernel account that validates ECDSA P-256 signatures produced by ColossusNet cards, enforces replay protection via unpredictable-number tracking, and limits transactions to USD currency code only.
EMVSettlement Smart Contract
An ERC-7579 executor module that processes token transfers with automatic fee distribution after successful signature validation, converting BCD-encoded EMV amounts to on-chain ERC-20 transfers and routing interchange fees to issuers and acquirer markup to acquirers.
ISO 8583 Middleware
A stateless translation service at the acquirer boundary that receives binary ISO 8583 financial request messages, extracts EMV data and ECDSA signatures, constructs ERC-4337 UserOperations, submits them to the sequencer, and returns ISO 8583 response messages within ColossusNet's 172ms authorization window.
Issuer Collateral & Settlement Infrastructure
An on-chain collateral pool system where issuers post stablecoin deposits, fund cardholder transactions via dual-signature authorization (card EMV signature + issuer funding signature), and earn interchange revenue of 1.70% (Consumer Credit) or 2.20% (Premium Credit) with no per-authorization fees or network assessments.
Additional Features.
Direct Debit (0% Merchant Fee)
Cardholders hold stablecoins directly on ColossusNet; transactions debit from their balance with zero merchant fees and no chargebacks, as funds move instantly and immutably between accounts.
Wire Liquidation (Fiat Off-Ramp)
Merchants and issuers can convert stablecoin balances to fiat via wire transfer, requiring KYB/AML verification at the liquidation provider level but not at the transaction layer.
Cross-Chain Bridging via LayerZero OFT V2
Cardholders can fund accounts from any EVM-compatible chain, with LayerZero bridging stablecoins into ColossusNet across supported source chains without manual withdrawal and redeployment.
Gas Sponsorship
All transaction gas costs on ColossusNet are covered by the network; neither issuers nor cardholders pay gas fees, improving margins and eliminating unpredictable operating costs for card programs.
Three Settlement Tiers
Direct Debit (0% — permissionless), Consumer Credit (1.70% — $100K refundable deposit), and Premium Credit (2.20% — permissioned, KYC mandatory, capped at 20% of total issuance) offer flexibility for all card issuer business models.
Immutable On-Chain Audit Trail
Every transaction is recorded immutably on the Ethereum L2, providing a single shared record visible to the merchant, issuer, and cardholder for compliance, reconciliation, and dispute resolution without relying on opaque legacy settlement files.
GENERAL Questions.
What does this company do?
Colossus operates ColossusNet, a stablecoin-native credit card network built as an Ethereum L2 rollup. It enables banks, fintechs, and crypto companies to dual-issue payment cards that run ColossusNet alongside existing Visa/Mastercard networks on the same physical chip. Card transactions settle instantly and non-custodially on-chain using EMV cryptographic signatures, achieving 92-96% lower fees than traditional card networks.
Who are their main clients?
Announced issuing partners include Frax (frxUSD stablecoin), Solayer (restaking protocol), and Kraken (crypto exchange). Colossus targets banks, fintechs, credit unions, and lending platforms through acquirer integrations with major payment processors (Fiserv, Elavon, Global Payments, Worldpay).
Are they licensed?
ColossusNet operates under the GENIUS Act regulatory framework, which classifies stablecoin transfers as payment instrument transactions — eliminating the need for money transmitter licenses at the network layer. KYC/AML obligations fall on the stablecoin issuer, not the network. OFAC sanctions screening is enforced at the sequencer level. The parent company, EthStrategy Inc., is incorporated as a Delaware C Corporation.
What blockchains/stablecoins supported?
ColossusNet is an Ethereum L2 (OP Stack rollup, Chain ID 951) with cross-chain bridging via LayerZero OFT V2 to any EVM-compatible chain. Supported USD-pegged stablecoins include frxUSD (preferred), USDC, USDT, USDG, and USAT. Multi-currency support is planned, with Brazil as the next target market.
