Description.
Xeno Money is a London-based payments infrastructure company founded in 2025, building a new contactless payment scheme purpose-built for the $300B stablecoin economy. The company provides a cross-platform SDK that enables Web3 wallets and neobanks to offer native NFC tap-to-pay from self-custodial wallets — users tap their phone on a terminal and stablecoins settle directly on-chain in under 5 seconds without card intermediaries. Xeno also integrates as a software kernel update on existing PAX, Verifone, and Ingenico terminals, allowing PSPs and merchants to accept stablecoin payments with no new hardware. The company explicitly states there is no XENO token, no presale, and no airdrop — it is pure payments infrastructure for existing stablecoins.
Xeno supports USDC and EURC stablecoins with settlement on Base, Solana, and Ethereum networks, and is expanding support to additional assets and chains. The protocol is designed around meta-transactions — network-sponsored gas fees mean users never pay gas costs, and merchants receive settlement in under 5 seconds with no chargeback risk. Xeno's KYC approach leverages in-person payment regulations to provide "cash treatment" for transactions under $10,000, simplifying merchant compliance. The company is privately held with 2 employees on LinkedIn, founded by Tom Rowbotham (formerly at Barclays, TUI, and PassEntry) and Harry Koppel. Xeno's app is live on Google Play (worldwide) and Apple Store (EU/EEA).
Key Infrastructure.
Xeno Payment Scheme Protocol
A third card scheme running alongside Visa and Mastercard, providing the rules, infrastructure, and communication protocol that connects Web3 wallets directly to merchant terminals via NFC, with on-chain settlement, no chargeback mechanism, and settlement under 5 seconds across Base, Solana, and Ethereum networks.
Wallet SDK (Tap-to-Pay)
A cross-platform software development kit enabling Web3 wallets and neobanks to embed native NFC tap-to-pay into their apps, allowing users to spend stablecoins directly from self-custodial wallets at any Xeno-enabled terminal without issuing cards, using custodial intermediaries, or paying legacy interchange fees to Visa or Mastercard.
Terminal Kernel Update (Acceptance)
A software kernel update deployed on existing PAX, Verifone, and Ingenico POS terminals — plus any Android terminal or phone-to-phone — enabling merchants to accept stablecoin payments with the same tap-to-pay UX customers expect, without purchasing new hardware, retraining staff, or understanding blockchain technology at any level.
Gasless Meta-Transaction Sponsor
A network-level service that sponsors blockchain gas fees on behalf of end users, enabling consumers to make stablecoin payments without holding native chain tokens for gas, managing transaction fees, or interacting with blockchain infrastructure — a critical UX layer required for mainstream adoption of on-chain payments at retail checkout.
PSP Integration Layer
Infrastructure enabling Payment Service Providers and acquirers to route stablecoin payments through their existing processing infrastructure, providing acquirers with higher margins, instant settlement, zero chargeback liability, and a new revenue stream from stablecoin commerce without requiring merchants to understand or manage crypto custody, compliance, or wallet infrastructure themselves.
Regulatory Compliance Framework
A compliance architecture designed around in-person cash treatment regulations, enabling merchants to accept stablecoin payments under $10,000 without individual customer KYC — PSPs handle the compliance layer identically to how they manage card payment compliance today, reducing merchant adoption friction while operating within existing regulatory frameworks.
Additional Features.
No Token Commitment
Xeno explicitly declares there is no XENO token, no presale, and no airdrop — it is pure payment infrastructure for existing stablecoins, eliminating speculative token risk for integration partners.
Phone-to-Phone Payments
Beyond terminal integration, Xeno supports direct phone-to-phone NFC payments between iOS and Android devices, enabling instant stablecoin transfers without any payment terminal or intermediary hardware.
Yield Retention Until Spend
Because funds remain in the user's self-custodial wallet until the moment of payment, users continue earning yield on their stablecoin holdings — unlike card products where loaded funds stop earning immediately.
Crypto-Native Consumer Strategy
Initial adoption targets crypto-native users who already hold stablecoins and are motivated to spend them directly, solving the chicken-and-egg problem by starting where supply and demand already co-exist.
Chargeback Elimination Architecture
On-chain settlement provides cryptographic finality — transactions are irreversible by design, eliminating the $125B/year global chargeback cost that merchants pay on Visa and Mastercard card rails.
Ex-Barclays & TUI Team
Built by veterans with institutional payments and fintech experience from Barclays, TUI, and PassEntry, providing credibility in regulated payment infrastructure and terminal technology development.
