Utila Unveils Licensed Partner Network for Seamless Stablecoin Payments

Utila has launched a Licensed Partner Network to bypass the 12-24 month regulatory hurdle typically required for stablecoin products. By connecting unlicensed fintechs with regulated partners like Fipto and Balance through a single MPC wallet integration, the program enables rapid deployment of compliant custody and payment services across the US, EU, and Canada.

What was announced

The Licensed Partner Network is an industry-first program designed for fintechs and enterprises that lack their own money-transmission, e-money, or crypto-asset-service-provider (CASP) licenses. It allows these entities to launch stablecoin payment, custody, and payout products by plugging into a network of licensed partners via Utila’s platform. The network handles the regulatory perimeter, acting as the counterparty of record for custody, payments, or exchange activity, while Utila provides the underlying technical layer.

Early participants in the network include Fipto (covering France and the EU), CoinGate (EU and Switzerland), Balance (United States and Canada), and Surus (United States). This initial phase provides geographic coverage across major Western markets through a single technical integration. Utila provides the Multi-Party Computation (MPC) wallet infrastructure, a policy engine, and compliance tooling to unify the operational experience.

The solution is positioned as a direct response to the high capital requirements and lengthy timelines—often up to two years—associated with obtaining MiCA CASP authorizations or US money transmitter licenses (MTLs). Utila currently processes more than $25 billion in monthly volume and has secured over $200 billion in transactions to date for more than 300 industry leaders. The company plans to expand the network with additional licensed providers and geographic coverage in the coming months.

"Licensing has been the single biggest blocker between a fintech's stablecoin roadmap and a live product. With the Licensed Partner Network , we're removing that blocker - one integration into Utila gives clients access to a regulated, licensed rail across the EU, US, and Canada, giving them a fast and compliant path to market, which doesn't involve time and cost intensive licensing processes. This is just the start - we're actively adding partners and expect to extend the network into new regions over the coming months."

Bentzi Rabi, Co-founder & CEO, Utila.

The companies involved

Utila is an institutional-grade MPC wallet infrastructure provider focused on stablecoin payments and digital asset operations. The platform integrates banking, compliance, and exchange services for fintechs and enterprises. Fipto, based in France, provides infrastructure for B2B payments and treasury powered by stablecoins. It holds a Payment Institution license with the ACPR and a MiCA CASP license with the AMF. CoinGate has been a crypto payments infrastructure provider since 2014, enabling businesses to accept crypto and run mass payouts with built-in FX.

Balance is Canada’s oldest and largest digital asset custodian. It operates as a qualified custodian through Balance Trust Company and as a regulated U.S. money transmitter through Balance USA, which is licensed across a majority of US states. Surus is an onchain fiduciary that provides corporate trust services, including qualified custody and tokenization, through its North Carolina-chartered trust company. These partners collectively provide the regulatory framework that allows Utila's clients to operate without holding their own primary licenses.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked the growth of these infrastructure providers throughout 2026. In August, we reported that Matera and Utila Partner to Enable Secure Digital Asset Custody for Global Banks, a move that expanded Utila's reach into traditional banking. Fipto has also been active in cross-border innovation, as seen when Fipto and Avenia Partner to Launch Real-time EUR / BRL Corridor Using Stablecoins earlier this year. Additionally, Balance demonstrated its focus on the North American merchant market when Shopware and Balance Partner to Launch AI-Powered B2B Payments for North American Merchants in March 2026.

What this means

This announcement signals a shift toward "Regulation-as-a-Service" within the digital asset sector. By decoupling technical wallet infrastructure from the regulatory burden of licensing, Utila is effectively lowering the barrier to entry for traditional fintechs. This puts significant pressure on specialized crypto custodians and traditional Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) providers who have previously relied on licensing as a competitive moat. However, the model raises critical questions regarding long-term liability. As regulators under MiCA and US state frameworks increase oversight, the industry must determine how accountability is shared when the technical provider and the licensed counterparty are separate entities. This "plug-and-play" compliance model will likely become the standard for rapid cross-border scaling.