Wirex

Wirex Limited is the British financial technical-company, with R&D-центром in Kiev and representations worldwide (London, Atlanta, Toronto, Tokyo and Singapore). The company has experience of creation of financial technical-solutions and development numerous a blockchain services. For November, 2020 in Wirex the command from more than 180 professionals works. The mission of the company consists in giving the chance to everyone to have access to a single global platform for traditional and digital assets anywhere and at any time.

Products

Since 2015 the company develops and develops the licensed platform for digital payments of Wirex, creates products for B2C-and B2B-clients, combining opportunities a blockchain payments with classical bank infrastructure.

Among the products Wirex for November, 2020:

• The platform for digital payments of Wirex;
• The payment card allowing people to use cryptocurrencies in everyday life;
• Cryptoback is the cryptocurrency program of remunerations.

History

2018

Start of the first-ever program of return of money in bitcoins

On May 14, 2018 the Wirex cryptobank starts the first-ever program of return of money in bitcoins - Cryptoback, an analog of a classical cashback.

Under the terms of the program participation in the program free, and remuneration for payment under the map is 0.5% of the spent amount in bitcoins at the rate of at the time of transaction commission. At the same time each transaction commission regardless of the amount makes $0.28 for the dollar cards, for cards denominated in euro or pounds - the commission is absent. For receiving remuneration clients of the company need to pay for services and products with the Wirex proximity card in offline shops.

Pavel Matveev, the co-founder and the CEO of Wirex cryptobank explains:

'Having spent in shop, say, for products, or having paid $100 for the hotel accommodation, you receive bitcoins for the amount $0.5 at a market rate. At the cost of $ bitcoin of 10,000 remuneration will be 0.00005 bitcoins that such known the blockchain projects as Cardano (ADA), BitShares (BTS) or Stellar (XLM) at the moment there is more than the cost of one of coins'.

Remuneration will collect in a separate tab of the client application with detailed information: when and where what quantity of bitcoins is added. Bitcoins according to the Cryptoback program are not enlisted on your bitcoin wallet automatically. For replenishment of a purse in the Wirex system you will need to transfer in the manual mode funds from Reward to your purse.

Pavel Matveev adds:

'Our task - to make bitcoin to so available people as far as it is possible. Clear and convenient classical bank mechanisms in the form of the plastic card and a cashback for this purpose approach as well as possible. And receiving a cashback in cryptocurrency will allow people, unfamiliar with cryptocurrency, to create a cryptocurrency portfolio with risk, zero for itself'.

At the end of the first decade of May, 2018 the proximity plastic cards Wirex were received by the first residents of Britain. By the end of May the company is going to expand geography, including France, Germany, Italy and other European Union countries.

Start of release of new debit cards for clients in the EU

On March 8, 2018 Wirex announced the beginning of release of new debit cards for the clients in EU countries. The new generation of Wirex proximity cards supports the multiple currency current accounts (GBP, EUR, USD).

For this moment of Wirex - the only company provider in Europe allowing to spend the money converted from cryptocurrencies by means of the debit cards integrated with the multiple currency current accounts.

Pavel Matveev, the co-founder and the CEO of Wirex noted:

"Expenses in shops, purchase of goods on the Internet or money withdrawal in ATMs became much simpler. We first-ever submitted similar maps in 2014, and now we represent even more innovation product on the basis of proximity debit cards".

With new cards Wirex offers:

• free proximity debit cards for multiple currency (GBP, EUR, USD) the current accounts;
• Faster Payments transfers in the British pounds sterling into accounts in Wirex;
• account e-money with unique bank details, the allowing payments of the third parties (for example, salaries or transfers from friends/relatives) for each verified user;
• 3D Secure ('Verified by Visa') support of online payments;
• safe bitcoin wallets with the multisignature;
• free and instant translations of bitcoins between users of Wirex;
• purchase, sale and transfer of bitcoins in the user accounts;
• instant currency conversion between BTC, EUR, GBP, USD.

The current accounts and the Wirex cards represent the new generation of service exceeding all earlier available offers in the market.

Wirex has more than 1.5 million clients worldwide. New accounts and cards are available according to the following diagram:

• Great Britain: are available since March 9, 2018.
• France, Germany, Italy: are available since March 20, 2018
• Other EU countries: are available since March 27, 2018.

Shortly there will be offers for the countries of Southeast Asia and Japan. The stage delivery on regions provides stable and safe service worldwide.

Russia remains temporarily closed country owing to lack of a regulatory framework and foggy perspectives. But are sure of the company that will be able to find working option for all the products and in the territory of Russia after adoption of the relevant laws.

Time termination of work of cards

Wirex announced on January 9, 2018 the termination of service of prepaid debit cryptocurrency cards by gibralatrsky company WaveCrest in connection with the requirement of Visa. As WaveCrest acted as the card issuer of Wirex, this event led to the time termination of their work. Wirex promised to recover shortly work of all the services as process of integration of cryptobank with other partner is, as of the beginning of January, 2018, at a completion stage.

According to the statement of representatives of Visa, membership in Visa of the WaveCrest organization stops "because of the continuing non-compliance with our rules of work. As a result all Visa cards in WaveCrest will be closed". This sanction of the processing company influences all service providers working with WaveCrest, equally.

According to Pavel Matveev, the co-founder of Wirex cryptobank, in the company expected similar development of an event, and in the summer of 2017 began integration with other European partner. Following the results Wirex will receive alternative issuers in four regions: Europe, Japan, Singapore and USA.

As of January 9, 2018, services of the cryptocurrency wallet are available to clients of Wirex. In day of imposings of sanctions from Visa on WaveCrest the Wirex company notified all the clients on failure in operation of cards about e-mail and in the blog.

2017

Number of clients - more than 1 million people

In 2017 the payment cryptocurrency service of Wirex was reoriented on banking products with a cryptocurrency bias.

Wirex issues plastic and virtual cards which can be filled up with both fiat, and cryptographic currencies. Renders services in payment transfers and converting of cryptocurrencies in fiat currencies and naoborotpo to a market rate.

For the beginning of 2017 of Wirex serviced more than 500,000 clients in more than 130 countries. Showed average monthly height of 23%. By estimates of the company, occupies about 50% of the market.

As of the end of 2017, the number of clients of the company made more than 1 million people, cards about 750 thousand pieces are produced. For the end of 2017 the total volume of transactions reached a point of $1.5 billion. With a monthly turnover about $100 million.

The head office Wirex is in London. The regional companies and representations are located in Tokyo, Kiev and Singapore.

Agreement with SBI Holdings

The cryptocurrency bank Wirex announced in October, 2017 agreement signature about intention to create SBI Wirex Asia joint venture with the largest Japanese investor in FinTech of the industry, SBI Holdings company.

Support from SBI Holdings means access and free work for Wirex in the Asian markets. The partner of cryptobank will receive one of the most popular payment cryptocurrency services in the world.

The joint venture, SBI Wirex Asia is the next stage of the relations between Wirex and SBI Holdings following providing investments in a round And in the amount of $3 million in the spring of this year. SBI Wirex Asia will issue the payment cryptocurrency card for Japan and to implement joint projects with others a blockchain projects in the territory of Asia.

Transition from the website e-coin.io to wirexapp.com

Since April 1, 2017 Wirex Limited announced completion of rebranding and full start of the website wirexapp.com and mobile application of Wirex.

All clients of the company received the notification on March 29 by e-mail specified at registration about shutdown of the former website e-coin.io and switching of all services and services on the new website wirexapp.com on March 31.

In particular became available to users:

• the simplified process of exchange of bitcoins;
• stability and reliability is improved;
• additional functions of the application are entered;
• work of the website is improved;
• work of a support service is improved;
• the additional packet of languages is added;
• fresh design and another.

Dmitry Lazarichev, co-founder of Wirex Ltd. speaks about need of rebranding:

"At some point we understood that with services of Wirex it is necessary not only to provide high-quality service for stable emotional connection of our clients and to guarantee its uninterrupted working capacity, but also to be selected among other e-coin of projects. Our command approached this process with all responsibility: conducted marketing research, revealed preferences of audience on the basis of which developed new "packaging".

The Russified version of the website is available to Russian-speaking users of the company: https://wirexapp.com/ru/ and also the round-the-clock support in Russian.

Pavel Matveev, co-founder of Wirex Ltd. reminds:

"For use of mobile application users need to download updating in PlayStore or AppStore. Data for identification of users on the new website and in a system remained invariable. We not only worked over a website usability, but also improved functionality of mobile application. For example, there was an opportunity to purchase bitcoin in the application".

$3 million investments within series A from SBI Group

On March 6 the company announced conclusion of an agreement with one of financial holdings of Japan – SBI Group. Within this agreement British ̆ the startup based ̆ by natives of Russia will receive $3 (three) one million a uniform tranche.

Wirex is going to use the received investments on development of the company: entry into the new markets, obtaining licenses, improvement of algorithms of security, stabilization of operability of the platform and also improvement of customer service.

The company is going to develop and improve own products also. In particular, adding to the existing currencies (USD, EUR, GBP) also JPY and also implementation of contactless payments and new financial products on the basis of cryptographic currencies and a blockchain is planned.

The amount of the issued cards

The Wirex company issues about 150,000 cards (virtual and physical, given for the beginning of 2017). Below on diagrams it is possible to see their distribution in the world and a ratio of virtual cards with physical.

Russia is only in the 14th place with an indicator in 570 cards from which 75 cards – plastic and 495 – virtual.

First of all it is caused by lack of ruble cards whereas converting of available currencies (EUR, USD, GBP) in ATMs is not free and assumes write-off by bank %% for this transaction.

The ratio of virtual and physical maps depends on development of economy, a financial infrastructure and also presence of online services. Where there is an opportunity to pay off with a contactless method, to pay purchases online and other, virtual cards prevail.

In the countries where the financial system does not offer ample opportunities of use of different payment instruments, plastic cards remain one of fixed assets of payment.

The special attention should be paid to Japan. The dominating number of plastic cards can be explained: 1) lack of the card with the Japanese yen; 2) addiction of Japanese to tourism.

2014: Foundation of the company

Wirex is founded in 2014 as a payment cryptocurrency service.

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