Costs, licensing, consumer protection Privacy, self-custody, censorship resistance

MoonPay

MoonPay

4.2/5 0.0/5 · Data verified on

MoonPay is a crypto on/off-ramp infrastructure that lets apps, wallets and marketplaces enable their users to buy and sell crypto via card, bank transfer and other payment methods, handling the fiat-crypto flow as a money transmitter. Founded in 2019, it is registered as an MSB with FinCEN (with money transmitter licenses in several US states) and as a cryptoasset firm with the FCA in the UK. It also offers products for AI agents (agentic payments) and operates in more than 160 countries.

61
Transparency: Medium
61/100 · see methodology
61
Data exposure: Medium
61/100 · lower is better for sovereignty · methodology

Data & conditions

Service type Stablecoin infrastructure
Pricing model Not disclosed
Stablecoins USDC, USDT
Customer type Fintech, Enterprise, Platforms, Marketplace
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds)
Supported countries US, EEA, UK, APAC, LATAM, MENA, AFRICA
Regulator FinCEN (US) · FCA (UK)
Segment B2B, B2C
MiCA / License status FinCEN MSBFCA (registered cryptoasset firm)

Strengths

  • Widely integrated on/off-ramp with broad geographic coverage (160+ countries) and payment methods.
  • Regulatory registrations in the US (FinCEN MSB + state licenses) and UK (FCA); strong backing ($555M in 2021).
  • No notable sovereignty advantage documented.

Weaknesses

  • As a ramp/money transmitter it handles funds in transit: the user relies on MoonPay during conversion.
  • Consumer fees on crypto purchases can be high compared to exchanges.
  • Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.

Verdict

A D ★ 4.2/5 ★ 0.0/5

Score 4.2/5, very strong profile. In its favour: widely integrated on/off-ramp with broad geographic coverage (160+ countries) and payment methods. The trade-off to weigh: as a ramp/money transmitter it handles funds in transit: the user relies on MoonPay during conversion.

On the Sovereignty lens the score is 0.0/5 (weak): the strength is fund control (0.0/5).

Fund control 20% 0.0

Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.

"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.

FAQ

Can an individual use MoonPay?

Yes, indirectly: most users encounter the MoonPay widget inside a third-party wallet or app to buy crypto, but MoonPay is primarily infrastructure for businesses.

Does MoonPay custody user funds?

During a transaction yes: as a money transmitter it handles fiat funds in transit while converting to crypto (which is then sent to the user's wallet).

Sources

Update history

✓ Terms unchanged since Jul 17, 2026

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