The Card Issuing Problem in Crypto Neobanks

Building a crypto neobank sounds straightforward until you hit the card issuing layer. A founder on r/defi recently highlighted a critical tension facing early-stage crypto teams: choosing between compliance-heavy enterprise providers and agile vendors willing to move fast.

Enterprise vs. Agile: The Compliance Dilemma

The core issue reveals deeper protocol economics:

Protocol Economics and Vendor Selection Strategy

• Vendor conversation drift: Initial product discussions quickly pivot to KYB requirements and onboarding controls

• Partner maturity mismatch: Many providers treat crypto startups like traditional banking partnerships, not emerging protocols...