BIX Card Widens US Rollout, Bringing Self-Custodial Crypto Spending Closer to the Mainstream

(NewsUSA) - BIX, the neo-finance app that pairs a self-custody crypto wallet with a Visa card, is accelerating its push into the United States, appointing David Imonitie as head of US sales as it works toward near-nationwide availability.

The company currently supports eligible residents of 29 US states, subject to identity verification and programme requirements, and says it is targeting expansion to 49 states within six to eight months, subject to applicable approvals and partner readiness.

"We are excited about the states we are open in and have great expectations for the rest. That will not dampen our enthusiasm or our work ethic in growing customer acquisition. The other states will open, and in the meantime we will grow," Imonitie said.

BIX is not a new entrant. The app and its virtual card programme are already operating, and the company describes the current phase as an expansion of an established business rather than an initial launch.

The product combines a self-custody wallet with a Visa card programme. Users hold USDC or USDT across supported combinations of Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Base, Solana and Optimism, and spend against that balance at merchants worldwide. Purchases run through Visa and settle to the merchant in fiat.

Standard membership is free and a virtual Visa card costs $9.99. The company says there are no funding fees, with a 1% FX fee applied to eligible foreign-currency purchases under the US programme. Spending limits are, in BIX's description, flexible and customizable based on the user's deposited collateral, subject to programme requirements.

The business operates as Bix Ltd, registered in the Cayman Islands with operating offices in Dubai. BIX is a finance app rather than a bank, with card issuing and other regulated financial services delivered through third-party institutions under their respective arrangements.

Several additions are in development. BIX Plus, at $119 a year, will bundle access to Visa Signature cards with eligible benefits such as airport lounge access, rental-car insurance and travel discounts, with packages depending on programme and country. Lounge access does not necessarily include complimentary visits.

Plus will also introduce virtual accounts, supporting incoming payments and outgoing fiat transfers connecting stablecoin balances with ACH, SEPA and SWIFT, including details such as IBANs. Physical cards are planned at $99, separate from membership, with a 0.6% BIX ATM withdrawal fee.

The most substantial change in the pipeline is direct wallet-linked spending, under which eligible card purchases will draw against supported wallet balances without a separate top-up. Until that rollout completes, card funding uses a separate smart contract.

Crypto cards have existed for years, but the category has been held back by two problems: volatile assets unsuited to everyday spending, and custody arrangements that required users to hand their assets to a provider. Dollar-pegged stablecoins addressed the first. Self-custody models are an attempt at the second.

Imonitie said it was the simplicity of the product that drew him to the role.

"What made me decide to take this role was very simple. I wanted to be at the forefront of the future of payments. The simplicity that BIX provides was undeniable and exciting for all people, whether you understand crypto or not."

Availability remains the sector's binding constraint. No provider in the category currently offers uniform nationwide US coverage, and expansion timelines depend on approvals and partner institutions rather than on product readiness.

More at bix.fi and on Instagram.

David Imonitie is head of US sales at BIX. Find him on Instagram.