CEX.IO Selects OpenPayd to Power Real-Time Settlements for Institutional Clients

London-based cryptocurrency exchange CEX.IO has partnered with OpenPayd, a provider of financial infrastructure, to enhance fiat payment operations and institutional settlement capabilities across its platform.

The integration introduces multi-currency accounts in euros, British pounds and US dollars, along with embedded foreign exchange capabilities. For EUR-denominated transactions, CEX.IO now uses SEPA and SEPA Instant, enabling near real-time settlement. The setup allows the exchange to manage liquidity more efficiently across jurisdictions and consolidate treasury flows into a single environment, reducing the operational complexity of fragmented banking relationships.

CEX.IO, which serves over 15 million retail and professional users globally, said the move is designed to meet the settlement speed and transparency expectations of institutional counterparties. Through OpenPayd’s regulated infrastructure, the exchange can route deposits, withdrawals and internal treasury movements on a unified platform, supporting faster reconciliation as trading volumes and counterparty relationships expand.

“CEX.IO operates at a global scale, with institutional clients who expect consistency across every touchpoint,” said Iana Dimitrova, CEO at OpenPayd. “By choosing OpenPayd and consolidating fiat settlement into a single environment, CEX.IO is building the operational foundation required to support its next phase of growth.”

Arina Dudko, Head of Corporate Payment Solutions at CEX.IO, noted that institutional participants increasingly expect crypto platforms to match traditional financial system standards. “By embedding OpenPayd’s real-time EUR settlement and unified treasury capabilities, we’re aligning our infrastructure with the standards institutions are used to—while preserving the flexibility of digital asset markets,” she said.

The partnership reflects a broader trend among digital asset exchanges to upgrade fiat infrastructure as institutional participation deepens. OpenPayd, founded in 2018, processes over $180 billion in annual volumes for more than 1,000 businesses, including eToro, Kraken and OKX. CEX.IO, which began as the GHash.IO mining pool in 2013, holds 40 global licenses and registrations.

CEX.IO’s adoption of OpenPayd’s platform highlights the growing importance of regulated, real-time fiat settlement capabilities in the crypto exchange sector, particularly as firms compete for institutional flow.