Is Mercury crypto friendly?

Partly. Crypto startups, DAOs and funds get accounts and can wire to exchanges, but Mercury bans exchanges and MSBs and lists buying or selling crypto through the account as grounds for closure.

CBL Score: 4 of 16

CriterionScoreSource
Accepts exchange transfersno (0)source · checked 8 September 2026
Stablecoin off-rampno (0)source · checked 8 September 2026
Business accounts for Web3partial (1)source · checked 8 September 2026
Custodyno (0)source · checked 8 September 2026
Staking and yieldno (0)source · checked 8 September 2026
Cardpartial (1)source · checked 8 September 2026
Multiple jurisdictionspartial (1)source · checked 8 September 2026
Open to retailpartial (1)source · checked 8 September 2026

Total 4 of 16. Yes scores 2, partial 1, no 0. A secondary source is press or a third party rather than the bank or its regulator. Unverified means no source could be found; the score stands until one is.

Score history

Scores are revised when a bank's documents change. Each revision is dated and sourced.

8 September 2026Stablecoin off-ramppartial to nosource
8 September 2026Open to retailno to partialsource
8 September 2026Cardno to partialsource

Standing

JurisdictionUnited States
TypeBusiness banking
Health tagWatch Not itself a bank. The 2024 Synapse collapse and the consent orders against its partner banks showed the model's fragility; Mercury left Evolve in 2025 and holds preliminary OCC approval for its own charter since April 2026. · checked 26 August 2026
Last verified8 September 2026

What Mercury allows and blocks

Allowed

  • Business accounts for crypto and Web3 startups, DAOs and funds registered in the US
  • Wires to exchanges such as Gemini and Coinbase, sent under the business name so the exchange can credit them
  • Debit cards and the IO credit card, with 1.5 percent cashback and no annual fee
  • Founders living outside the US, provided the company is US-registered and the founder is not in a prohibited country
  • Mercury Personal accounts for US residents aged 18 and over, at 240 dollars a year

Blocked or restricted

  • Crypto exchanges and any money services business
  • Holding crypto or stablecoins in the account. Mercury says its accounts can only hold fiat
  • Custody, staking, or any yield on crypto
  • Using the account to buy or sell cryptocurrencies, which Mercury lists as a Terms of Service violation that can close the account
  • Companies formed outside the US or a US territory
  • Founders resident in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, occupied Ukrainian regions, or one of 49 prohibited countries including Russia, Ukraine, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam

Opening an account

Fees that matter

Regulatory history

2023Partner bank Choice Financial Group consented to an FDIC and North Dakota DFI order (FDIC-23-0086b, stipulation dated 13 December 2023) over Bank Secrecy Act violations, requiring customer due diligence and monitoring for customers onboarded through fintech partners. source
2024The Federal Reserve and Arkansas issued a consent cease and desist order against partner bank Evolve Bank & Trust on 14 June 2024 for AML, BSA and OFAC deficiencies in its fintech partnerships. In July 2024 Mercury cut off founders in Ukraine, Nigeria and other countries after reported FDIC concern about Choice opening Mercury accounts in risky countries. source
2026The OCC granted preliminary conditional approval on 24 April 2026 for Mercury Bank, N.A., Salt Lake City (Corporate Decision 1372), after Mercury applied in December 2025. Conditions include a 10 percent Tier 1 leverage floor for three years; FDIC insurance and Fed approval are still pending. source

Questions about Mercury

Does Mercury let me send money to Coinbase or Kraken?

Mercury's Web3 page says wires to exchanges such as Gemini and Coinbase go out under your business name so the exchange can credit them. That page is aimed at crypto and Web3 companies. Mercury's account closures page also lists using the account to buy or sell cryptocurrencies as a Terms of Service violation, so an ordinary startup moving money to an exchange runs a real risk of review or closure.

Can a crypto company open a Mercury account?

Yes for crypto and Web3 startups, DAOs and funds, as long as the company is registered in the US. Exchanges and money services businesses are refused. The account holds fiat only, so there is no custody, staking or stablecoin balance.

Is Mercury a real bank?

Not yet. Accounts sit with partner banks Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., and the IO card is issued by Patriot Bank. Mercury applied for a national bank charter in December 2025 and the OCC gave preliminary conditional approval on 24 April 2026 for Mercury Bank, N.A. in Salt Lake City. FDIC insurance and Federal Reserve approval are still pending.

Can I open a Mercury account as an individual?

Yes. Mercury Personal opened to all US residents aged 18 and over in December 2025. It costs 240 dollars a year, waived if you also hold a Mercury business account. It is fiat only and does not offer crypto.

Closest alternatives

11/16Rebind
Yes for euro transfers through a personal Monerium IBAN, but Rebind is an app, not a bank, and it never names exchanges.
8/16Cross River Bank
Yes for crypto businesses and fintech partners, which is who the bank is built for. Individuals can bank here too, but get no crypto features.
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