Product · Non-custodial

You set the wallet. You hold the keys.

Apa is a non-custodial payment layer, not a wallet. You tell Apa where to receive money with a payout wallet, customers pay from their own wallets, and the payout lands in yours as the payment completes — the funds never pass through an Apa-controlled account.

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What non-custodial means

No custody, no keys, no withdrawal

Every Apa payment is a transfer between two wallets you and your customer control. Apa coordinates and, when needed, routes the conversion on-chain — but it never holds a balance.

[ Payout-first ]

Funds never sit with Apa

There is no Apa account holding your balance. The payment settles to the wallet in your payout wallet as it completes — no holds, no Apa balance in between.

[ No keys ]

Private keys stay with you

Apa never asks for, generates or stores a private key or seed phrase. You and your customer hold your own.

[ Customer signs ]

The payer is in control

The customer pays from their own wallet, either through a wallet link or the displayed address. Apa only prepares the payment details.

Apa vs centralized processors

Not like NOWPayments or CoinGate

Centralized crypto processors take custody: funds land in their account and you withdraw later. Apa removes that middle step entirely.

Holds your fundsNever — funds move wallet-to-walletYes — funds sit in their account
Stores private keysNo keys, no seed phrasesCustodies keys on your behalf
Who signs the paymentThe customer, from their own walletThe processor, internally
Where you receiveYour own wallet, directlyA balance you must withdraw
Withdrawal stepNone — settlement is the paymentRequest, approve, wait
Counterparty riskNone held by ApaTheir solvency is your exposure
Why it matters

Custody is the risk you don't need

When a processor holds your funds, their solvency, freezes and outages become your problem. Removing custody removes that entire class of risk.

  • No balance to be frozen, lost or delayed
  • No withdrawal queue between you and your money
  • No counterparty solvency to worry about
  • Payouts straight to the wallet you control, never held by Apa
  • Customers keep custody of their funds until they sign
Questions

Non-custodial FAQ

If Apa doesn't hold funds, how do routed payments work?

Routing executes on-chain. The bridge and swap happen in the customer's signed transaction flow; Apa orchestrates the steps but never holds an intermediate balance. The 1.5% routing fee is taken as part of the conversion route — deducted from the converted output before it reaches you — so Apa only ever takes the fee, never custody of the payment.

Can Apa freeze or reverse my payment?

No. Apa has no custody and no control over your wallet. Once a transfer confirms on-chain, it's final.

Do I need to trust Apa with my keys?

No. Apa never requests a private key or seed phrase. You connect a wallet address to receive to, nothing more.

How is this different from CoinGate or NOWPayments?

Those processors take custody of funds and require you to withdraw. Apa settles directly to your wallet with no balance held in between.

Accept crypto without giving up custody

Create your first payment link or API checkout in minutes. Direct payments are free, routed conversions are flat, and Apa never holds your funds.

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