Xapo Bank
Casares — patient zero of Silicon Valley bitcoin — built a private bank for BTC wealth after his family lost everything to Argentine devaluations.
Licensed private bank for BTC wealth.
- Who holds it
- The company itself — it holds a full banking licence — Gibraltar banking license.
- The ledger
- The bank’s own core ledger.
- If it fails
- A covered-deposit payout through the local scheme, up to its limit.
Derived from Xapo Bank’s regulation type and custody — a class of protection, not a guarantee. Limits and eligibility vary by scheme, balance and jurisdiction; confirm before you rely on it. What happens if a neobank shuts down →
The facts
| Category | hybrid |
| HQ | Gibraltar |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Custody | Custodial |
| Regulation type | Licensed bank |
| License detail | Gibraltar banking license |
| Card | MC · Debit |
| Cashback | 1% in BTC |
| Yield | Interest on BTC + USD |
| Stablecoins | Yes |
| KYC | Yes |
| Active regions | North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, MENA, Asia, Oceania |
| Countries | Gibraltar, United Kingdom, UAE, Global |
| Founders | Wences Casares |
Verified links: official site ↗ · terms ↗ · @xapobank ↗
Common questions about Xapo Bank
What is Xapo Bank?
Xapo Bank is a fiat-and-crypto neobank, headquartered in Gibraltar and founded in 2013. Your money is held custodially, so Xapo Bank or its partner bank holds the balance and you hold a claim on it. It is regulated as a licensed bank (Gibraltar banking license).
Does Xapo Bank have a card, and where can you use it?
It issues a Mastercard debit card. It is available in 4 countries, across all 7 world regions tracked here.
Does Xapo Bank require KYC?
Yes. Xapo Bank requires identity verification (KYC) to open an account, as a licensed bank.
What does Xapo Bank cost?
From the verified fields: cashback 1% in BTC; yield Interest on BTC + USD. Cashback and yield are "up to" figures that change constantly and often depend on a paid plan — confirm current terms with Xapo Bank before relying on them.
Early investors
Head-to-head
Peers
Revolut · Cash App · Mercado Pago · Mogo · Venmo · Robinhood
Xapo Bank appears in
Neobanks that hold their own banking license (132) · Neobanks available in North America (126) · Neobanks available in Europe (144) · Neobanks available in Asia (132) · Neobanks available in Oceania (72) · Neobanks available in Latin America (113) · Neobanks available in Africa (92) · Neobanks available in MENA (85) · Neobanks that issue a Mastercard (150)
Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.