Digital banks, fintechs, payment apps, and businesses across industries are already offering digital asset solutions. This trend follows the growth of Brazil's digital asset market, which processed R$505 billion in 2025, according to the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service.
To offer these solutions, however, businesses need capabilities such as custody, access to liquidity, technology integration, and compliance with an increasingly stringent regulatory environment.
That's where Crypto as a Service (CaaS) comes in. This model allows businesses to integrate digital assets into their products without having to build the entire infrastructure in-house. It can accelerate the launch of new services, reduce operational complexity, and expand the range of products offered while maintaining greater security.
In this article, you'll learn what CaaS is, how it works, its main benefits, and what to consider when choosing a provider.
What Is Crypto as a Service?
Crypto as a Service (CaaS) is a model that enables businesses to offer digital asset services without building all the infrastructure required to support them.
Instead of developing these capabilities in-house, a company integrates a specialized platform into its product and can offer features such as cryptocurrency trading, custody, and staking.
With this model, businesses can launch new services faster while keeping the entire customer experience within their own app or platform.
Key Features
A CaaS solution brings together capabilities such as liquidity, custody, and regulatory compliance, enabling businesses to integrate a range of digital asset services.
Cryptocurrency buying and selling
Asset custody
Staking
Deposits and withdrawals
Cryptocurrency swaps
Stablecoin integration
Fiat settlement
Digital wallets
How Does the Integration Work?
Integration takes place through APIs, which connect the company's systems to the provider in real time. When a customer requests the purchase of a digital asset, the request is automatically sent to the provider, which executes the order, handles settlement and custody, and confirms the transaction.
For the customer, the entire process takes place within the company's app or platform. Meanwhile, the provider manages the technology and underlying processes required to deliver the service, allowing the company to maintain control over the customer experience.
CaaS vs. White-Label Exchanges vs. Custody
These solutions are all part of the digital asset ecosystem, but they address different business needs. Understanding the role of each can help companies choose the right model for their operations.
Digital Asset Custody
Custody is responsible for the storage and protection of customers' assets. While it is an essential component of a digital asset operation, custody alone does not provide capabilities for buying, selling, or trading cryptocurrencies.
White-Label Exchange
A white-label exchange provides a ready-made trading platform that can be customized with a company's branding. Implementation is typically fast, but businesses have less flexibility to adapt features and the customer experience.
Crypto as a Service
CaaS allows businesses to integrate only the services they need through APIs, such as buying, selling, custody, and asset transfers. This allows companies to keep the entire experience within their own products and build more customized customer journeys without relying on a complete trading platform.
CaaS vs. Building an In-House Operation
Businesses that want to offer digital asset services can either build their own solution or work with a specialized provider. While the right approach depends on the company's goals, Crypto as a Service can reduce implementation time, upfront investment, and the complexity involved in launching new services.
The Challenges of Building an In-House Infrastructure
Building an in-house solution for digital asset services involves much more than developing the technology. Companies must meet regulatory requirements, implement security controls, and establish processes for compliance, risk management, and anti-money laundering.
They also need to integrate capabilities such as custody, liquidity, order execution, and transaction monitoring. In addition to increasing the complexity of the project, this requires significant investment and can extend the time needed to bring new services to market.
As Brazil's digital asset regulatory framework continues to evolve, building and operating this infrastructure in-house has become even more challenging.
Why Regulation Makes CaaS More Relevant
Brazil's Legal Framework for Crypto Assets (Law No. 14,478/2022) designated the Central Bank of Brazil as the primary regulator for the sector and established the concept of Sociedade Prestadora de Serviços de Ativos Virtuais (SPSAV), or Virtual Asset Service Provider.
In November 2025, the Central Bank published BCB Resolutions No. 519, 520, and 521, establishing rules for operating authorization, asset segregation, and minimum capital requirements. Depending on the activities performed, the requirement ranges from R$10.8 million to R$37 million.
These measures bring the digital asset market closer to the standards applied to financial institutions and increase the complexity for companies looking to build their own infrastructure.
In this environment, Crypto as a Service (CaaS) enables businesses to enter the market more quickly by leveraging infrastructure designed to meet regulatory requirements while reducing operational complexity.
The Benefits of Crypto as a Service
By using an established solution, businesses can eliminate much of the technical and regulatory complexity involved in offering digital asset services. Instead of building the entire infrastructure in-house, they can integrate the provider's APIs and start offering these services.
In addition to accelerating the launch of new products, CaaS provides a scalable model in which costs can grow alongside the business.
Another advantage is access to institutional liquidity, enabling orders to be executed quickly and predictably. The solution can also automate processes such as custody, fiat-to-crypto conversion, settlement, and transaction monitoring.
This allows teams to focus on product development and customer experience while a specialized partner manages the underlying infrastructure.
Industries That Use CaaS
CaaS can be adopted by businesses across industries that want to offer digital asset services without building all the necessary infrastructure themselves. Key examples include:
Exchanges
Expand their digital asset offerings without having to build custody, liquidity, and order execution capabilities in-house.
Digital Banks and Fintechs
Add cryptocurrency buying, selling, and custody to their product portfolios while providing customers with an integrated experience.
Payment Companies
Use stablecoins to make payments, settlements, and other financial transactions faster and more efficient, particularly for cross-border operations.
Cross-Border Remittance Companies
Use stablecoins to move funds between countries at a lower cost, with greater availability and faster settlement.
Retailers and Loyalty Programs
Add benefits such as cryptocurrency cashback and other digital assets to increase engagement and create new ways to build relationships with customers.
Regardless of the industry, the goal is the same: launch new services faster, reduce technical complexity, and accelerate entry into the digital asset market.
What Should You Look for in a CaaS Provider?
Choosing the right provider directly impacts the security, scalability, and efficiency of the solution. Beyond technology, businesses should evaluate regulatory compliance, liquidity, and the provider's ability to support the company's growth.
Key criteria include:
Licensing and regulatory compliance, including the provider's required authorizations and the strength of its compliance processes.
Custody and asset segregation, to protect customers' assets.
Liquidity, ensuring fast order execution and competitive pricing.
Asset coverage, including the cryptocurrencies and stablecoins available for integration.
Fiat integration, facilitating transfers between the traditional financial system and digital assets.
API documentation, to simplify integration and accelerate development.
Sandbox environment, allowing teams to test workflows before going live.
SLAs and operational stability, providing predictability and high availability.
Cybersecurity and fraud prevention, with continuous transaction monitoring.
Specialized technical support, to assist with implementation and respond quickly to incidents.
Choosing the right partner is what turns a digital asset strategy into a secure, scalable solution built for growth.
Want to learn how Transfero's infrastructure can support your business? Explore our Crypto as a Service solution.
