FedNow and crypto payments moves

Two payment stories landed days apart in April 2026, and they point in opposite directions: one plugs banks deeper into the Federal Reserve’s instant-payments rail, and the other lets gambling apps take deposits in crypto. (frbservices.org) (paysafe.com) On April 7, 2026, Paysafe said it launched “Pay with Crypto” for United States iGaming operators and daily fantasy sports brands, with MoonPay handling the crypto on-ramp. (paysafe.com) (ir.paysafe.com) The week before, Metallicus was being promoted around its status as a FedNow Service-certified provider, which means it can help banks and credit unions connect to the Federal Reserve’s system for instant transfers. (metallicus.com) (frbservices.org) FedNow is the Federal Reserve’s always-on payment rail, built so participating financial institutions can move money in real time instead of waiting for the next business day. The Federal Reserve says the service helps banks deliver end-to-end faster payments to their customers. (frbservices.org 1) (frbservices.org 2) That makes Metallicus a very different kind of crypto-adjacent company than the usual exchange or wallet app. Its pitch is that a credit union can offer real-time payments, digital wallets, and digital-asset features without pushing deposits outside the institution. (metallicus.com 1) (metallicus.com 2) Metallicus said in October 2024 that it was already supporting live transactions on FedNow, and in March 2026 it said it added certification for “Request for Payment,” which is the feature that lets one party send a payment prompt instead of just waiting for money to arrive. (metallicus.com 1) (metallicus.com 2) The Federal Reserve’s certified-provider list dated March 30, 2026 includes Metallicus, which is the important part here: this is not just a conference demo or a social-media claim. It sits inside the formal vendor layer around FedNow. (frbservices.org) (frbservices.org) Paysafe’s move goes the other way. Instead of bringing crypto features into a bank account, it lets a player fund an online betting or fantasy-sports account with stablecoins and cryptocurrencies through a payments company that already specializes in gambling checkout. (paysafe.com) (paysafe.com) Paysafe is not new to that market: the company says it has more than two decades of payments experience in iGaming, and earlier products already included card, wallet, and pay-by-bank options through one integration. Crypto is being added as another checkout button, not as a replacement for the rest. (paysafe.com) (ir.paysafe.com) Put the two announcements together and the map gets clearer. One lane is regulated instant money inside the banking system through FedNow, and the other lane is sector-specific crypto funding for industries like online gaming that want more payment choice at the cashier. (frbservices.org) (paysafe.com) That is why the payments market looks more fragmented in 2026 than the old “crypto versus banks” story suggested. Banks, credit unions, gambling operators, and fantasy-sports apps are not picking one universal rail; they are stacking different rails for different jobs. (frbservices.org) (metallicus.com) (paysafe.com)