We’re excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between VNX and Helio, bringing the ease, speed, and low cost of stablecoin payments to e-commerce and revolutionizing merchant payments.
Helio empowers thousands of merchants, dApps, and creators, by providing a secure and convenient way to accept decentralized crypto payments across multiple chains on online platforms including Shopify Helio has integrated VCHF and VEUR (VNX fiat referenced tokens or “VNX stablecoins”), further diversifying its payment options for online merchants. VEUR and VCHF reference two of the most popular European fiat currencies – Euro and Swiss Franc. VEUR and VCHF combine advantages of traditional fiat currencies with the convenience of crypto, enabling quick, low cost and 24/7 accessible cross-border payments and opening vast DeFi opportunities with stable assets.
Recent studies highlight the rapid expansion of the cryptocurrency sector within the technology industry. There are now over 562 million people globally holding some form of digital currency, a significant increase from 420 million in 2023, marking a 33% growth in just one year. The number of crypto wallets has surged, holding approximately $3 trillion in wealth. The adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi) payments has driven merchant crypto payment volumes to approximately $4 billion in 2023, with projections indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 75% in the coming years*.
Europe has seen substantial growth in cryptocurrency adoption. The number of crypto owners in Europe increased from 30.7 million in 2023 to 49.2 million in 2024, a remarkable 60.3% rise*. This growth reflects the expanding role of digital currencies in the European financial ecosystem, contributing significantly to the global increase in crypto ownership.
Integrating VEUR and VCHF with Helio can significantly enhance the utility and appeal of VNX stablecoins for merchant payments. This integration facilitates easy international payments with reduced friction and costs, enabling various payment methods through DeFi-enabled solutions. It utilizes smart contracts to reduce fraud and chargebacks, cuts transaction costs by minimizing intermediaries, speeds up payment processing and improves cash flow, and provides advanced payment tools like decentralized gateways. This also attracts cryptocurrency users and DeFi enthusiasts while ensuring clear and immutable transaction records for easier accounting.
We are also thrilled to announce that users of Shopify and WooCommerce can now make and receive payments in VEUR and VCHF via Solana Pay and Helio Pay. This integration opens up new possibilities for online businesses to tap into the growing crypto market.
Shopify supports over 4.1 million merchants globally, with the United States leading in the number of stores, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany. European countries like France and the Netherlands are also catching up, with Germany alone recently seeing 0.5 million live stores using Shopify**. Among European countries, several are crypto-friendly, making them prime targets for this new payment integration.
Shopify is renowned for offering an extensive array of tools and solutions for merchants, from customizable online stores to dropshipping options, ensuring a seamless e-commerce experience. This extensive support network makes Shopify an ideal platform for integrating cryptocurrency payments, providing merchants with innovative solutions to meet their needs.
In 2023, Shopify stores processed an astounding $204 billion in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), demonstrating its immense reach and influence in the e-commerce world***. With 30% of all online stores globally using WooCommerce, it stands as a dominant force in the e-commerce landscape**.
A survey by Triple-A revealed that 65% of consumers want to pay with digital currencies, and 55% would choose stores accepting cryptocurrencies*.
European online stores on Shopify now make up about 20%-25% of all Shopify merchants. This highlights the rapid growth of e-commerce in Europe and the rising acceptance of cryptocurrency payments.
“We are thrilled to introduce the only Swiss franc stablecoin and the second euro stablecoin to the entire ecosystem of Shopify stores. This partnership signifies a major step forward in providing flexible, secure, and efficient payment solutions for merchants all over Europe. Online retail is booming, and the entire ecosystem is becoming more convenient and accessible for classic businesses and online purchases for ordinary people. Solana Pay and WooCommerce make this process incredibly seamless, bringing crypto payments to the real world in a practical and user-friendly way.”
Alexander Tkachenko, CEO and Founder of VNX
“We are excited to collaborate with VNX whose innovative stablecoins are enabling new use cases including digital payments in VCHF and VEUR. By integrating these stablecoins into our platform, we are enhancing the versatility of crypto payments for our merchants.”
Stijn Paumen, CEO and Co-Founder of Helio
This partnership between VNX and Helio represents a significant step forward in making decentralized payments more accessible and efficient for merchants and consumers alike. By leveraging the strengths of Shopify and WooCommerce, we are poised to drive the adoption of crypto payments to new heights****.
About VNX
VNX (vnx.io) is a digital platform for tokenizing RWA licensed by the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority (FMA). VNX generates stablecoins referencing two most popular European fiat currencies – VNX Euro (VEUR) and VNX Swiss Franc (VCHF) that combine advantages of traditional fiat currencies with the convenience of crypto, enabling quick, low cost and 24/7 accessible cross-border payments and opening vast DeFi opportunities with stable assets. VNX has also presented the first European gold-backed token – VNX Gold (VNXAU) that represents individual ownership of physical gold. VNX Gold provides the same benefits as investment in physical gold, such as store of value, protection against volatility and inflation, and high liquidity – with complete digital convenience and freedom. VNX tokens are multichain and currently available on Ethereum, Polygon, Avalanche, Solana, Stellar and Q blockchains, with more to come.
VNX EUR (VEUR) and VNX CHF (VCHF) stablecoins are also available for deposit, withdrawal, and custody on the Solana blockchain at Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group. Moreover, Cumberland, a seasoned player in the crypto space, is providing OTC services for VEUR and VCHF for Sygnum. VNX stablecoins (VEUR and VCHF) are launching price oracles for VEUR and VCHF stablecoins through Pyth.
VNX tokens are available on centralized exchanges (BitStamp, XT.COM, Emirex, LBANK) and decentralized exchanges and applications (Raydium, Orca, Xave, Balancer, Kamino, Hawksight).
VNX publishes independent auditors’ reports that confirm the value of reserves supporting the tokens on a regular basis as well as useful information about tokens in theVNX Transparency section on its official website.
Helio provides a suite of payment tools for e-commerce merchants, and internet entrepreneurs, making it easy for anyone to accept USDC and other digital currencies. Designed for ease of use, especially those new to crypto payments, Helio is a faster and more cost effective alternative to traditional payment methods. Empowering over 6,000 sellers and 500,000+ active wallets, Helio supports major blockchains including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Polygon.
* Triple-A, “Crypto Ownership Report”. ** Backlinko, “Shopify Stores” *** Shopify, “Investor-Overview-Deck-Q1-2024” **** Helio, “Solana Pay Brings Crypto Payments to Millions of Shopify Merchants”
