CoinPayments and OSL Group have announced a strategic partnership to expand crypto payment services across the Asia-Pacific region, combining CoinPayments’ merchant payment gateway with OSL Group’s regulated digital asset infrastructure and local fiat currency capabilities.
The partnership, announced on March 27, 2026, gives CoinPayments access to OSL Group’s (HKEX: 863) local payment channels and fiat currency exchange capabilities across APAC markets. The deal is designed to deliver secure, compliant, and seamless digital payment solutions for businesses operating in the region.
What the CoinPayments and OSL Group Deal Covers
CoinPayments, founded in 2013, operates a crypto payment processing platform that has handled over $50 billion in cryptocurrency transactions and serves more than 250,000 merchants globally. OSL Group is a Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed digital asset platform that holds licensed operations across Asia Pacific, the US, UK, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
Under the agreement, CoinPayments contributes its merchant-facing payment gateway and global crypto processing infrastructure. OSL Group brings regulated exchange infrastructure, institutional-grade compliance frameworks, and local fiat on-ramp and off-ramp capabilities across APAC jurisdictions.
Ali Rafi, CEO of CoinPayments, stated: “By combining our industry-leading payment gateway with OSL’s regulated infrastructure, we are bridging the gap between digital assets and traditional commerce in one of the world’s most dynamic financial hubs.”
The partnership builds on CoinPayments’ longstanding relationship with Banxa, a Web3 payment infrastructure provider that OSL Group acquired in January 2026. That acquisition laid the groundwork for this broader collaboration between the two companies.
Why Asia Pacific Is the Target Market
OSL Group holds one of the first Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) licenses for virtual asset service providers in Hong Kong, giving it a compliance advantage that few competitors can match. This regulatory positioning is central to the partnership’s viability, as APAC’s evolving crypto licensing landscape, including Hong Kong’s VASP regime, demands licensed infrastructure for compliant payment operations.
CoinPayments recently appointed Alexander von Kaldenberg as Head of Strategic Partnerships for Asia, with a specific focus on market entry in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Von Kaldenberg said the partnership “allows us to meet surging demand head-on by leveraging OSL’s local, robust payment rails and removing friction points for merchants.”
OSL Group has been aggressively building its APAC presence. The company raised $200 million in equity financing in January 2026 to accelerate global stablecoin and payment expansion, following a $300 million raise in 2025. That capital is now being deployed through partnerships like this one.
The broader context of institutional crypto product flows and evolving regulatory frameworks across APAC creates a window for payment infrastructure providers to establish early footholds in newly regulated markets.
What the Partnership Means for Merchants and Crypto Payments in the Region
The most immediate beneficiaries are CoinPayments’ existing 250,000+ merchant base, which gains access to compliant fiat off-ramping in APAC markets where crypto payment frameworks are still maturing. Merchants operating in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore will be able to accept crypto payments and convert to local fiat currencies through OSL’s regulated infrastructure.
Eugene Cheung, Chief Commercial Officer of OSL Group, said: “This collaboration highlights the strategic synergy following OSL’s acquisition of Banxa, reinforcing our commitment to closing the gap between global digital commerce and institutional grade financial services.”
The merchant-facing payment gateway integration with institutional-grade APAC fiat rails is a relatively underreported angle in this story. While most coverage has focused on OSL Group’s stablecoin ambitions and the Banxa acquisition, the practical effect for merchants is the ability to operate compliantly in regulated APAC markets without building their own local payment infrastructure. As institutional players continue accumulating digital assets, the demand for compliant commercial payment channels in the region is growing in parallel.
According to a single source, the partnership announcement was timed ahead of the Japan Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, where CoinPayments has visibility as a partner of the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team. This unconfirmed detail suggests the company may be using the event to amplify its APAC market entry.
Neither company disclosed specific financial terms, revenue-sharing structures, or hard launch dates for integrated products. The next concrete milestone to watch is whether CoinPayments and OSL Group announce a pilot program or product launch targeting one of the three named markets, particularly Hong Kong, where OSL’s SFC license provides the clearest regulatory runway. Against the backdrop of shifting macro conditions affecting digital asset markets, the partnership reflects a longer-term bet on APAC’s crypto payment infrastructure rather than short-term market speculation.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
