Learn · Structure
Who is actually holding your money?
Electronic money institutions, banks, and crypto neobanks sit in different regulatory boxes. The label changes protection, product, and risk.
On this page
Banks
Licensed to take deposits, often with deposit guarantee schemes (e.g. FDIC, DGS). Heavy KYC, slower product, stronger “boring” protection story for fiat.
EMIs
Issue electronic money, offer IBANs and cards in many cases, typically safeguard funds rather than lend them. Faster onboarding; not the same as insured deposits.
Crypto neobanks (Glide)
Combine self-custody wallets/vaults with partner EMI/bank rails. Crypto balances are on-chain or issuer-dependent; fiat slices inherit partner rules. Transparency of that split is the product.
How to choose
Need deposit insurance on all balances? Classic bank. Need multi-currency IBAN + cards quickly? EMI. Need stablecoins + multisig + agents + rails? Glide-class stack.
Written by
Glide Research
Payments research
Glide Research maps payment rails, FX corridors, and banking access so travellers, freelancers, and treasury teams can move money without legacy wire tax.
- Published
Glide · Learn
Who is actually holding your money?
Electronic money institutions, banks, and crypto neobanks sit in different regulatory boxes. The label changes protection, product, and risk.
- Currencies
- 80+
- Spend anywhere
- Visa card
- Regulated legs run by
- Licensed partners