Inqud — a Ukrainian startup that turned cryptocurrency into a financial tool for business

What personal story stands behind the creation of Inqud? 

The story of Inqud is not only about an idea but also about a journey of trials and errors, ups and downs in search of the right business model and service positioning. At first, we launched an exchange in Telegram in test mode. It worked for a short time, but the service had to be frozen for almost 3 years. When we returned, the market had already changed: instead of 3–5 competitors as before, there were now over a hundred — with stronger technologies and new functionalities.

It was painful to shut down that direction, but that became a decisive moment for us. We decided to take what seemed like a desperate and even risky step — to move into B2B without prior sales experience in this segment, but with a strong idea and a team that believed in the product.

Today, Inqud is already a mature project that has gone through all stages of development and is now opening new horizons. We have learned from the past, and now our goal is to build a system that makes crypto payments as reliable and transparent as classic financial instruments.

What specific problem did you want to solve when launching the system? 

Businesses were stuck between two extremes: the banking system restricts and slows them down, while crypto gives freedom but requires deep expertise. We wanted to remove this “either-or” choice. Inqud was created to combine both worlds and provide companies with a tool that always works quickly, reliably, and transparently.

At the same time, we deliberately set a goal not to become just another “typical payment service.” We wanted to give the market new useful features that would unlock more opportunities for businesses.

Today, Inqud combines almost all possible variations of crypto payments — from simple acceptance and conversion to recurring models and solutions for large-scale transactions. Our strategic goal is to create a service that doesn’t just process payments but sets a new quality standard in business financial processes.

What is the philosophy of Inqud? What principles will you never break?

We are convinced that great technologies should be understandable to everyone. At Inqud, we always explain simply, demonstrate the benefits, and help implement solutions so that businesses actually earn more.

We don’t just “sell a product” — we make it work for the client. 

At the same time, we have a principle we will never break: we do not cooperate with dubious projects or outright scams. This is not only a matter of reputation but also of responsibility towards our clients and the market as a whole. We are building an honest and transparent infrastructure that can be trusted — and this defines our values. 

What was the biggest mistake or challenge in creating Inqud? What did it teach you? 

At first, we wanted to “save the world” and create a super system that solves all problems at once. 

However, it quickly became clear that this is not possible. We reviewed our approach and strategy, focused on practicality, and started listening more carefully to our clients.

That was our most valuable lesson: less chaos — more value.

Who works on Inqud? What is your team’s expertise? 

Inqud is, above all, a team. Each of us has our own superpower: some specialize in blockchain and technology, others in security and financial processes, while others make products as simple and convenient as possible for clients.

Together, we form this puzzle of competencies, and it is precisely thanks to this that we can solve diverse tasks. Our strength lies in the diversity of our expertise and experience. When these “pieces” come together, they create a complete and powerful picture.

What cutting-edge technologies do you use to stay ahead of competitors?

We don’t chase trendy technologies just for the sake of it. Our goal is to create solutions that businesses actually need.

The most striking example is recurring (subscription) crypto payments. This is a unique feature that allows companies to launch subscription models and regular services based on blockchain. For the market, this is a new level of opportunity.

Which Inqud feature most surprises new users? 

Most often, clients are amazed by recurring payments in crypto. Many are used to subscriptions working only with bank cards, and suddenly they see the possibility of doing the same in blockchain. This is a real “wow” moment for many.

Our clients also highly value transparency — they see every step and control the process, which builds trust.

Which platforms and services does Inqud integrate with best? 

Inqud can be integrated with almost any online business: an online store, a subscription service, or a complex gaming platform.

We built the system so that it can be easily connected and used in any scenario. In fact, anything that lives on the internet can work through Inqud. This makes our product universal and convenient for businesses of any scale.

It’s also worth mentioning our API documentation. We deliberately wrote it “for humans” — as clear and structured as possible. And this is already yielding results: mid-level developers with basic integration experience almost never ask additional questions.

This once again confirms our philosophy: complex technologies should be simple and accessible to use.

What non-obvious but important security measures do you apply to protect against fraud? How do you respond to new threats? 

Our principle is that security must be invisible: the user should not feel any difficulties. We monitor transactions in real-time, use algorithms to detect suspicious operations, and respond quickly to new threats.

This is invisible to users, but that is exactly why businesses gain peace of mind and confidence.

Tell us about Inqud’s tariffs as transparently as possible. Why such a tariff policy? How does Inqud help businesses save on payments? 

We are often asked: “How much does it cost?”. There is no single universal price. We form tariffs individually — taking into account the scale of the business and the required functionality, to make it truly beneficial for the client.

Our services are already cheaper and safer than card payments, since there are no chargebacks — this is a significant saving.

At the same time, such a service cannot be “almost free” — behind it are servers, a team, blockchain integrations, network fees, security, audits, and support. Therefore, our policy is simple: a fair price in exchange for reliability, security, and real savings for the client.

Which industries does Inqud work with, and how are your services useful for them? 

Today, we work with very diverse industries: from e-commerce and SaaS to iGaming, travel, and educational platforms.

For e-commerce, we make payments faster and cheaper; for games and subscriptions — we open up the possibilities of recurring crypto payments; for SaaS and fintech companies — we provide convenient integration solutions and liquidity.

We see that businesses in each of these industries face their own challenges, and our task is to make payment processes as simple, convenient, and beneficial as possible. 

Which Inqud use case impressed your team the most? Why is it special?

Honestly, probably the most unexpected was the case with a marketplace for cat and dog breeders. Later, companies from industries such as energy and private aviation also approached us. That’s when we realized that Inqud really works for everyone. It was a moment of pride for the entire team. 

What have you learned from competitors? What do you do better than them? 

We saw that technology without quality service loses half of its value. Some companies create “cool features” but forget that for businesses, simplicity and support are crucial.

We do things differently: we speak the client’s language, explain, support, and adapt the product to their needs.

Technology is important, but trust and convenience are even more important. 

How does Inqud adapt to new market requirements? What trends do you see?

Crypto and fintech change every day — and so do we. We are constantly communicating with clients and adapting the product to their real needs.

Today, everyone is talking about e-commerce, subscriptions, and transparency — and we are already implementing this.

In the future, a key trend will be integration with CBDCs (central bank digital currencies), and we are ready to be among the first to implement this possibility as soon as the market is ready.

For us, adapting quickly to new trends is the norm. 

What are Inqud’s development plans for the next year? What new features and opportunities await users? 

We have big plans for this year. First, we are improving analytics so that clients can see everything about their payments in just a few clicks.

Second, we are launching onramp, which will make fiat-to-crypto exchange as simple as possible.

Third, we are adding new features and currencies so that businesses can solve even more tasks.

Inqud is becoming even more convenient and useful for businesses.

What is your main advice to businesses looking for the perfect payment system?

The advice is simple: don’t be afraid to experiment. The ideal solution only reveals itself in practice — launch, test, draw conclusions, and in the end, you will find what works best for your business.