Self-Custody Secrets Revealed: What NOWPayments and CoinPayments Don't Want Merchants to Know

Your keys. Your crypto. Your business.

That's the promise of self-custody. But here's what most payment processors won't tell you: not all self-custody solutions are created equal.

NOWPayments markets itself as non-custodial. CoinPayments holds your funds in generated wallets where you don't control the private keys. And then there's a third option that goes beyond basic custody models.

Let's break down what's really happening behind the scenes: and why it matters for your bottom line.

The Custody Problem Nobody Talks About

Self-custody sounds straightforward. You hold your own keys. You control your funds. Simple, right?

Not exactly.

Most crypto payment processors fall into one of two camps:

Custodial platforms (like CoinPayments) hold your funds during transactions. You don't get the private keys. You're trusting a third party with your money.

Non-custodial platforms (like NOWPayments) let you withdraw to your own wallet. Better. But still limited in functionality.

Here's the real question: What happens between the payment and the payout?

That gap is where fees stack up. Where control slips away. Where merchants lose money without even realizing it.

What NOWPayments Actually Offers

Credit where it's due. NOWPayments is transparent about being non-custodial. Merchants retain control of funds. Withdrawals are immediate. You can choose your payout cryptocurrency.

Solid foundation.

But dig deeper:

• No NFT receipts for transaction verification

• No native stablecoin integration

• Standard gas fees on every transfer

• Limited POS solutions for brick-and-mortar

They've built a functional tool. But functional isn't the same as optimized.

The CoinPayments Trade-Off

CoinPayments takes a different approach. They hold your funds in platform-generated wallets. You don't have the private keys.

The trade-off? Convenience for control.

For some merchants, that works. For those who understand the "not your keys, not your crypto" reality? It's a non-starter.

Additional limitations:

• Higher interchange-style processing fees

• Slower settlement times

• Less flexibility in wallet management

• No metaverse or Web3 integration

Both platforms serve a purpose. Neither pushes the envelope on what crypto payments can actually do.

Enter True Self-Custody: The Larecoin Difference

Here's where things get interesting.

Larecoin doesn't just offer non-custodial payments. It rebuilds the entire merchant experience around self-custody as a foundation, then adds layers of innovation on top.

Gas-Only Transfers

Traditional crypto payments hit merchants with transaction fees at multiple points. Network fees. Platform fees. Conversion fees.

Larecoin's gas-only transfer model strips that down. You pay network gas. That's it.

The result? Fee savings exceeding 50% compared to traditional payment processors. For high-volume merchants, that's thousands: potentially tens of thousands: back in your pocket annually.

LUSD Stablecoin Integration

Volatility kills merchant adoption. Everyone knows this.

LUSD, Larecoin's native stablecoin, solves the volatility problem without forcing merchants to convert to fiat immediately.

Hold in LUSD. Transact in LUSD. Skip the conversion fees and timing risks.

Your funds stay stable. Your control stays absolute.

NFT Receipts: Proof That Actually Means Something

Paper receipts get lost. Digital receipts get buried in email. Traditional transaction records are isolated, inaccessible, and easy to dispute.

NFT receipts change everything.

Every transaction generates an on-chain, verifiable, immutable proof of purchase. Merchants get:

• Automatic dispute resolution via blockchain verification

• Customer loyalty tracking built into the receipt itself

• Resale and warranty validation for physical goods

• Tax documentation that auditors can verify independently

CoinPayments doesn't offer this. NOWPayments doesn't either.

This isn't a gimmick. It's infrastructure for the next decade of commerce.

Master/Sub-Wallet Architecture

Managing crypto across multiple locations, departments, or revenue streams? Nightmare with traditional platforms.

Larecoin's master/sub-wallet system lets you:

• Create unlimited sub-wallets under one master account

• Set permissions and spending limits per wallet

• Track revenue streams independently

• Consolidate reporting in real-time

Franchises. Multi-location retail. Enterprise operations. This is built for scale.

QR-Generated Crypto POS: Print and Accept

Hardware-dependent POS systems are expensive. Complex to integrate. A barrier for small and mid-sized merchants.

Larecoin's QR-generated POS system eliminates the hardware requirement.

Print a QR code. Accept crypto payments. Done.

Works with existing smartphones. Works with tablets. Works with literally any device that has a camera.

Setup time? Minutes. Not weeks. Not expensive consultations with integration specialists.

This is crypto POS designed for the real world, not a conference demo.

Compliance That Actually Protects You

Here's where a lot of crypto payment processors fall short.

Operating in the U.S. means navigating federal and state regulations. Money Services Business (MSB) registration at the federal level. Money Transmitter Licenses (MTL) at the state level.

Larecoin maintains federal MSB registration and state-level MTL coverage across the United States.

What does this mean for merchants?

• Reduced legal exposure

• Cleaner audits

• Bankable business relationships

• Long-term operational stability

NOWPayments operates internationally with varying regulatory coverage. CoinPayments follows Canadian regulations primarily.

If you're doing serious business in America, MTL compliance isn't optional. It's essential.

The Future: Metaverse Shopping Is Coming

Here's where things get wild.

Crypto payments aren't just about replacing credit cards. They're about enabling entirely new commerce experiences.

Metaverse shopping. Social commerce in virtual spaces. VR/AR retail environments where customers browse, try, and purchase without leaving their homes.

Larecoin is building the infrastructure for this future:

• B2B2C metaverse integration for brands and retailers

• Social shopping experiences with embedded payments

• VR/AR checkout flows that feel natural, not clunky

NOWPayments processes payments. CoinPayments processes payments.

Larecoin is building the commerce layer for Web3.

That's not the same thing.

The Bottom Line

Self-custody matters. But it's table stakes in 2026.

What separates good from great:

• Gas-only transfers that slash fees by 50%+

• LUSD stablecoin for volatility protection

• NFT receipts for verifiable, on-chain proof of purchase

• Master/sub-wallets for enterprise-scale management

• QR-generated crypto POS for instant deployment

• Federal MSB and state MTL compliance for legal protection

• Metaverse-ready infrastructure for future commerce

NOWPayments and CoinPayments built solid payment tools for the 2020s.

Larecoin is building commerce infrastructure for the 2030s.

The merchants who understand this difference? They're the ones who'll lead.

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Ready to see what true self-custody looks like? Explore the Larecoin ecosystem and discover why forward-thinking merchants are making the switch.