Metallicus Ecosystem Explained: XPR Network, Metal Blockchain, WebAuth Wallet, & More

Most crypto projects go for speed, yield, or the next big DeFi trend. Metallicus has aimed at something different since day one: bringing blockchain into the world of regulated finance.

Founded in 2016 by Marshall Hayner, the U.S.-based fintech has a bold mission: to build a Digital Asset Banking Network. 

In practice, that means creating blockchain infrastructure that feels as easy to use as a fintech app, while still checking the boxes regulators and banks demand. Over the past few years, that mission has been growing into a full ecosystem. 

Today, Metallicus runs two major blockchains

• XPR Network
• Metal Blockchain

And it supports them with products like the WebAuth Wallet and the Metal Pay app. 

On top of that, Metallicus has become one of the first blockchain companies officially linked to the Federal Reserve’s instant payment system, FedNow.

In this article, I’ll break down each part of the Metallicus ecosystem: what it is, how it works, and why it matters for both crypto users and the traditional financial system.

XPR Network: Free, fast, and built for compliance

The XPR Network didn’t start with that name. Back in 2020, it launched as Proton. By 2024, it had grown beyond its original vision, and the rebrand to XPR made sense. Same chain, bigger ambition.

So what’s special about it? Speed, simplicity, and inherent compliance.

• @names instead of addresses. No copy-pasting a string of random characters. You can send funds to @john or @sarah. It feels more like Venmo than Ethereum.
• No gas fees. Every transaction is free for the end user. Costs are covered by staking resources like CPU, NET, and RAM.
• Identity on-chain. XPR comes with built-in KYC and identity verification. That makes it far more palatable for businesses and regulators than a “wild west” blockchain, especially with new U.S. crypto regulatory recommendations.
• Serious throughput. Over 4,000 transactions per second. That’s Visa-level speed, but on a decentralized network.

And then there’s XPR crypto itself. It’s the native coin, used for staking, governance, and powering those resource allocations that replace gas fees. Holders have a say in where the network goes next.

Where does it all come together? Payments that settle instantly. 

• DeFi apps like Metal X, which run without charging users a cent in gas
• NFT markets where minting doesn’t feel like a tax
• Identity-based applications that can operate in a fully compliant environment

In short, XPR is trying to make crypto feel like a fintech app (fast, free, and simple) while still staying decentralized.

Metal Blockchain: A layer-0 built for banks and builders

If XPR Network is the friendly front-end of the Metallicus world, Metal Blockchain is the heavy-duty back-end.

Launched in 2022, it’s a Layer-0 chain that’s built as a fork of Avalanche. It’s designed with scalability and compliance at its core. 

Think of it as the infrastructure layer where entire new blockchains (called subnets) can run in parallel. Each subnet can crank out around 4,500 transactions per second, and multiple subnets can run at once. The idea: near-infinite scale.

How it works:

• Proof-of-Stake validators. Running a node takes 2,000 $METAL, and those validators secure the network while earning rewards.
• Bridges built in. Metal Blockchain connects directly with XPR Network, so assets can move between the two chains without friction.
• Compliance first. This isn’t a “move fast and break things” chain. It was built for fintechs, banks, and regulated businesses that need reliable, transparent infrastructure, especially following the SEC rollback of barriers for crypto and banks.

And then there’s the METAL token. It’s the backbone of the chain, used for staking, governance, and rewarding validators who keep the system running.

So what’s the endgame here?

Banks could spin up their own subnets to issue stablecoins. Enterprises could deploy apps in a compliant environment without worrying about scaling limits. And with interoperability baked in, Metal Blockchain acts like the glue that ties the whole Metallicus ecosystem together.

The point is this: XPR makes crypto feel easy for users, while Metal Blockchain gives institutions the muscle they need to join in.

WebAuth Wallet: Making crypto feel like a fintech app

Every ecosystem needs a front door. For Metallicus, that door is the WebAuth Wallet.

This definitely isn’t your typical crypto wallet. WebAuth was built to strip away the friction that makes even the best crypto wallets intimidating. 

No fiddling with gas fees, no endless copy-pasting of 42-character addresses, no wondering if your funds will vanish into the void. Instead, it feels closer to opening a mobile banking app than diving into a DeFi dashboard.

What makes it different

• One account, two chains. A single sign-up gives you linked accounts on both XPR Network and Metal Blockchain. One recovery phrase covers them all. It’s easier, less hassle, and less chance of losing access.
• Usernames, not hashes. Just like XPR itself, WebAuth lets you send funds to your friend @maria instead of your friend 0x928j8vn93v28viw172h3v49. That small change removes one of the biggest pain points in crypto: human error.
• Biometric security. Keys are stored in your phone’s secure enclave, never exposed. You log in with Face ID or a fingerprint, the same way you’d open a banking app.
• No gas fees. Transfers between WebAuth users on XPR cost nothing. That makes it one of the only wallets where you don’t need to keep a stash of tokens just to cover transaction costs.

More than storage

WebAuth serves as a sort of gateway to Metallicus’s ecosystem:

• Staking with a tap. Instead of going through command-line interfaces or third-party apps, users can stake METAL coins directly from the wallet.
• Trading is built in. The wallet plugs directly into Metal X, the decentralized exchange running on XPR. Swaps, lending, and borrowing all happen inside the app with no gas fees.
  Cross-chain made simple. WebAuth supports wrapped assets like BTC, ETH, and USDC. Once you bridge them onto XPR, they behave like native tokens inside the wallet, moving instantly and without fees.

Why it matters

• For beginners, WebAuth lowers the barrier to entry. Most crypto wallets, like MetaMask or Phantom, still expect users to understand networks, gas, and token approvals. WebAuth hides that complexity. Sending $20 to a friend feels just like sending money on Venmo or Cash App, but it’s happening on-chain.
• For advanced users, it still packs the power of DeFi. You can trade, stake, and bridge without ever leaving the app, a model that aligns with Powell’s comments on crypto banking and stablecoins. And because transactions on XPR are free, strategies that would be unprofitable on Ethereum (like frequent small trades) suddenly make sense.

In practice, WebAuth is the connective tissue that makes Metallicus usable. Without it, XPR and Metal Blockchain would feel like raw infrastructure. With it, the whole system feels more like a polished fintech platform. And it just happens to be powered by crypto rails.

Metal Pay: Fiat meets crypto

If WebAuth is the wallet that ties the ecosystem together, Metal Pay is the bridge to traditional money.

Launched as one of Metallicus’s first products, Metal Pay is a regulated payments app available in the U.S. It looks and feels like a typical fintech app. 

It’s closer to Cash App than a DeFi interface. But under the hood, it’s linked directly to the company’s blockchain infrastructure.

What it does

• Buy and sell crypto. Users can purchase digital assets with a debit card or bank account, and cash out when they want.
• Send money to friends. Transfers work with simple usernames, not wallet addresses, so moving $50 in Bitcoin or USDC can be as easy as sending a message.
• Recurring purchases. The app supports dollar-cost averaging strategies for people who want steady exposure without timing the market.

Compliance first

Metal Pay is fully regulated in the U.S. It operates as a money services business (MSB) and requires full KYC verification. 

That makes it slower to start than a non-custodial wallet, but it also gives it a level of legitimacy most crypto apps can’t claim. 

Role in the ecosystem

Metal Pay functions as the fiat on-and-off-ramp for the entire Metallicus stack. A user can buy Bitcoin or XPR with a debit card in Metal Pay, then move it into WebAuth or onto XPR Network without touching a third-party exchange.

This direct connection between dollars and decentralized networks is at the core of Metallicus: crypto tools that can plug into the financial system without feeling like a workaround.

FedNow and real-world adoption

Most blockchains talk about bridging into traditional finance. Metallicus actually did it.

In 2024, the company became one of the first crypto firms certified as a FedNow Service Provider. FedNow is the U.S. Federal Reserve’s instant payment system. Essentially, a way for banks to move dollars in real time, 24/7. 

For Metallicus, integration meant that its blockchain infrastructure could plug directly into one of the most important payment rails in the country.

Why it matters

For banks, FedNow is all about speed. Instead of waiting hours or days for ACH transfers to clear, payments can settle in seconds. 

By connecting Metal Blockchain and XPR Network to that system, Metallicus acts as a bridge between regulated banking and crypto rails. It’s in lone with broader moves like proposals to simplify crypto ETF listings.

A credit union, for example, could use Metallicus technology to issue a stablecoin on a Metal subnet while still linking back to the FedNow system for U.S. dollar settlement.

Partnerships beyond FedNow

Metallicus has also worked to integrate with existing fintech infrastructure:

• Fiserv: a major payments processor, tied to debit card and ACH on-ramps.
• Jack Henry & Temenos: banking software providers that give smaller banks and credit unions access to Metallicus’s blockchain tech without building it from scratch.

These connections matter because they show Metallicus isn’t only chasing retail adoption. The company is building relationships with the systems that banks already use. It lowers the barrier for institutions to test blockchain tools.

The bigger picture

Let me be clear. The FedNow integration doesn’t mean consumers are suddenly buying coffee with XPR. But it does signal a direction.

Metallicus wants its blockchains to be seen as compliance-friendly financial infrastructure, not just another playground for speculative tokens. That’s a different approach from many crypto projects. And it could pay off if regulators push for clearer rules on how banks handle digital assets.

The bottom line

The Metallicus ecosystem is a stack of products, not a single one:

• XPR Network
• Metal Blockchain
• WebAuth Wallet
• Metal Pay
• FedNow integration

Taken together, these pieces form what the company calls a Digital Asset Banking Network. An attempt to merge the usability of consumer fintech with the transparency and security of blockchain.

For now, Metallicus sits in an interesting spot: not as big as Coinbase, not as simple as Cash App, but building out an ecosystem where crypto rails and banking rails can finally meet. 

If adoption follows, the bet is that users won’t need to know what subnet they’re on, or what consensus mechanism is running in the background.