Lydiam expands from FX brokerage to cross-border payments and digital assets for institutional clients

Lydiam expands from FX brokerage to cross-border payments and digital assets for institutional clients

In a market where clients expect bank-grade reliability and fintech-level speed, Lydiam set out to move beyond foreign exchange. The goal: deliver seamless cross-border payments and a regulated digital asset capability for institutions and high-net-worth clients, without compromising on compliance, security, or trust.

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THE OPPORTUNITY

Expanding from FX into a multi-rail platform for payments and digital assets.

Lydiam operated as an FX broker serving sophisticated clients who increasingly needed faster settlement, broader corridor coverage, and safe access to digital assets. The market was crowded and evolving; regulations for payments and virtual asset service providers were tightening. Clients demanded transparent pricing and 24-hour support. Enterprise buyers required rigorous controls for onboarding, screening, safeguarding, and reporting.

Leadership identified an opportunity to evolve into a multi-product platform that combines cross-border payments with fiat and digital asset rails. The starting point was the idea stage; there was no operating model for a payments and digital asset desk, no licensing path, and no partner network for correspondent banking or institutional liquidity. The company needed a clear strategy, an investable business case, a compliant corporate structure, and a plan to secure licenses, banking, liquidity providers, and trading capability. The challenge was to move from concept to live operations quickly, while keeping governance and client protection at the center.

THE SOLUTION

An end-to-end build, from strategy and licensing to banking connectivity, LP onboarding, and live trading.

Alvren acted as Lydiam’s execution partner for growth. The program began with a structured assessment of business requirements and objectives. Executive interviews, client use-case mapping, and regulatory gap analysis translated ambition into measurable outcomes. A quantified business case followed. Cost–benefit analysis, staged investment, and projected return informed board decisions on scope, sequencing, and risk appetite. These inputs shaped a digital asset strategy aligned with Lydiam’s payments franchise: corridor priorities, target client segments, phased product releases, and positioning that differentiated on speed, control, and service.

Corporate structuring and regulatory readiness ran in parallel. The legal entity map was designed to support payments and virtual asset activities. Responsibilities for boards and control functions were formalized. Licensing pathways were prepared in priority jurisdictions. In-house counsel worked with external specialists to produce policies for know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering (AML), sanctions, Travel Rule compliance, market conduct, and operational resilience. Governance documents set decision rights for risk, treasury, and exceptional approvals, which gave the platform a foundation that scales without ambiguity.

Banking access and infrastructure came next. Correspondent banking and safeguarding arrangements were sourced and negotiated; payment service providers were integrated where appropriate. For market liquidity, the team ran a systematic process to identify tier-one LPs, facilitated commercial negotiations, and managed onboarding to align technical connectivity with regulatory requirements. Integration spanned FIX and API connections, trade capture, middle-office workflows, and settlement. Alvren served as the single point of contact during onboarding, with regular progress reporting and risk tracking.

Trading capability launched with controls embedded from day one. Mandates, pricing and hedging playbooks, counterparty tiers, and credit limits established desk discipline. Pre-trade and post-trade checks, treasury thresholds for hot and cold wallets where relevant, reconciliations, and exception handling ensured orderly operations. Surveillance, maker–checker processes, and a daily control pack gave management the oversight to act quickly when issues arose. To embed capability, Alvren designed and delivered training for front office, risk, compliance, and operations teams, covering market structure, custody models, wallet hygiene, transaction monitoring, and incident response.

Technology enablement supported the operating model. Systems for client onboarding, payment initiation, execution, and settlement were specified and integrated. Data design ensured auditability across KYC, sanctions screening, beneficiary validation, and Travel Rule messaging. Testing progressed through user acceptance and controlled pilot flows before full release. As the platform matured, Alvren provided ongoing optimization for liquidity performance, spread and slippage analysis, alert tuning for compliance tooling, and a steady operating rhythm for change control.

THE IMPACT

Live cross-border and digital asset operations, institutional governance, and capacity to scale.

Lydiam moved from concept to live operations and now runs a regulated cross-border payments and digital assets desk. The platform processes eight-figure monthly volume and delivers same-day settlement across more than 40 corridors. Tier-one banking relationships and LPs are live across the US, EU, UK, APAC, and MENA. Institutional OTC trading operates under documented playbooks with defined limits, treasury governance, and reconciliation discipline, which gives clients confidence in execution and safeguarding.

The organization strengthened its capabilities and control environment. Corporate structure, licensing pathways, and policy frameworks are in place. Staff across front office, risk, and operations are trained on roles, systems, and incident procedures. The technology stack integrates onboarding, screening, execution, and settlement, with a complete data trail for audit and regulatory engagement. Management receives regular dashboards on volumes, liquidity performance, exceptions, and client satisfaction, which supports faster decisions and continuous improvement.

Commercial traction improved as the proposition expanded. Clients that previously used FX alone now consolidate cross-border and digital asset needs in a single relationship. Faster settlement, broader corridor coverage, and reliable access to institutional liquidity reduced operational friction. Together, these outcomes position the company to compete with larger incumbents while maintaining the agility and service quality of a modern fintech.

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