crossmint Crossmint Knowledge Base
What is Crossmint?
Crossmint is a blockchain infrastructure company that abstracts away the complexity of web3. It lets developers add wallets, payments, and token functionality to apps without requiring users to understand crypto, hold native tokens, or manage private keys.
Founded: 2021
Headquarters: Miami, FL
Focus: Enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure for developers
Core Philosophy
Crossmint believes blockchain adoption is held back by complexity, not capability. Their approach:
- Fiat-first: Users can participate in web3 without ever touching cryptocurrency
- Gas abstraction: Crossmint sponsors gas fees so users don't need native tokens
- Email/phone wallets: Users get wallets tied to identifiers they already have
- Compliance built-in: Money movement includes KYC/AML automatically
Products
Smart Wallets
Non-custodial wallets that users control via email, phone, passkeys, or social login. No seed phrases. Crossmint never has access to user funds.
- Use case: Any app that wants to give users a wallet without the UX friction
- Chains: EVM (Ethereum, Polygon, Base, etc.), Solana, Stellar
- Key feature: Users can recover wallets via their email/phone — no seed phrase backup needed
Checkout
Accept payments for anything — physical goods, digital items, NFTs, tokens — via credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or crypto.
- Use case: Selling NFTs, accepting crypto payments, e-commerce with crypto option
- Key feature: Automatic currency conversion, fraud protection, global coverage
Minting API
Create NFT collections and mint tokens programmatically. No smart contract deployment needed.
- Use case: Loyalty programs, ticketing, digital collectibles, credentials
- Key feature: Crossmint handles contract deployment, metadata hosting, and gas
Stablecoin Orchestration
Move USDC and other stablecoins globally with built-in compliance (KYC, AML, sanctions screening, travel rule).
- Use case: Cross-border payments, treasury management, payroll
- Key feature: Compliance is automatic — Crossmint blocks non-compliant transfers
AI Agent Commerce
Infrastructure for AI agents to make purchases on behalf of users. Agents can access delegated payment methods and buy from Amazon, Shopify, or any e-commerce site.
- Use case: AI assistants that can shop for users
- Key feature: Users delegate payment authority; agents handle the rest
Verifiable Credentials
Issue tamper-proof digital credentials (diplomas, certifications, memberships) as NFTs.
- Use case: Education, professional certifications, membership programs
- Key feature: Credentials are verifiable on-chain but human-readable
Supported Chains
| Chain Type | Networks |
|---|---|
| EVM | Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, BSC, Avalanche, Zora, Shape |
| Solana | Mainnet, Devnet |
| Stellar | Mainnet (USDC focus) |
| Testnets | Available for all supported chains |
How Crossmint Compares
| vs. | Crossmint's Difference |
|---|---|
| Thirdweb | More focus on payments/checkout; less on contract tooling |
| Alchemy | Higher-level abstractions; less node infrastructure focus |
| Magic/Privy | Broader product suite beyond just auth (checkout, minting, stablecoins) |
| Stripe | Web3-native; supports NFTs, tokens, and on-chain settlement |
| Circle | Developer tooling on top of USDC, not just the stablecoin itself |
Key Concepts
Wallet Locators
Crossmint uses "locators" to reference wallets flexibly:
email:user@example.com— wallet linked to emailphone:+1234567890— wallet linked to phoneuserId:abc123— wallet linked to your app's user ID0x...— direct wallet address
Environments
- Staging: For testing with testnets (free, no real money)
- Production: For mainnet (requires business verification)
Gas Sponsorship
Crossmint pays gas fees on behalf of users. Developers don't need to manage gas tokens or worry about fee estimation.
Custodial vs Non-Custodial
- Custodial: Crossmint holds keys (simpler, but Crossmint has access)
- Non-custodial (Smart Wallets): User controls keys via MPC — Crossmint never has full access
Common Questions
Q: Does Crossmint charge gas fees to developers?
A: No. Gas is included in Crossmint's pricing. Users and developers don't manage gas.
Q: Can users export their wallet to MetaMask?
A: Smart Wallets are non-custodial but use MPC, so there's no single private key to export. Users control their wallet via their auth method (email, passkey, etc.).
Q: What's the pricing model?
A: Usage-based. Free tier available. Paid plans based on API calls, transactions, and features.
Q: Is Crossmint compliant for money transmission?
A: For stablecoin orchestration, Crossmint partners with licensed entities and handles compliance (KYC/AML/travel rule) automatically.
Q: Which chains should I use?
A: Base or Polygon for low-cost EVM. Solana for high-throughput. Stellar for stablecoin-focused use cases.
Resources
- Documentation: https://docs.crossmint.com
- LLM-optimized docs: https://docs.crossmint.com/llms.txt
- API Reference: https://docs.crossmint.com/api-reference
- GitHub: https://github.com/crossmint
- GOAT SDK (for AI agents): https://github.com/crossmint/goat-sdk