SecondFi, the self-custodial neofinance platform from EMURGO, a co-founding entity of the Cardano blockchain, announced a deepened partnership with Wirex, the global digital payments platform trusted by over 7 million users across 130 countries. Together, they will launch SecondFi's first-ever self-custodial card that enables users to spend directly from their own wallets while retaining full control of their funds at all times.

The partnership builds on the first phase of the collaboration, in which EMURGO launched the Cardano Card with Wirex as the card issuer at the Cardano Summit 2025, a fully custodial solution that saw strong early adoption and represented Cardano's largest entry into digital payments. Following the launch, the Cardano community delivered clear and consistent feedback: they wanted the same seamless spending experience, but with true self-custody. That demand became the catalyst for this next chapter. In partnership with Wirex, that self-custodial card experience launches under its newly announced SecondFi, expanding from a single card product into a full-service financial platform where users never have to deposit their funds with a third party in order to spend their money.

The self-custodial card is natively integrated into the SecondFi app, where users can spend, trade, earn, and save from a single account. With Wirex as the card issuer and a principal member of both Visa and Mastercard, the card is accepted at merchants worldwide making crypto and stablecoins spendable anywhere, instantly and effortlessly.

What Can Self-Custody Cardholders Do?
With Wirex's infrastructure powering the card, SecondFi cardholders will be able to spend seamlessly at any merchant where Visa is accepted offline and online using ADA, BTC, ETH, USDC, stablecoins, and hundreds of other digital and traditional assets, all while keeping funds in their own wallets until the moment of transaction. Cardholders will also earn crypto cashback on purchases, access low foreign exchange fees and global ATM withdrawals, and unlock DeFi utilities including yield, staking, and borrowing services all from within the SecondFi app.

A Critical Moment for Global Finance
The launch comes at a critical inflection point for global finance. As stablecoin circulation surpasses $300 billion, demand is surging for reliable, borderless financial tools—particularly in emerging markets across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa, where access to stable currencies and basic banking services remains constrained. An estimated 1.4 billion people globally remain outside the formal financial system. With over 820 million active crypto wallets and 31 million wallets already being used for day-to-day payments, there is a large and growing market of crypto-native consumers ready to spend—if given the right products.