Wholly Crypto
Your on-chain wallets. Your keys.
Customer payments arrive in your merchant-controlled wallets. You can recover them with compatible wallet software, without asking a payment provider to release the funds.
SELF-HOSTED OR HOSTED?
Wholly Crypto vs BitPay
BitPay combines crypto acceptance with managed settlement. Wholly Crypto is for merchants who prefer to operate the payment software and retain crypto in their own wallets.
Who controls the keys?
A BitPay balance is not your self-custody wallet.
BitPay’s merchant terms say it temporarily holds ledger funds until settlement. You choose supported payout preferences, but the receiving and settlement process runs through BitPay. You do not control its payment-wallet keys. [3]
Your eventual crypto payout address can be yours. This comparison concerns merchant processing, not BitPay’s separate self-custody wallet app.
| What matters | Wholly Crypto | BitPay |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Your Linux VPS. No Docker required. | Hosted processor with a merchant account. [1] |
| Payment methods | 30 networks, Bitcoin Lightning through LND/NWC and verified tokens. Add supported custom EVM and Solana tokens. | Supported crypto payments with bank, crypto or mixed settlement options. [1] |
| Software fee | Default 1% of the original invoice fiat value, charged from separate prepaid credit. | Published standard tiers: 1–2% + $0.25 per transaction. [2] |
| Receiving funds | Direct to your wallets. Optionally send to Kraken, Binance or Coinbase and convert there. No bank payouts. | Managed settlement to your bank account or chosen crypto wallet. [1] |
| Setup & operation | Licensed binary software. External HTTPS/WSS nodes, projects, stores and wallet tools in one console. | Payment tools, billing and integrations with managed merchant onboarding. [1] |
All options can involve network fees. Self-hosting also needs a server, secure backups and maintenance. Asset counts are not directly comparable: a token is not a separate network.
Bitcoin, with a Lightning option.
Wholly Crypto accepts Lightning through your external LND node or a compatible Nostr Wallet Connect wallet. Enable it per store alongside on-chain Bitcoin. Customers scan a Lightning invoice; settlement does not wait for block confirmations.
Choose your custody model: your own node, managed self-custody or a custodial provider. NWC alone does not tell you who holds the keys. Receiving capacity and separate channel backups matter; sending and refunds stay in the connected wallet. Read the Lightning guide →
Receive crypto. Choose what to keep.
Wholly Crypto can send supported coins and tokens to your Kraken, Binance or Coinbase account, manually or through sweep rules. Choose a direct spot market to convert a credited deposit to fiat or another crypto.
This is optional exchange conversion, not bank settlement. Exchange custody, verification, regional limits, trading fees and network fees apply. Your customer payment still arrives in your wallet first. Exchange features →
When BitPay fits
Choose BitPay if bank settlement, managed onboarding and an established payment-service integration are more important than running your own infrastructure.
When Wholly Crypto fits
Choose Wholly Crypto if you want to manage checkout and wallets yourself, accept across several networks and keep customer payments separate from software fees.
Explore the features →Before you choose
BitPay lists volume-based pricing: 2% + $0.25 below $500,000 monthly, 1.5% + $0.25 up to $999,999, and 1% + $0.25 from $1 million. Higher-risk terms may differ. [1] BitPay pricing ↗ · [2] BitPay processing fee guide ↗ · [3] BitPay merchant settlement terms ↗
Wholly Crypto needs prepaid credit for automation. If it runs out, customer payments and checkout creation continue, but IPN, webhooks, Sweep, new exchange conversions, new projects/stores and installing updates pause. How credits work →
See if it fits your store.
Try the checkout without sending funds, or look through the setup guide.