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Protocol Building 2023–present

ClearChain

Blockchain settlement layer for cross-border payment networks. Reduces FX settlement from T+2 to near real-time using a multi-chain liquidity mesh.

Cross-border payment settlement is architecturally broken. The correspondent banking model routes value through chains of intermediary banks, each holding nostro accounts in foreign currencies, each adding latency and cost. For a payment from Singapore to Brazil, value might touch 4-5 banks before arriving — taking 2-5 business days and costing 2-4% in aggregate fees.

ClearChain is an on-chain settlement layer designed to replace the correspondent banking leg of cross-border settlement for payment networks, fintechs, and banks.

The Core Mechanism

Rather than routing through correspondent banks, participating institutions pre-fund liquidity positions in a smart contract-based settlement pool. When a payment is initiated:

  1. The sending institution’s liquidity position is debited in the origin currency
  2. The receiving institution’s position is credited in the destination currency
  3. FX conversion happens atomically using on-chain liquidity pools
  4. Settlement is final in ~10 seconds

The net effect: T+2 becomes T+0. The 2-4% correspondent fee becomes a 0.1-0.3% liquidity fee. The settlement is transparent and auditable by both parties.

Technical Architecture

Multi-chain liquidity mesh — liquidity pools exist on multiple EVM chains (currently Ethereum, Base, Polygon). Cross-chain liquidity is bridged using a trust-minimized bridge with optimistic security assumptions and a 30-minute fraud proof window for large transfers.

USDC as the settlement asset — all settlement flows through USDC, eliminating intra-settlement FX risk. FX conversion happens at the edges (local currency → USDC on the sending side, USDC → local currency on the receiving side).

Compliance layer — on-chain compliance checks run before settlement authorization. Sanctions screening, transaction limits, and counterparty whitelisting are enforced at the contract level.

Permissioned participant model — institutions must be KYB-verified and approved to participate. Not a public DeFi protocol — a permissioned network with institutional participants.

Status

Currently in private beta with three payment network participants across two corridors (US-Philippines, Singapore-Indonesia). Processing a growing share of our cross-corridor settlement volume.