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 email
phone:+1234567890 — wallet linked to phone
userId:abc123 — wallet linked to your app's user ID
0x... — 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

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