Tangem Expands Visa Card Rollout as Crypto Access Gaps Persist

Tangem announced a physical Visa card for purchases and ATM withdrawals on Oct. 7, expanding its self-custodial payment service as card availability remains limited in roughly 20 countries.

The initial release is capped at 5,000 cards. Users can fund the card directly from a self-custodial wallet and move funds back to that wallet if the card is suspended or closed.

More than 40% of Tangem Pay payments come from Latin America, while more than 30% come from the United States. Demand can be stronger in markets where distribution is limited, but access depends on more than interest in crypto-linked payments.

“It is not simply a question of where people want crypto cards,” said Andrey Ilinskiy, head of Tangem Pay. “It is where demand, regulation, banking infrastructure and card-issuing requirements happen to line up — and today, those maps do not always overlap.”

Physical Tangem Pay cards are currently unavailable in about 20 countries, including China, Russia, North Korea and Palestine. Know Your Customer requirements, sanctions, local banking rules and card-issuing compliance can determine availability, and the restrictions do not necessarily mirror rules governing crypto itself.

“The same conditions that can create demand for crypto as an alternative financial rail can make regulated card issuance more difficult,” Tangem said.

The company is also adding cashback in Circle’s USDC stablecoin. Basic users will receive 1% on eligible purchases, while Plus users will receive 2%.

Tangem plans to showcase the first physical Tangem Pay cards at Token2049 in Singapore. The launch adds another option to the expanding range of crypto-linked card products available to users in supported markets.