Tria’s $20 Million Beta Success: Transforming On-Chain Finance

In just three months, Tria, a self-custodial neobank based on BestPath AVS, has successfully processed $20 million in on-chain transactions, outperforming its early competitors by a remarkable 13 times. With over 50,000 users and the capability for seamless cross-chain payments, CEO Vijit Katta discusses how Tria is revolutionizing digital asset banking and contributing to a user-controlled financial future.

Key Takeaways

Tria has achieved $20 million in on-chain transaction volume during its beta phase, far surpassing its competitors.
The platform offers simplicity and a broad range of asset options for everyday spending without the typical complexities of crypto transactions.
User engagement has soared due to innovative marketing and the removal of operational friction in real-world on-chain asset usage.
Tria is positioned as a self-custodial platform that allows users complete control over their digital assets, contrasting with traditional banking methods.

Tria's $20m beta surge: How a self-custodial neobank is redefining onchain finance - 1

Understanding Tria's Achievement

Record-Breaking On-Chain Volume

During its closed beta phase, Tria processed $20 million in on-chain volume—13 times more than EtherFi's similar card during the same period. What has driven this exceptional early adoption?

Vijit Katta: The keys to our success have been simplicity and a wide range of options. Many crypto cards limit users to specific spending routes or cumbersome account setups that hinder daily use. Tria facilitates everyday spending on a larger scale, allowing users to top up with over 1,000 assets and use it as a traditional bank card in more than 150 countries where Visa or Mastercard is accepted.

Organic Growth and Strategic Promotions

Tria reached its first $1 million daily spending milestone on November 19. Was this driven by organic user growth or specific promotional efforts?

Katta: It was a mix of both. As more users adopted Tria as their go-to card, we also implemented targeted campaigns to drive engagement. For example, during the holiday season, we introduced Tria Treasure, where we offered a daily purchase refund. This initiative effectively boosted user activity and retention.

Growing Acceptance of On-Chain Assets

Why do you think there is increasing readiness among consumers to use on-chain assets for real-world purchases?

Katta: The experience has become much more seamless. Users are no longer required to manage complex tasks like bridging or gas fees to make purchases. With Tria, everything—from topping up your account to spending—is simplified, and our system handles cross-chain transactions invisibly. Lower fees compared to traditional cards also incentivize users to make the switch.

Achieving Seamless Cross-Chain Execution

Tria manages automatic cross-chain transactions without the need for bridges or gas prompts. What challenges did you face in building this feature?

Katta: The biggest challenge was ensuring reliable payment execution while managing complex cross-chain interactions. Transforming a user action into smooth, gasless transactions across various ecosystems isn't merely an engineering issue but involves economic, security, and coordination hurdles. Each blockchain has its own unique characteristics like varying finality times and fee structures, making it tough to provide a self-custodial service that operates flawlessly across all platforms.

Simplifying Self-Custodial Banking

Self-custody can be daunting for mainstream users. How does Tria make this experience accessible and secure?

Katta: We designed Tria primarily as a modern banking app, not just a Web3 product. Our users maintain control; they hold the keys and can manage their assets independently. Tria provides an intuitive interface for spending, earning, and trading while keeping the user in control of their assets.

High User Engagement

Tria has over 50,000 users and 5,000 engaged ambassadors for such an early product. What insights about user behavior have you gathered?

Katta: Users have desired real-world utility for on-chain assets for years, but previous products were too cumbersome. When presented with an easy, transparent, and empowering option, users don’t just try it—they adopt it into their daily lives. Our ambassadors are engaged not due to hype but because the product fosters habits worth sharing.

Vijit Katta, co-founder and CEO of Tria

Investor Interest and Market Trends

Your latest round attracted $66.7 million in commitments for a modest $1 million allocation with over 4,500 applicants. What does this oversubscription indicate about the future of on-chain finance?

Katta: This reflects a market pivot towards utility. While stablecoins have shown viability, users now crave a broader financial product that allows them to stay self-custodial while spending, trading, and earning—all in one place. That’s our vision, and the level of demand highlights the readiness of the market for functional on-chain finance.

Differentiating Tria from Traditional Crypto Offerings

What sets Tria apart from other crypto cards and neobanks like Coinbase Card or Wirex?

Katta: Unlike typical crypto cards, Tria is a fully self-custodial execution layer. It’s designed from the ground up to convert on-chain assets into real-world spending without the need for bridging or custody handover. The BestPath technology intelligently routes transactions, allowing users to pay just as they would with any regular card—without gas fees or loss of control.

The true innovation lies in our infrastructure. We provide an underlying ecosystem that supports not just payments but also trading, lending, and earning, differentiating us from conventional crypto cards.

Scaling Globally with User Control

How does Tria plan to expand globally while keeping users in control of their assets and avoiding traditional custodial models?

Katta: Our approach to scaling involves maintaining a consistent, reliable product while tailoring our offerings to local markets. Although spending habits and regulations differ, the demand for global access and user control is universal. We plan to expand into new countries rapidly while ensuring self-custodial principles and a high-quality user experience. We are launching in three new countries this week: Argentina, the UK, and Nigeria.

The Future of On-Chain Banking

Your early success suggests that on-chain banking might finally reach mainstream acceptance. What does this mean for consumer finance in the near future?

Katta: This means that the standard financial experience will become more open, programmable, and affordable. On-chain platforms have the potential to decrease friction and costs, broaden access to markets, and empower users with greater ownership of their finances. In the next five years, we envision Tria as the leading on-chain consumer finance platform, accessible to everyone, not just cryptocurrency enthusiasts.