Know what the US requires before you build for it.
A 60-day assessment for international fintech and payment companies entering the US. We map your flow of funds, identify what US counterparties will actually require of your model, and scope the program before you commit to a structure you have to unwind.
The misconception
Most companies treat US entry as a legal structuring problem.
Incorporate, register, get licensed, go.
Structure is the easy part. Deals die later, at the counterparty review, when a US bank or processor sends a question set that tests operations rather than paperwork. By then the product is built, the corridor is live, and the fixes are expensive.
The US will not ask you about your certificate of incorporation. It will ask you about your customers, your counterparties, and how money actually moves.
When to run this
You are setting up a US entity or signing a US partner
A US processor or bank has asked for your compliance program
You are moving US dollars, or serving US customers, or both
You are raising from US investors and diligence has surfaced AML questions
You have an LOI or a term sheet contingent on compliance posture
What you get
Flow of Funds Map
How money actually moves through your business. Entities, counterparties, currencies, corridors, and every point where a US touchpoint creates a US obligation. This is the document everything else derives from, and most companies have never had one drawn.
US Counterparty Question Set
What a US bank, processor, or investor will ask you, specific to your model, with your current answer to each one written down next to it.
Entity and Licensing Assessment
Which US registrations, state licenses, or partner structures your model actually triggers. Equally important: which ones it does not, so you stop paying for advice on obligations you do not have.
US Program Build Plan
The AML, sanctions, onboarding, monitoring, and governance components you need, scoped and sequenced, sized to your actual volume rather than to a template.
Partner-Facing Readiness Pack
The documentation set a US counterparty expects to receive, prepared to the standard they review it at.
Executive Briefing
A working session with founders and leadership, held in the working language of your team.
How it runs
Weeks 1 and 2: Discovery.
Product, customers, countries, currencies, entities, counterparties, and implementation capacity. We start with the business, not with a regulatory checklist.
Weeks 3 to 5: Assessment.
Licensing and registration analysis, counterparty question set, and gap testing against your current program.
Weeks 6 to 8: Build plan and delivery.
Program scope, sequencing, documentation pack, and the executive briefing.
Corridors
We work globally. Two corridors have dedicated practice depth.
Price
US Entry Readiness. 60 days. From $25,000.
Fixed scope, fixed duration, quoted before we start.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a US entity?
Yes. Most states require a US-incorporated entity to hold an MTL. We can advise on entity structure but don't provide legal incorporation services.
Can we start with just a few states?
Absolutely. Many international fintechs start with 5-10 strategic states and expand over time. We help you prioritize based on your target market and growth plans.
What about federal registration?
MSBs must register with FinCEN at the federal level. This is separate from state licensing and is typically straightforward. The Entity and Licensing Assessment covers both, so you know which registrations your model actually triggers before you file anything.
How long does state licensing take?
Varies significantly: some states approve in a couple of months, others take 12 or more. New York is notably slow, and a BitLicense does not replace money transmission licensing: NYDFS says it does not replace any other license required under New York law, and that BitLicensees transmitting fiat currency need a money transmission license under Banking Law Article 13-B. If you touch virtual currency, that is two New York applications, not one. The US Program Build Plan sequences that work against your priorities and your volume.
Who we will not work with
We are not a fit where a company wants to present a picture of its business that is not accurate, avoid scrutiny rather than withstand it, keep fund flows opaque, or receive a guarantee of an outcome.
We do not guarantee bank access, licensing outcomes, regulatory decisions, or timelines.
You will know what the US actually requires.
You will know what it does not, and what it will cost in time and money to be ready. Before you build.
We do not guarantee bank access, licensing outcomes, regulatory decisions, or timelines.
Schedule a readiness call