1Konto

1Konto is an institutional-grade settlement platform that replaces correspondent-banking and SWIFT-based workflows with stablecoin rails, delivering real-time cross-border payments, multi-currency FX conversion, OTC liquidity, and Bitcoin-backed lending through a single unified account and API. The name derives from the German phrase for "one account" — a founding design principle of consolidating access to multiple liquidity pools and payment rails without requiring institutions to maintain separate banking relationships for each currency corridor.

Founding and Background

The company was founded in 2018 by Edwin Handschuh (CEO) and Michael Handschuh and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. Edwin spent over eight years as a financial consultant at Wells Fargo advising corporations and high-net-worth individuals on asset management and retirement planning. The decision to build 1Konto came from direct experience: while attempting to invest in a cryptocurrency, Edwin found the process opaque and cumbersome — spending hours on a single trade, missing the opportunity, and ultimately losing money. That friction pointed to a broader institutional gap: there was no single account that consolidated access to multiple digital asset liquidity venues with competitive pricing and professional execution.

1KPrime: The Flagship Platform

1Konto's core product is 1KPrime, a settlement and payments platform designed for institutional counterparties. It offers three access channels — a web dashboard, a single REST API, and a white-glove OTC desk — allowing institutions to integrate at whatever level of automation their operations require.

At the core of 1KPrime is a "stablecoin sandwich" model. When an institution instructs a cross-border transfer, the platform automatically routes the transaction over stablecoin rails: it converts the originating fiat to a stablecoin such as USDC, transmits across the chosen blockchain network, and reconverts to the destination fiat currency — all while maintaining fiat endpoints for both sender and receiver. The digital asset leg is abstracted from the counterparty. Supported settlement networks include Ethereum, Solana, and Stellar, giving clients flexibility over which chain to route the transaction through.

This model replaces traditional SWIFT correspondent chains, where institutional transfers routinely take two to five business days and accumulate fees at each intermediary hop. 1KPrime targets settlement in under one hour at fixed, transparent spreads.

Services

Stablecoin on/off-ramps — Institutions convert between stablecoins and fiat with same-day settlement. 1Konto is a Circle Alliance partner, giving it direct access to USDC and EURC for fiat on/off-ramp operations. The full currency roster includes USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, MXN, NZD, SEK, ZAR, BRL, COP, and ARS, delivered via local payment rails with transparent FX spreads.

Deep liquidity trading — High-notional OTC trades execute across stablecoin and major fiat pairs. 1Konto pre-positions liquidity so that large institutional orders complete with zero slippage and fixed fees, with execution available 24/7.

Multi-currency settlement coordination — Rather than requiring clients to pre-fund accounts in each destination currency, 1Konto coordinates multi-rail settlement directly into the client's chosen custody provider, wallet infrastructure, or banking partner.

Bitcoin-backed lending — Institutional clients can post BTC as collateral and draw stablecoin-denominated credit lines within hours. LTV ratios run between 65% and 75%, with no rehypothecation, a dedicated wallet address per collateral position, and automated margin safeguards operating around the clock.

Clients and Geographic Reach

1Konto serves banks, custodians, broker-dealers, OTC desks, funds, family offices, payment service providers, and corporate treasuries. Geographic coverage extends across North America, Latin America, APAC, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.

Traction and Recognition

As of 2025, 1Konto has processed over $3.5 billion in transaction volume across 80+ institutional counterparties, with revenue increasing more than 7.4x year-over-year. The company has raised approximately $3.93 million in total funding from investors including Terra Crypto Capital and Commerce Ventures.

In 2025, 1Konto won the Fintech Meetup Pitch Competition in Las Vegas, receiving a $50,000 investment from Commerce Ventures. The competition panel included judges from J.P. Morgan, Mastercard, and Goodwin Law.

Solana Integration

Solana is one of three settlement networks 1Konto currently supports as a source or destination chain alongside Ethereum and Stellar. Institutions can select Solana as the stablecoin transport layer when routing the middle leg of a cross-border payment through 1KPrime, taking advantage of Solana's low transaction fees and fast finality to reduce the cost and latency of the blockchain hop between fiat endpoints.