Case study

HedgeGuard streamlines international freelancer payments with Fipto

Challenge

Optimising global freelancer payments with lengthy settlement times, complex currency conversion flows, and excessive paperwork.

Results

HedgeGuard's global payments are now settled within hours—down from 4+ days—with reduced paperwork and costs via Fipto's all-in-one solution.

4+
Days saved on freelancer payments which are now settled within hours.
HedgeGuard is a leading fintech firm providing portfolio management systems.
Industry
Financial services
Use Case
Cross-border payments in stablecoins
Currencies
EUR, USD, USDT
The challenge

Paying freelancers globally without delays

HedgeGuard, founded in 2012, is a financial solutions provider helping fund managers optimise their operations by providing a digital asset management platform. HedgeGuard works with crypto funds, hedge funds, asset management companies, and family offices; offering tailored tools for every growth stage.

HedgeGuard operates globally, with offices in Ireland and France, as well as remote freelancers. While acting as a cornerstone for the company’s operational efficiency, having many international workers poses some challenges when it comes to managing global payments, typically:

• Maintaining transparency and control
• Avoiding delays and minimising transfer times
• Offering freelancers flexibility while reducing administrative overhead

One major pain point was the heavy administrative burden, which could delay freelancer payments by up to 10 days. Frustrated by these delays, more freelancers began requesting payments in stablecoins, managing currency conversion themselves.

"Before, paying my freelancers from EUR to USD was taking me up to 10 days due to the overload of paperwork and transaction delays between intermediaries. Today, with Fipto, I can cut this down to a few hours, as everything is managed on the same platform."
Imad Wardé, CEO, HedgeGuard

At the time, HedgeGuard used a hybrid system—converting EUR to USDT via a traditional bank combined with a crypto exchange:

Day 1
Freelancer invoices in USD, and HedgeGuard requests a EUR to USD conversion from its bank.
Day 4-5
Funds are converted to USD and transferred to a crypto exchange, after signing an approval form with the bank.
Day 6
HedgeGuard converts USD to USDT on the crypto exchange and sends the payout to the freelancer’s wallet within minutes.

While this new payment flow improved upon traditional fiat settlements, it remained largely unoptimised for HedgeGuard and its freelancers.

The solution

Fipto's streamlined cross-border payments

To optimise settlement times and manage both fiat and digital currencies more efficiently, HedgeGuard adopted Fipto. Fipto is a business account that allows users to store, convert, send, and receive euros, stablecoins, and cryptocurrencies in one place.
‍
Imad also values Fipto’s status as a French startup with VASP registration (France and Luxembourg) and the expertise of its founders, Patrick Mollard (CEO), Gregoire Andrieu-Guitrancourt (CRO), and Bertrand Godin (COO), all veterans of the global payments ecosystem.

HedgeGuard’s account was opened quickly, with dedicated support from a Key Account Manager. With Fipto, HedgeGuard can now pay freelancers globally in minutes:

• Euros can be deposited using their Fipto IBAN, either from another bank account or by receiving client payments.
• They can instantly convert euros to USDT or other currencies in-app.
• Stablecoin payments allow for fast, low-cost global settlements.
"I can use Fipto to receive funds from my bank, but what's huge is that I can also receive payments from my customers. This was simply not possible on an exchange, where you have to prove the funds are sent from an account that your company owns."
Imad Wardé, CEO, HedgeGuard

Additional features like wallet whitelisting, user roles, and accountant access simplify collaboration and fund management, enabling HedgeGuard to handle everything under one platform—saving time, energy, and money.

The Benefits

Streamlined operations and cost savings

By implementing Fipto, HedgeGuard has experienced numerous benefits:

Faster payments
Freelancers are paid within hours, down from a 4+ days wait.
Simplified processes
Paperwork and manual steps for receiving, converting, and sending funds have been eliminated.
Lower costs
With Fipto, HedgeGuard no longer needs a bank and a crypto exchange to on-ramp funds and process global payments saving on both subscription fees and conversion fees.
Unified financial management
HedgeGuard now handles all financial operations—fiat and digital—through a single platform.
"Using Fipto represents a triple win for me: I save a lot of time on payment operations, I cut down the hassle of paperwork to move my funds, and I significantly reduce my transaction fees."
Imad Wardé, CEO, HedgeGuard

Fipto’s solution has allowed HedgeGuard to streamline payments, cut costs, and reduce administrative tasks, freeing them to focus on their core mission: supporting fund managers’ operational efficiency.

Get started with Fipto