If you want one API for accepting crypto, paying people out and building with AI coding tools, start with 2328. If you already run on Stripe or Coinbase, their stablecoin APIs are the path of least resistance. BVNK is for enterprise stablecoin-to-fiat flows, Radom is for subscriptions, and BTCPay Server is for teams that want zero fees and full self-custody.
Below is how each API handles the parts that actually break in production, and where each one falls short, according to a developer.
What to check before you pick an API
Most crypto payment integrations don’t fail on the happy path. They fail when a request times out, a webhook arrives twice, or a customer sends 99.2 USDT on the wrong network. So look at these things first:
- Authentication. Requests should be signed so nobody can forge or modify them. Ideally payouts use a separate key, so a leaked payments key can’t drain your balance.
- Idempotency. You will retry requests after timeouts. A good API returns the existing invoice or payout instead of creating a second one.
- Webhooks. They should be signed, retried on failure and documented well enough that you can handle duplicates and out-of-order delivery.
- Status model. “Paid” and “not paid” isn’t enough. You need separate states for confirming, underpaid, overpaid, expired and blocked by AML.
- Payment flows. Hosted checkout for a fast launch, host-to-host invoices for your own UI, static addresses for top-ups, and payouts.
- Live availability. The API should tell you which coin and network pairs work right now, not just which exist on paper.
- Docs an AI agent can read. In 2026 a lot of integration code gets written by Claude, Cursor or Copilot. Machine-readable docs make the difference between working code and plausible-looking bugs.
1. 2328
The 2328 API covers payment acceptance, static wallets, conversion, payouts, balances and virtual card issuing from one merchant account. It is built around the two things that cause most production incidents: unclear payment states and unsafe retries.
One Payment API handles three invoice types. You can send the customer to a hosted checkout, request an H2H invoice that returns the address, exact amount and QR code for your own UI, or bill an exact crypto amount like 25 USDT. Invoices can be priced in USD, EUR and other currencies, and you set their lifetime anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours. A directions endpoint tells you which currency and network pairs are live right now, with limits and fees, so your checkout never offers a disabled option.
Requests are signed with HMAC-SHA256, and payouts use a separate key. Your order ID doubles as the idempotency key for payments and payouts, so retrying after a timeout is safe. Webhooks are signed and retried, and the status model covers awaiting confirmation with live confirmation counts, underpaid invoices that can be topped up, overpayments, AML locks and refunds. If a customer sends the wrong asset or picks the wrong EVM network, smart payment matching still credits the invoice.
Two things set 2328 apart from the rest of this list. The docs are published in a machine-readable format, and a public MCP server lets an AI agent search them, get a step-by-step plan for each flow and run a review prompt that checks your signing, idempotency and webhook handling. And payments can run entirely inside Telegram: the API returns a Telegram deeplink, the customer pays in a mini app without leaving the chat, and you can check balances, get alerts and send payouts from the 2328 Telegram app.
Say you run a Telegram bot that sells access to a private trading channel. Your bot calls the API, the customer pays in USDT inside Telegram, your webhook handler adds them to the channel, and nobody ever opens a browser.
Best for: SaaS, marketplaces, gaming, hosting and Telegram-based products, plus teams that build with AI coding tools.
2. Stripe (Stablecoin Payments)
Stripe added stablecoins to its existing Payments API, so crypto shows up as one more payment method in Checkout, Elements, Billing, Invoicing and Payment Links. The Bridge acquisition gave it stablecoin issuance and payout rails behind the scenes.
Customers pay with USDC on Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base or Tempo, and US customers can also use USDP and USDG. Stripe handles confirmation and conversion, and the money lands in your Stripe balance in fiat. If you run a platform on Stripe Connect, you can also send stablecoin payouts.
The big win is that nothing changes for your developers. Same Payment Intents, same webhooks, same SDKs as card payments.
The trade-offs are real, though. Stripe charges 1.5% per stablecoin payment. There’s no BTC or ETH, each payment is capped at $10,000, disputes aren’t supported, and merchant access is live in the US while other regions are in private preview.
Best for: teams already on Stripe that want stablecoin checkout without adding a second provider.
3. Coinbase Business (Commerce)
Coinbase rebuilt its merchant product around USDC on Base, its layer-2 network. Payments settle in about two seconds and network fees are fractions of a cent, so even a $3 payment makes sense.
You create charges or payment links through the API, customers pay from hundreds of compatible wallets, and funds land in a Coinbase Business account. Coinbase also has a payouts API for sending USDC globally, and its Shopify and Stripe partnership brings USDC checkout to Shopify stores.
Pricing is a flat 1% per completed transaction, with no monthly or setup fees.
The catch is geography. Since March 31, 2026, Coinbase Commerce only serves merchants in the US and Singapore. The asset list is also narrow and leans heavily on USDC.
Best for: US companies that want USDC payments from a brand their customers recognize.
4. BVNK
BVNK is stablecoin infrastructure for companies that move serious money between stablecoins and fiat. Mastercard completed its acquisition of BVNK in August 2026, and its clients have included PayPal and Circle.
The API lets you send and receive stablecoin payments on all major blockchains in more than 130 countries, convert between stablecoins and fiat, and run cross-border B2B payouts and treasury flows.
This is not a sign-up-and-go product. Onboarding goes through sales, pricing is custom, and you get dedicated support in return. With the Mastercard integration underway, expect products and terms to change over the next year.
Say you’re a payments company paying 40,000 gig workers across Latin America every week. That is the volume BVNK is built for.
Best for: fintechs, payment providers and enterprises that need stablecoin-to-fiat infrastructure at scale.
5. Radom
Radom is a crypto payment API with a billing engine at its heart. It covers checkout, payment links, invoices, deposit addresses, on/off-ramps and mass payouts, all with webhooks.
Where it shines is subscriptions. Radom pulls funds from a customer’s wallet automatically at each billing interval, and it supports metered usage, per-seat pricing, tiers, free trials, discounts and add-ons. For customers paying from exchanges or Bitcoin, where automatic pulls aren’t possible, it sends recurring invoices instead. You can settle in crypto or in USD, GBP and EUR, and host the checkout and customer portal on your own domain.
Pricing is 0.5% per transaction with no setup or monthly fees.
One thing for your compliance team: the operating entity, Radom Pay LLC, is registered in the Cook Islands.
Best for: SaaS companies that need real subscription billing in crypto, with trials and seats.
6. BTCPay Server
BTCPay Server is free, open-source software you host yourself. There’s no company in the middle, and payments go straight to your wallet.
Its Greenfield API covers invoices, payment requests, stores, users and webhooks. Bitcoin and the Lightning Network work out of the box, and community plugins add other assets.
You pay zero processing fees. You do pay in engineering time, because hosting, upgrades, backups and security are all on you. There’s no managed support and no built-in fiat settlement.
Say you sell developer tools to a Bitcoin-heavy audience and process $50,000 a month. Skipping a 1% fee saves you $6,000 a year, which can easily cover a small server and a few hours of maintenance.
Best for: technical teams with a Bitcoin-focused audience that want self-custody and no percentage fees.
7. Cryptomus
Cryptomus pairs a payment gateway API with a wallet, exchange and P2P trading. It’s popular with hosting providers and digital service businesses.
The REST API covers invoices, payouts and static wallets, and there are plugins for WooCommerce, WHMCS, BillManager, OpenCart, PrestaShop and other platforms. You can set per-coin discounts or surcharges, allow a tolerance for payments that don’t exactly match the invoice, and turn on auto-conversion and auto-withdrawal.
Read the pricing carefully. Cryptomus advertises rates from 0.4%, but its own pricing page says new merchants start at 2%. Lower rates are negotiated based on your volume and business type, so budget at 2% until you have something better in writing.
Best for: hosting and digital service companies that rely on CMS plugins and have the volume to negotiate.
8. OxaPay
OxaPay is built for getting live fast. You can sign up with just an email or a Telegram account.
The merchant API handles invoices and payment links, and there’s a separate payout API, static addresses, white label and a donation tool. Plugins cover popular e-commerce platforms, and Telegram tools include a channel gateway and bot payments. A dashboard shows your payment stats.
Pricing starts at 0.4%, but each service has its own standard rate, so check the price for the specific endpoints you plan to use.
Best for: small merchants, creators and community projects that want to start this week rather than next quarter.
Integration rules that apply to every API
Whichever API you choose, these rules prevent most money-losing bugs:
- Keep API keys on your backend, and use a separate payout key when the API offers one.
- Send and store amounts as decimal strings. Floating-point math and crypto amounts don’t mix.
- Generate your order ID before the first request and reuse it on every retry.
- Only a verified webhook or API response proves a payment. Redirects and screenshots don’t.
- Process webhooks idempotently and expect them to arrive out of order.
- Decide upfront what happens with underpaid, overpaid, expired and AML-blocked payments.
- Run a scheduled reconciliation job so one lost webhook doesn’t become a permanent mismatch.
- Read AI-generated payment code yourself, especially signing and webhook verification.
FAQ
What does a crypto payment API actually do?
It lets your app create crypto payment requests, track their status and get notified when they complete, without running nodes or watching the blockchain yourself. Most also handle payouts, so you can send crypto from the same balance.
Which crypto payment API is easiest to integrate?
If you’re already on Stripe, its stablecoin payments take the least new code. For crypto-native flows, an API with AI-readable docs and an MCP server, like 2328, lets a coding assistant produce a working integration in minutes. You still review it before shipping.
Can an AI agent integrate a crypto payment API on its own?
It can write most of the code when the docs are machine-readable. The agent searches the reference, plans the integration and generates handlers. A human still needs to check signing and webhook verification, because those two pieces protect your money.
Do I need separate APIs for payments and payouts?
No. 2328, Coinbase Business, BVNK and Radom handle both. Look for a separate payout key or permission so a compromised payments key can’t move funds.
Which coins should I support first?
USDT and USDC on low-fee networks like Tron, BNB Chain and Solana cover most real payments. Add BTC and ETH when customers ask, preferably with auto-conversion to stablecoins.
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