San Francisco, CA — August 20, 2025 — Metallicus, a leader in blockchain technology for financial institutions and core developer of Metal Blockchain, today announced it has been selected as the first platform partner for Velera’s newly launched Digital Asset Lab. Led by Velera, the nation’s premier payments CUSO and an integrated financial technology solutions provider, the Lab is designed to help credit unions lead in stablecoins and digital assets through industry engagement, education, strategic partnerships, and pilot programs.
Velera’s Digital Asset Lab will facilitate collaboration and learning while building the infrastructure and partnerships credit unions need for stablecoin and digital-asset exploration. This includes Velera-engaged joint ventures to address distributed-ledger infrastructure and connectivity, blockchain networks, interoperability, core banking integrations, and more, evaluating, assessing, and developing tailored solutions.
As a strategic investor in Metallicus, Velera is partnering with the organization to explore how its multi-purpose blockchain infrastructure enables quick learning, testing and building of solutions most important to Velera’s Digital Asset Lab efforts.
“Joining Velera’s Digital Asset Lab is a significant step in our mission to deliver safe, scalable and compliant blockchain-powered solutions for credit unions nationwide. This partnership underscores our commitment to advancing the cooperative movement by equipping credit unions with the tools to lead in the next era of digital finance.” said Marshall Hayner, Co-Founder & CEO of Metallicus
“Through Velera’s Digital Asset Lab, credit unions will have the opportunity to test stablecoin and digital asset solutions in a secure, low-risk environment. By providing the infrastructure and expertise, we can help them experiment with programmable money, streamline operations, and explore new opportunities to better serve their members.” said John Ainsworth, General Manager at Metallicus.
“Stablecoins, which combine the speed of digital payments with the stability of traditional currency, are emerging to be a potentially pivotal force in global finance,” said Vladimir Jovanovic, Vice President of Innovation, Velera. “As major financial institutions, fintechs and global retailers explore opportunities with stablecoins, it is vital for credit unions to understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to these digital assets to meet members’ needs and uphold cooperative principles to help shape the future of digital finance.”
The Lab will open first to participants in Velera’s Innovation Alliance, bringing together platform partners and credit unions to focus initially on stablecoin and tokenized-deposit R&D. The group will launch proofs of concept and pilot programs to test stablecoin initiatives and collect feedback across audiences, with the goal of delivering tools and products that advance each institution’s stablecoin journey. Exploration areas include the U.S. stablecoin market, cross-border opportunities, and potential roles in the shared branch for new experiences and faster settlement.
