【Helio】Stripe for web3 / One-time payments, subscriptions, EC embedding, billing for digital content, all virtual currency payments with no code
Launched summer 2022, processed over $10 million; raised $3 million in April 2023.
Good morning.
This is Mitsui, a web3 researcher.
Today, I researched Helio.
"Table of Contents"
1. What is Helio?
- Features
- Paid plan "Heilo X
- The Team
- Outlook
2、Virtual currency payment is convenient
What is Helio?
Helio is the web3 version of Stripe, a product that allows users to easily build payment systems for various virtual currencies with no code.
Since its launch in the summer of 2022, Helio has processed over $10 million and has accepted payments for 35,000 users with over 900 companies using it for ecommerce, NFT sales, SaaS subscriptions, content paywalls, etc. According to DappRadar It ranks in the top 50 DeFi apps of all blockchains, according to DappRadar.
It currently supports Solana, Ethereum, and Polygon.
Helio enables virtual currency (crypto assets) payments and the following advantages exist
Receive payments directly from global customers with low fees, without intermediaries
Easy to build payment systems without development, with API integration, etc. possible
Customers can pay quickly and easily with a single tap on Phantom, MetaMask, or other wallets, without logging in
■ Features
Pay Links: Easily create "no code" checkout pages and enable a wide range of payment workflows (NFT sales, donations, cross-border payments, etc.)
Pay Streams: recurring payments for subscriptions
Invoicing: Quick and easy creation of invoices.
E-commerce: add virtual currency payments to your e-commerce site
Split payments: receive payments in multiple wallets Build affiliate links, share royalty income, and make charitable donations in real time.
Helio Play: Ability to set up billing paywalls for videos and podcasts. Earn revenue for each view.
Each payment can be set up freely, including billing at a fixed price for a specific token, billing at a price set in legal tender with tokens chosen at the user's discretion, and billing at a specific token but swapped with tokens chosen at the user's discretion for payment. In other words, the user can essentially swap and pay a defined price from any token.
For each billing method, it is also possible to set the target of the sale, such as selling at the token gate.
■ Paid plan "Heilo X
Heilio has no basic usage fee and charges a fee for each payment. The basic fee is 1%, +0.5% for price conversion payments (set the amount in legal tender, and the corresponding token price is automatically displayed and settled), and +1% for swap payments.
However, there is a paid plan, Heilio X, which is available through "purchase of dedicated NFTs" or "recurring payments (subscriptions)". The monthly cost is $50USD/month.
Heilio X offers a 0.5% base fee, unlimited API loading, and the ability to implement a subs payment mechanism that works with Discord. Roles can be assigned to users who make recurring payments, and limited channels can be built.
■ The Team
Founded by serial entrepreneurs Jim Walker and Stijn Paumen, Jim and Stijn have worked together for 20 years building SaaS startups. 2 exits totaling $600 million.
■ Outlook
On April 13, 2023, we announced a seed round of $3 million in funding. We will continue to focus on development as a leader in the ¥10+ trillion digital payments market. Specifically, we will continue to increase the number of use cases and multi-chain support.
Virtual currency payments are convenient
Here are my impressions based on my research.
It is a simple impression, but I still feel that virtual currency payments are convenient. Although purchasing and storing virtual currency (including transferring it between wallets, etc.) is a bit of work, the benefits when it comes time to use it are great.
First of all, the fees are low, and it is possible to accept payments from global customers. It also allows for transparency in the flow of funds after payments are made, and if sales are received in installments, payments and donations can be made automatically.
This may be an advantage from the company's perspective, but it is also an advantage from the customer's perspective to be able to purchase products globally. In addition, if they can automatically swap and purchase their own virtual currency, they will be able to purchase any product in any currency, no matter what currency they have.
Of course, at the present time, there are not many people who buy products from overseas due to language and logistics issues, and credit card payment is usually convenient only in Japan, so it is understandable that this is the mainstream.
It remains to be seen how widespread virtual currency payments will become in the future.
My sense is that Japan is an island nation that is fairly closed, so consumption is completed only domestically and credit cards are widely used. So, I feel that it may not be that widespread in Japan. I feel that it may not spread that much in Japan. In a country where cash payments are still the norm and the population is aging, it is hard to imagine virtual currency payments suddenly becoming widespread.
On the other hand, if we look at the world, there are likely to be countries where needs exist, for example, cities that attract tourists from all over the world who do not have bank accounts, and countries where borders are connected by land but the currency is different. Here, virtual currency payments, which are convenient for both customers and companies, are likely to become popular.
However, it is still likely that conflicts with nations will arise in this area as well. If tourists start swapping and paying in virtual currency instead of using their own legal tender, the presence of their own currency will diminish, and there is a sign that some kind of regulation will be put in place.
I myself am planning to actively develop content for overseas markets in English, so I will explore the possibility of virtual currency payments.
This is my research on "Heilio. Thank you for reading. If you found it informative and interesting, we would be very encouraged if you could help us by liking, commenting, and sharing on social networking sites. Thank you very much.
«Reference Link»
Disclaimer: This is written after careful examination of researched information, but since it is privately operated & the source is often in English, there may be some mistranslated or incorrect information. Please understand that some information may be mistranslated or incorrect. Also, we may introduce Dapps, NFTs, and tokens in the articles, but we do not have any solicitation purpose. Please purchase and use all at your own risk.
Writer
mitsui@web3researcher
Daily information about web3 (projects, news, explanations of vocabulary, interviews with project owners, and articles about learning and thinking from research).
※This is a translation of a Japanese article, so I apologize for any unnatural English.