The settlement internet
Money moves like email.
@sender → @recipient $19.99 settles in 800ms. The protocol picks the cheapest available rail — Hylaq Direct, FedNow, RTP, ACH, SEPA, SWIFT, or card fallback — and emits a hash-chained receipt anyone can verify without trusting a database.
Replaces
$400B/yr
Visa + Mastercard interchange
Replaces
$24B/yr
SWIFT correspondent fees
Replaces
$48B/yr
Western Union + Wise + Remitly
Hylaq cost
0.05%
vs 2.9% on cards
8 rails. One protocol.
The router picks the first available rail going down this list. If the recipient is on Hylaq, it never leaves the protocol — settlement is instant and effectively free.
| Rail | Cost | Latency | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hylaq Direct | 0.05% | 800ms | Both parties on Hylaq |
| FedNow | $0.04 | 4s | US bank account |
| RTP | $0.08 | 5s | US The Clearing House |
| SEPA Instant | $0.15 | 8s | EU IBAN |
| ACH (next-day) | $0.20 | 1d | US bank, non-urgent |
| International Bank API | $0.50 | 12s | UPI / PIX / FPS / etc. |
| SWIFT | $25 + 0.1% | 1–3d | Legacy international |
| Card network (Visa / MC) | 2.9% + $0.30 | 6s | Last resort fallback |
Built on four primitives
@handle = the destination address
The reason cards charge 2.9% is they're the only network with a universal address. @joescoffee beats 4111-2345-6789-0123 the way @gmail.com beat 192.168.x.x.
Loadit = programmable USD
Backed 1:1 by tokenized treasuries / regulated bank deposits. Real dollars, not crypto. Splits, conditionals, recurrings, escrow — native verbs.
HQ = routing brain
Per settlement, picks the cheapest viable rail. Multi-attempt fallback if the first rail fails. Audit trail for every attempt.
Veritas = identity once, not per transaction
KYC happens once per @handle. Sanctions screening + Travel Rule data attached automatically. Regulators query the protocol directly — transparent by default.
Hash-chained receipts
Cryptographic proof of settlement.
Every settled transaction emits a 64-char hash sha256(canonical(header) || prevReceiptHash). Each sender has their own per-handle chain. A recipient (or auditor, regulator, journalist) can verify any settlement happened — and detect tampering across the entire history — by walking the chain. No need to trust Hylaq's database.