Tetra Digital Group and Berkeley Payment Solutions Expand Canadian-Dollar Stablecoin Settlement
Tetra Digital Group, a Canadian digital asset infrastructure company, and Berkeley Payment Solutions, a Canadian B2B payments infrastructure provider, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at expanding access to Canadian-dollar stablecoin payments and settlement for businesses and institutions across Canada.
Under the agreement, Berkeley Payment Solutions will integrate CADD, a Canadian-dollar stablecoin issued by Tetra Trust Company, into its existing payments infrastructure. Berkeley will become Tetra’s first white-label B2B partner for CADD, enabling the company to introduce stablecoin-powered settlement capabilities to a network of more than 500 corporate, government and institutional clients.
The partnership is designed to make blockchain-based Canadian-dollar settlement more accessible to organizations that may not have the resources, technical expertise or regulatory infrastructure required to build their own stablecoin systems. Instead of requiring businesses to develop separate digital asset capabilities, CADD will be incorporated into payment programs and infrastructure that clients already use.
The companies expect the collaboration to support a range of use cases, including large-value domestic Canadian-dollar transfers, cross-border payments to suppliers and contractors, corporate disbursements, round-the-clock funding of payment programs and programmable payment flows.
Bringing Canadian Dollars Onchain
CADD is a Canadian-dollar stablecoin issued by Tetra Trust Company and backed 1:1 by Canadian-dollar reserves. According to the companies, the stablecoin has been approved by Alberta Treasury Board and Finance and is available on Ethereum, Base and Tempo.
Stablecoins are digital assets designed to maintain a stable value relative to an underlying currency or asset. In the case of CADD, the objective is to provide a digital representation of the Canadian dollar that can move on blockchain networks while maintaining a one-to-one relationship with Canadian-dollar reserves.
For businesses, this structure could offer an alternative way to move and settle Canadian-dollar value. Traditional payment systems remain highly dependent on banking schedules, transfer processes and intermediary infrastructure. Blockchain-based settlement, by contrast, can operate continuously, allowing transactions to be processed outside traditional banking hours.
The partnership between Tetra and Berkeley is focused on connecting those onchain capabilities with established enterprise payment infrastructure.
Rather than requiring corporate customers to interact directly with blockchain technology, Berkeley plans to incorporate CADD into payment programs and handle key components of the transaction lifecycle. This approach is intended to make the underlying digital asset infrastructure largely invisible to the end user.
Addressing Traditional Payment Infrastructure Constraints
Canadian businesses routinely make payments to employees, suppliers, contractors, customers and other counterparties. While the existing financial system provides extensive payment capabilities, some transactions can still be affected by transfer limits, banking hours and settlement timelines.
These constraints become more significant when businesses need to move large amounts of money or operate across borders.
A payment that is operationally straightforward during banking hours may require additional planning when funds need to move outside those windows. Cross-border transactions can introduce additional complexity because payments may involve multiple financial institutions, currencies, intermediaries and settlement processes.
CADD is intended to provide an alternative settlement mechanism that operates onchain around the clock.
Through Berkeley’s infrastructure, businesses can potentially access that capability without directly managing the underlying blockchain technology. Berkeley’s platform supports functions including on- and off-ramps, accounts, card issuance and delivery of funds to end recipients through existing payment programs.
The combination allows the two companies to address both sides of the payment process: Tetra provides the Canadian-dollar stablecoin infrastructure, while Berkeley connects that infrastructure with enterprise payment applications.
Berkeley to Become First White-Label B2B Partner for CADD
A central element of the partnership is Berkeley’s role as Tetra’s first white-label B2B partner for CADD.
White-label infrastructure allows one company to provide technology or financial capabilities that another company incorporates into its own products and services. In this case, Berkeley will integrate CADD into its payment infrastructure so that corporate, government and institutional clients can access stablecoin settlement through programs they already use.
This model could be important for enterprise adoption because many organizations are unlikely to build an entirely new payment infrastructure simply to experiment with stablecoins.
Instead, integrating digital asset capabilities into established payment systems can reduce technical and operational barriers.
Berkeley’s network includes more than 500 corporate, government and institutional clients. The partnership therefore provides CADD with a potential distribution channel across a broad base of organizations that already participate in B2B payment programs.
The companies believe that embedding stablecoin capabilities within existing infrastructure can make adoption more practical for organizations that are interested in faster settlement but do not want to manage the complexity associated with blockchain networks.
Tetra Focuses on Digital Asset Infrastructure
Tetra Digital Group is positioning the partnership as part of a broader effort to make digital asset infrastructure more accessible to businesses.
Didier Lavallée, Founder and CEO of Tetra Digital Group, said stablecoins can potentially make business payments faster, less expensive and more efficient, but that broader adoption depends on integrating them into infrastructure businesses already understand.
The partnership with Berkeley is intended to address that challenge by allowing organizations to access Canadian-dollar stablecoin capabilities without having to build their own stablecoin infrastructure from the ground up.
For Tetra, the collaboration also expands the potential reach of CADD beyond direct digital asset users and into conventional corporate payment environments.
This could broaden the market for Canadian-dollar digital settlement by bringing stablecoin functionality to companies whose primary focus is payments, treasury management, supplier payments or corporate disbursements rather than cryptocurrency or blockchain technology.
Berkeley Brings Two Decades of Payment Experience
Berkeley Payment Solutions brings approximately two decades of experience in Canadian and U.S. payment infrastructure to the partnership.
The company has established relationships across banks, corporations and government organizations and operates a proprietary stablecoin settlement platform.
That existing infrastructure is central to the partnership because the goal is not simply to introduce another digital asset to businesses. Instead, the companies are seeking to connect CADD with existing payment workflows.
Berkeley’s experience in payments gives it an understanding of the operational requirements involved in moving money between businesses, financial institutions and end recipients.
Its infrastructure includes capabilities related to on- and off-ramps, accounts, card issuance and payment delivery, creating a framework through which CADD can potentially be used without requiring every client to interact directly with blockchain infrastructure.
Making Stablecoin Technology Less Visible to Businesses
Jonathon Hamburg, Founder of Berkeley Payment Solutions, said Canadian businesses need payment infrastructure capable of operating at the speed at which modern organizations conduct business.
The partnership reflects Berkeley’s view that stablecoin technology will become more useful to enterprises when it can be incorporated into familiar payment programs rather than presented as a completely separate financial technology.
That means the blockchain component can operate behind the scenes while businesses continue to interact with payment systems in a conventional manner.
For enterprise users, this type of integration could reduce the need to understand wallet management, blockchain networks and other technical components associated with digital assets.
The concept is similar to the way other financial technologies have become embedded into payment infrastructure. As new technologies mature, businesses often adopt them more readily when the complexity is handled by infrastructure providers rather than placed directly on corporate users.
Domestic CAD Transfers and Corporate Disbursements
One of the initial use cases identified by the companies is large-value domestic Canadian-dollar transfers.
Businesses regularly need to move significant amounts of Canadian dollars between accounts and counterparties. A stablecoin settlement option could potentially provide another mechanism for moving value, particularly when transactions need to occur outside traditional banking windows.
Corporate disbursements represent another potential application.
Organizations that distribute funds to multiple recipients could use programmable payment infrastructure to automate portions of the payment process. This could be relevant for businesses managing recurring payments, contractor compensation, supplier settlements or other forms of corporate disbursement.
The ability to program payment flows on blockchain infrastructure could also support more automated transaction processes, depending on how the technology is implemented within Berkeley’s platform.
Cross-Border Payments Between Canada and the United States
The Canada-U.S. payment corridor will be a particular focus of the collaboration.
Canadian and U.S. companies conduct substantial volumes of cross-border commercial activity, creating ongoing demand for efficient payment and settlement infrastructure.
Traditional cross-border payment processes can involve multiple institutions and may introduce additional costs and settlement delays. Businesses also need to manage differences between banking systems, operating hours and payment processes in the two countries.
CADD could provide an onchain settlement mechanism for Canadian-dollar value, while Berkeley’s infrastructure can support the movement of funds between the digital and traditional financial systems.
The objective is not necessarily to replace the existing banking system but to add another settlement option that can operate alongside established payment infrastructure.
24/7 Program Funding and Programmable Payments
Another area of focus will be 24/7 funding of payment programs.
Traditional financial systems can impose operational limitations based on banking hours and settlement schedules. An onchain stablecoin can operate continuously, potentially allowing payment programs to be funded at any time.
For businesses operating across multiple time zones, this could provide greater flexibility.
Programmable payments could represent another important application. Blockchain-based payment infrastructure can support rules and automated processes that determine when and how funds are transferred.
The combination of stablecoin settlement and programmable payment capabilities could allow businesses to develop more automated treasury and payment workflows.
The actual benefits will depend on implementation, regulatory requirements, counterparties and the specific payment programs involved, but the partnership establishes an infrastructure framework for exploring these applications.
Expanding Access to Regulated Digital Asset Infrastructure
The partnership also highlights the increasing effort to connect regulated financial infrastructure with blockchain-based payment systems.
CADD’s issuance by Tetra Trust Company and its backing by Canadian-dollar reserves are central to the companies’ positioning of the asset as an enterprise-focused settlement instrument.
For businesses and institutions, regulatory considerations remain an important factor when evaluating digital asset technologies. Integrating stablecoins through established financial infrastructure can potentially reduce some of the operational challenges associated with direct adoption.
The Tetra-Berkeley collaboration therefore represents an effort to move stablecoins beyond standalone digital asset applications and into conventional B2B payment environments.
A Broader Role for Stablecoins in Business Payments
Stablecoins have increasingly attracted attention as potential infrastructure for payments, settlement and treasury operations. Their ability to operate on blockchain networks can offer continuous settlement and programmability, while their connection to fiat currencies is intended to reduce the price volatility associated with many other digital assets.
For Canadian businesses, a Canadian-dollar stablecoin could offer particular relevance because it provides an onchain representation of domestic currency.
The partnership between Tetra and Berkeley seeks to build on that potential by connecting CADD to an established network of enterprise payment users.
With access to more than 500 corporate, government and institutional clients, Berkeley provides a significant potential channel for distributing CADD-powered payment capabilities.
The collaboration is ultimately focused on making stablecoin settlement practical rather than requiring businesses to become digital asset specialists. By combining Tetra’s CADD infrastructure with Berkeley’s existing payments platform, the companies aim to create a pathway for Canadian organizations to access 24/7 Canadian-dollar settlement, cross-border payments and programmable payment capabilities through payment programs they already use.
Source link: https://www.businesswire.com
