Head to head
Avici vs Ethena Pay
Both cards run on the same benchmark test, so this compares deducted cost rather than advertised rates.
| Metric | Av Avici | Et Ethena Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rank | #17 of 35 | #1 of 35 |
| FX spread | 1.15% | 1% |
| Base cashback | No cashback | 4% |
| Custody | Non-Custodial | Non-Custodial (no option to see keys until deleting account |
| Virtual card | $15 once off/ $30 yearly premium | Yes, Free |
| Physical card | Physical Platinum is $50; Physical Signature is $75 | No |
| Spend limit | Undisclosed | |
| ATM withdrawals | $1 Fee + 0.65 | |
| Setup time | ~10 minutes | 10 minutes |
| KYC steps | 4 | 5 |
| Score | 6.8/10 | 8.5/10 |
Avici
Avici is a self-custodial secured Visa credit card rather than a direct-spend debit card: you lock USDC into a smart contract to open an equivalent USD credit line. The account-abstraction security model is excellent, but steep issuance fees and reported top-up spreads make it restrictive next to a standard crypto debit card.
Ethena Pay
Crypto Card Review: Ethena Pay I've been testing Ethena Pay for the last couple of days, and it feels (almost) premium. It's in Beta and nearly ready for public launch; here are my first thoughts. Positives: - Non-USD FX Fee: 1% (cashback negates and beats this) - 4% Cashback on all purchases is sweet (up to 5% w/Pro) - UI is possibly the best among all cards I've tested - Personal US/EUR/GBP IBAN accounts - Insights page showing spending by categories and earning breakdowns - 5% APY - Instant deposits with limited Fees Negatives: - Apple Only (for now) - Multiple "Coming Soon" features - Non-custodial, but no way to see your keys without deleting your account. Rating: 7.5/10 As soon as it's on Android and includes a few of its promised upcoming features, this will be a 9/10.
Who ranks these cards
I'm Tristyn Pawson, founder of ConsistenC.xyz. Over the last five years I've worked on marketing, development and growth across five crypto cards and neobanks, building at least three of them from scratch.
Alongside that I've run in-depth research on 20+ crypto banks to understand what actually makes someone keep a card in their wallet. These rankings reflect that: which problems are tolerable, and which ones are genuine deal breakers.
- Years in market
- 5
- Cards built on
- 5
- Neobanks researched
- 20+