Wallets/ready
Ready (formerly Argent)
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Overview
Ready, called Argent until June 2025, is a self-custody crypto wallet made by Argent Labs Limited in London [1](https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130536/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-is-now-ready) [19](https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service). Argent was Ethereum's first smart-contract wallet: it replaced the seed phrase with "guardians" for recovery and paid users' network fees [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet). From 2023 it concentrated on Starknet, an Ethereum layer 2, where its browser extension Argent X was the first and most-used wallet [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet). In 2025 it added the Ready Card, a Mastercard debit card that spends USDC straight from the wallet [7](https://web.archive.org/web/20250708185216/https://www.ready.co/blog/card-faqs). In August 2026 Ready said it was leaving the "crypto neobank" model for what it calls Community Finance, moving new accounts to the Base network [4](https://www.ready.co/blog/community-finance). It uses no national payment rail or QR standard.
History
- 2017–2018: the company and the app. Argent Labs Limited was incorporated in England on 4 December 2017 [18](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11093638). Ready's own account says "we launched Argent in 2017" [1](https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130536/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-is-now-ready), and another of its posts says it launched Argent on Ethereum in 2018 [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet). The iOS app was first released on 25 October 2018 [14](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1358741926&country=gb). The wallet was invite-only at first [8](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805081125/https://www.ready.co/blog/announcing-our-12m-series-a).
- March 2020: Series A. Argent raised $12 million, led by Paradigm, with Index Ventures, Creandum and firstminute [8](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805081125/https://www.ready.co/blog/announcing-our-12m-series-a).
- May 2020: Argent V1. The release added "one tap" access to DeFi services such as Aave, Compound, Maker and Uniswap. It also brought wallet locking, approval of large transfers and a daily limit that blocks anything above it [9](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805074017/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-v1-launch).
- Late 2021: Argent X. Argent released Argent X, a browser-extension wallet for Starknet. It was the first wallet built for Starknet [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet).
- April 2022: Series B. A $40 million round was led by Fabric Ventures and Metaplanet, with Paradigm, Index Ventures, Creandum, Starkware, Jump and Animoca. Argent said it had over 500,000 users since launching its layer-2 account the year before, and planned to expand to Mexico and then South America [10](https://tech.eu/2022/04/28/argent-decodes-40-million-to-scale-defi-and-web3-super-app-globally/).
- 2023: zkSync, then Starknet only. Argent built the first smart wallets for both zkSync and Starknet [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet). In October 2023 it said it would stop developing its zkSync Era account after a six-month alpha and start reducing support from 31 January [12](https://www.theblock.co/post/260179/crypto-wallet-developer-argent-to-stop-zksync-era-development-to-prioritize-starknet). It added a Starknet mobile wallet, a Web Wallet and a Multisig in 2023, and launched the Hito Studios incubator with the Starknet Foundation [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet).
- June 2025: Argent becomes Ready. On 24 June 2025 the company renamed itself Ready. The mobile app and Argent Card became Ready, "the onchain alternative to your bank" for everyday users. Argent X became Ready Wallet, for crypto-native users [1](https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130536/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-is-now-ready). Google Play now lists that extension's mobile app as Ready X [15](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ready.wallet&hl=en_GB&gl=GB).
- 1 October 2025: Ethereum accounts leave the app. The original Ethereum accounts, known as Argent Vault, were removed from the Ready app. Users could bridge to their Starknet account or send their assets to another Ethereum wallet. A third option was a separate Ethereum Argent Vault app [5](https://web.archive.org/web/20250930183022/https://www.ready.co/blog/ethereum-argent-vault-migration-faqs).
- June 2026: card cut off outside the EEA. After a change of card provider, Ready told users mainly outside the European Economic Area that their card would be "deactivated within the next hour"; unused subscription time was to be refunded within 10 business days [13](https://cointelegraph.com/news/ready-usdc-card-service-halt-non-eea-report).
- August 2026: Community Finance. Ready wrote "We don't want to build another crypto neobank". Its first product in the new category is Community Cards, which pass a share of card revenue to a community the member supports, starting with esports partners. Existing users get a new self-custodial account on Base; their current accounts and assets do not move automatically [4](https://www.ready.co/blog/community-finance).
Ownership & operator
The app is published by Argent Labs Limited, which trades as "Ready" [19](https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service). It is a private limited company, number 11093638, registered at 5 New Street Square, London EC4A 3TW [18](https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11093638). Its backers include Paradigm, Index Ventures, Creandum, firstminute, Fabric Ventures, Metaplanet, Starkware, Jump and Animoca [8](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805081125/https://www.ready.co/blog/announcing-our-12m-series-a) [10](https://tech.eu/2022/04/28/argent-decodes-40-million-to-scale-defi-and-web3-super-app-globally/). Itamar Lesuisse, co-founder, is the chief executive [10](https://tech.eu/2022/04/28/argent-decodes-40-million-to-scale-defi-and-web3-super-app-globally/); Julien Niset is another co-founder [11](https://decrypt.co/151092/argent-takes-key-step-towards-invisible-wallet-newest-web-wallet-launch).
Regulation. The terms say the Ready products are non-custodial, and that Ready "is not authorised to conduct regulated activities by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK" [19](https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service). The card is issued by a third party [19](https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service). Until June 2026 that was Kulipa, which ran the identity checks and stood as the issuer in the card network without ever holding user funds [6](https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130059/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-card-under-the-hood-of-the-best-in-class-crypto-debit-card) [13](https://cointelegraph.com/news/ready-usdc-card-service-halt-non-eea-report).
Technical integration
A smart-contract account. Each Argent or Ready account is a smart contract, not a plain key pair. Ready lists five things that makes possible: social recovery without a seed phrase, multicall (several transactions bundled into one), two-factor authentication, session keys that let an app sign on the user's behalf, and plug-ins [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet). Starknet suits this because every account there is a smart wallet; on EVM networks most users still have ordinary wallets, so apps are slow to support smart ones [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet).
How the card pays without custody [6](https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130059/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-card-under-the-hood-of-the-best-in-class-crypto-debit-card):
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| You tap or pay online | Kulipa checks your on-chain USDC balance in real time and answers the Mastercard authorisation |
| Before settlement | Ready's server is a co-signer on the account and refuses any USDC transfer that would eat into amounts reserved for pending card payments. Only USDC is restricted. The co-signer can be removed once all card payments have settled |
| Settlement | A session key, limited to USDC settlement, lets Kulipa take the money from the wallet; several card payments are batched into one on-chain settlement |
The card spends only USDC (1 USDC = 1 USD) wherever Mastercard is accepted, at Mastercard's exchange rate with no FX or top-up fee [7](https://web.archive.org/web/20250708185216/https://www.ready.co/blog/card-faqs). Limits were $5,000 per payment, $10,000 a day and $30,000 a month [7](https://web.archive.org/web/20250708185216/https://www.ready.co/blog/card-faqs). The card works in Google Pay, and Ready said Apple Pay was coming [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready).
Getting money in. In 2025 Ready added bank deposits with Due Network, which takes bank transfers in five major currencies from 150+ countries, and bridging from other wallets and exchanges with Layerswap. It also said it would pay all network fees for users [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready).
Channels. The mobile app (iOS; on Android, Ready X is the listing we found), the Argent X / Ready Wallet browser extension, and the Web Wallet, where Starknet apps let people sign in with an email address and password [11](https://decrypt.co/151092/argent-takes-key-step-towards-invisible-wallet-newest-web-wallet-launch) [15](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ready.wallet&hl=en_GB&gl=GB) [17](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/argent-x/).
Users & growth
Ready publishes no active-user count. The figures below are the company's own, or store counters, each dated:
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Users since the layer-2 account launched | over 500,000 | April 2022 | [10](https://tech.eu/2022/04/28/argent-decodes-40-million-to-scale-defi-and-web3-super-app-globally/) |
| Argent X downloads | over 1.5 million | December 2023 | [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet) |
| Argent X accounts on Starknet | over 2.2 million (Braavos: about 800,000) | as of January 2024 | [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos) |
| Ready Wallet downloads | over 2 million | December 2025 | [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready) |
| Total Ready Card spend | $20 million, in 120+ countries | 2025 | [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready) |
| Ready Metal members | 5,000+ | end of 2025 | [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready) |
| App Store, Ready: Crypto & Card | 4.54 from 599 ratings (UK); 4.50 from 2,312 (US) | read 22 Oct 2026 | [14](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1358741926&country=gb) |
| Google Play, Ready X | 10k+ downloads | read 22 Oct 2026 | [15](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ready.wallet&hl=en_GB&gl=GB) |
Use cases
- Spending stablecoins in shops. The Ready Card spends USDC anywhere Mastercard is accepted. Metal cardholders could take up to $800 a month from ATMs without a fee and Lite cardholders $200, with 2% above that [7](https://web.archive.org/web/20250708185216/https://www.ready.co/blog/card-faqs).
- Borrowing against bitcoin. With Vesu, users could borrow against their bitcoin and spend the USDC with the card [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready).
- Staking. Ready said it had become the largest Bitcoin staking validator, with 1,280 BTC, and the top STRK staking validator at the end of 2025 [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready).
- DeFi and trading. Since 2020 the app has opened DeFi services in one tap [9](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805074017/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-v1-launch); in 2025 Ready Wallet added perpetuals with Extended [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready) [19](https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service).
- Supporting a community (2026). Community Cards send part of card revenue to a chosen community, starting with esports partners [4](https://www.ready.co/blog/community-finance).
Implementations & partners
- Card. Mastercard network; Kulipa as issuer-side partner until June 2026 [6](https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130059/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-card-under-the-hood-of-the-best-in-class-crypto-debit-card) [13](https://cointelegraph.com/news/ready-usdc-card-service-halt-non-eea-report). Google Pay [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready).
- Funding and bridging. Due Network for bank deposits, Layerswap for bridging, Vesu for loans and Extended for perpetuals [3](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready).
- Networks. Starknet, with the Starknet Foundation as partner in Hito Studios [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet); Base for accounts opened from August 2026 [4](https://www.ready.co/blog/community-finance).
- Exchanges. Ready said OKX used the Argent X smart contract for Starknet deposits and withdrawals [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos).
Fun facts
- Argent's 2020 funding post described the problem it set out to fix as "Seed phrases. Gas. Windows 95 interfaces." [8](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805081125/https://www.ready.co/blog/announcing-our-12m-series-a)
- Argent's chief executive told Decrypt in 2023 that "On Starknet, you can only do smart contract wallets", and claimed 75% of that network's market [11](https://decrypt.co/151092/argent-takes-key-step-towards-invisible-wallet-newest-web-wallet-launch).
Comparison
| Ready / Argent X | Braavos | MetaMask | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account type | Smart-contract account [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet) | Smart-contract account [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos) | Named by Ready as a wallet that EVM networks such as zkSync can deploy easily [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet) |
| Launched | 2018 (Ethereum); Argent X late 2021 [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet) | 2022 [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos) | — |
| Starknet accounts, Jan 2024 | over 2.2 million [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos) | about 800,000 [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos) | — |
| Own debit card | Ready Card (USDC, Mastercard) [7](https://web.archive.org/web/20250708185216/https://www.ready.co/blog/card-faqs) | — | — |
The Braavos figures come from Ready's own comparison post, which says it "cannot be totally unbiased" and cites Voyager data. The post shows a date of 1 February 2023 but describes "2024" and data as of January 2024, so its date is unreliable [20](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos). The choice on Starknet is between the two smart wallets. MetaMask works on EVM networks, where Ready says smart wallets remain "second-class citizens" [2](https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet).
Status
Active, and changing. The iOS app was last updated on 14 July 2026 [14](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1358741926&country=gb), and Ready X on Android on 20 October 2026 [15](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ready.wallet&hl=en_GB&gl=GB). The separate Argent Ethereum Vault app was updated on 7 October 2026 [16](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.argent.vault&hl=en_GB&gl=GB). Ready's home page now promotes community rewards, points and "digital dollars, under your control", with one item marked "Coming soon"; it no longer names Starknet [21](https://www.ready.co/). On Google Play we found only Ready X and the Ethereum Vault app under Argent Labs; the old Argent Android listing returns 404 [22](https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Argent+Labs&hl=en).
Sources
Source
Biography extracted from ready.md. See matrix.md for standards-support matrix if present.