# Ready (formerly Argent)

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/ready
> research date 2026-10-22 · extracted at 2026-10-22
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Ready — official site](https://www.ready.co/)
- [Ready App Terms of Service](https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service)

## 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](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/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

[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250709130536/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-is-now-ready "Argent is now Ready — Ready (Argent Labs), 24 Jun 2025 (Wayback copy of 9 Jul 2025)"
[2]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250811111042/https://www.ready.co/blog/doubling-down-on-starknet "Doubling down on Starknet — Argent, 19 Dec 2023 (Wayback copy of 11 Aug 2025)"
[3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20260212223344/https://www.ready.co/blog/2025-at-ready "2025 at Ready — Ready, 30 Dec 2025 (Wayback copy of 12 Feb 2026)"
[4]: https://www.ready.co/blog/community-finance "Introducing Community Finance — Ready, 6 Aug 2026"
[5]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250930183022/https://www.ready.co/blog/ethereum-argent-vault-migration-faqs "Ethereum Argent Vault migration FAQs — Ready, 23 Sep 2025 (Wayback copy of 30 Sep 2025)"
[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 "Ready Card: under the hood of the best-in-class crypto debit card — Ready, 3 Jun 2025 (Wayback copy of 9 Jul 2025)"
[7]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250708185216/https://www.ready.co/blog/card-faqs "Ready Card FAQs — Ready, 21 May 2025 (Wayback copy of 8 Jul 2025)"
[8]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250805081125/https://www.ready.co/blog/announcing-our-12m-series-a "Our next chapter: Announcing our $12m Series A — Argent, 8 Mar 2020 (Wayback copy of 5 Aug 2025)"
[9]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250805074017/https://www.ready.co/blog/argent-v1-launch "Introducing Argent V1 and One Tap DeFi — Argent, 18 May 2020 (Wayback copy of 5 Aug 2025)"
[10]: https://tech.eu/2022/04/28/argent-decodes-40-million-to-scale-defi-and-web3-super-app-globally/ "Argent decodes $40 million to scale DeFi and Web3 super app globally — Tech.eu, 28 Apr 2022"
[11]: https://decrypt.co/151092/argent-takes-key-step-towards-invisible-wallet-newest-web-wallet-launch "Argent Takes Key Step Towards 'Invisible Wallet' With Newest Web Wallet Launch — Decrypt, 3 Aug 2023"
[12]: https://www.theblock.co/post/260179/crypto-wallet-developer-argent-to-stop-zksync-era-development-to-prioritize-starknet "Crypto wallet developer Argent to stop zkSync Era development to prioritize Starknet — The Block, 31 Oct 2023"
[13]: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ready-usdc-card-service-halt-non-eea-report "Ready Restricts USDC Card Access Outside EEA — Cointelegraph, 17 Jun 2026"
[14]: https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1358741926&country=gb "Ready: Crypto & Card, App Store lookup (UK; US ratings from country=us) — Apple, read 22 Oct 2026"
[15]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ready.wallet&hl=en_GB&gl=GB "Ready X — Google Play, read 22 Oct 2026"
[16]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.argent.vault&hl=en_GB&gl=GB "Argent Ethereum Vault — Google Play, read 22 Oct 2026"
[17]: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/argent-x/ "Ready Wallet (Formerly Argent) — Firefox Add-ons, read 22 Oct 2026"
[18]: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11093638 "ARGENT LABS LIMITED, company 11093638 — Companies House, read 22 Oct 2026"
[19]: https://www.ready.co/legal/ready-app-terms-of-service "Ready App Terms of Service — Ready, read 22 Oct 2026"
[20]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250805072811/https://www.ready.co/blog/best-starknet-wallet-argent-x-vs-braavos "Best Starknet Wallet: Argent X vs Braavos — Argent, read 22 Oct 2026 (Wayback copy of 5 Aug 2025; page shows 1 Feb 2023 but cites Jan 2024 data)"
[21]: https://www.ready.co/ "Ready — official site, read 22 Oct 2026"
[22]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Argent+Labs&hl=en "Argent Labs — developer page, Google Play, read 22 Oct 2026"

## Source

Biography extracted from [ready.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/ready). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.