Financial Services
Modernizing a Regulated Compliance System at Paxos
Paxos needed to evolve compliance workflows in a regulated crypto environment where mistakes could trigger audit findings or violations. We modernized the system incrementally, keeping operations safe throughout.
Services Provided
Application Modernization, Web Development
Product Type
Technologies Used
Web Application
React, JavaScript, .NET, Chef
Product Type
Web Application
Technologies Used
React, JavaScript, .NET, Chef
Project Highlights
Zero compliance disruptions during the entire transition
7x faster settlement — from 7 days down to 1 day
System flexible enough to add Ethereum support post-launch
About
Paxos is a regulated financial institution building infrastructure to enable movement between physical and digital assets. In the cryptocurrency space, AML (anti-money laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) compliance isn't optional — it's legally mandated. Errors don't just slow things down; they can trigger regulatory violations, audit findings, or fraud exposure.
Challenge
Paxos' compliance workflows were manual and multi-step, with multiple actors involved in data entry and verification. This made processes slow (7-day turnaround for some transactions) and error-prone.
But the real challenge wasn't just speed — it was risk. Any disruption to live compliance workflows during modernization could cause data inconsistencies, incomplete audits, or regulatory issues. Disrupting the audit trail during transition could trigger findings. Gaps in automated validation could expose the company to fraud. The team needed to modernize without breaking anything.
Solution
Def Method worked directly with the compliance team to understand each step of their manual process. Rather than a big-bang migration, the team automated incrementally — validating each piece before moving to the next.
The legacy system stayed running until the transition was complete, ensuring zero disruption to live operations. The team automated KYC tests that had previously been performed manually, built in robust validation at each step, and opened up the system to handle additional currencies.
By making the architecture flexible from the start, the team enabled Paxos to add Ethereum support without another risky migration — designing out future risk, not just solving today's problem.
Results
The modernization delivered both speed and safety. Paxos can now settle trades 7x faster (1 day vs. 7 days), with automated compliance reducing error and fraud risk.
Most importantly: zero compliance disruptions during the entire transition. The audit trail stayed intact, regulatory requirements stayed met, and the business never had to hold its breath during a cutover.
The system proved flexible enough to add Ethereum support post-launch — a change that would have been another risky migration under the old architecture.