Finna launches Shore, an exchange and liquidity platform for merchants, creators and independent exchange operators

The new product allows trading businesses and creators to run branded exchanges and access liquidity without building the underlying technology.

Finna has launched Shore, a platform that lets P2P and OTC merchants, independent exchange operators, creators and influencers run crypto exchanges under their own brands without building the underlying infrastructure, with access to liquidity to fulfil customer orders. During private beta, merchants processed over $500,000 on Shore.

Since its launch, Finna has processed more than $100 million in transactions. Merchants running their own trading desks accounted for about 80% of that volume. The company found that merchants were using its platform, a stablecoin-backed lending solution built for consumers, to support their trading businesses. Shore was built as a full-featured, standalone platform to meet the merchants' needs.

“We didn't set out to build exchange infrastructure for merchants. But when we looked at how people used Finna, we found that merchants drove most of the activity. Shore came from recognizing that opportunity,” said Finna Co-founder and CEO Agbona Igwemoh.

For many OTC merchants, managing trades and customers is largely manual, relying on disconnected tools such as chat applications and spreadsheets. P2P traders on global exchanges face a different problem. They compete with other merchants on marketplaces where they have limited control over customer and trading experience.

Shore also serves independent exchange operators who already have customers and process transactions but lack dedicated exchange technology. These businesses can handle substantial trading volumes without generating enough revenue to justify the cost of building and operating their own exchange platforms. Shore allows them to operate branded exchanges using existing infrastructure.

Creators and influencers can also use Shore to launch exchanges for their audiences, offering trading services under their own brands instead of directing followers to third-party platforms.

Shore handles customer registration, identity verification, trading and payouts, while operators and creators manage their own brands and customer relationships.

Liquidity to fulfil trades

The volume of trades merchants can handle often depends on the available capital. Even when customer demand is strong, limited capital can restrict the size and number of orders they can fulfil.

Shore's Infra Fund provides liquidity that operators can use as their primary source of funding for trades or alongside their own capital.

In addition, Shore offers an API that allows fintechs and other businesses to integrate crypto buying and selling into their apps without building the underlying infrastructure.

“We're not looking to take customers away from merchants. They've built those relationships themselves. We want them to have the technology and access to capital to serve those customers through businesses they control,” said Finna Co-founder and CTO Kparobo Abala.

Shore is now open to P2P and OTC merchants, independent exchange operators and creators, subject to business verification. To learn more or get started, visit shore.so