Overview
On-ramp and off-ramp orders convert between fiat currencies and digital assets. You submit the order from your Fireblocks workspace, and a connected provider executes it on your behalf.
- On-ramp converts fiat currency into digital assets.
- Off-ramp converts digital assets into fiat currency.
How it works
You create an order specifying the currency pair, the amount, the destination, and the connected account that will execute it. Fireblocks routes the order to the provider. The direction and settlement type determine whether you send funds to the provider and receive the converted funds, or the provider draws from a balance you hold with it in advance.
Example (on-ramp): You hold EUR in an external bank account and want USDC. You create an on-ramp order, send EUR to the provider using the payment instructions shown, and the provider delivers USDC to your vault.
Example (off-ramp): You hold USDC in a vault account and want EUR in your bank account. You create an off-ramp order, transfer the USDC to the provider, and the provider sends EUR to your whitelisted bank account.
Order types
On-ramp
Fiat is sent from a bank account, or drawn from your provider's connected-account balance, to the provider. The provider converts it to crypto and moves it to your Fireblocks vault or to another wallet belonging to you or your clients, including a one-time address (OTA).
Off-ramp
Funds move from your Fireblocks vault — or an external wallet of yours — to a whitelisted bank account, yours or your clients'. When you off-ramp from an external wallet, the asset movement happens outside Fireblocks.
Orders settlement types
How funds move between you and the provider depends on the settlement type configured for your provider account.
Funds on the fly (DVP: delivery-versus-payment)
No pre-deposited balance is required. For on-ramp, the provider returns payment instructions and you send the fiat from your external bank account. For off-ramp, you transfer the digital assets from your vault, or an external account, to the provider, who then sends the equivalent fiat to your bank account.
Prefunded
You maintain a balance with the provider in advance. When you create an order, the provider draws from that balance and immediately delivers the converted funds. No separate payment step is required.
How rates work
When you create an order, the rate shown is either a quote or an estimated rate, depending on your provider.
Quote
Some providers support quotes. A quote is a fixed exchange rate the provider offers you for a limited time. You have until the quote expires to approve it. Once you approve, that rate is locked in: it will not change, and the order settles at the amount you were quoted.
Estimated rate
Other providers apply the rate at the time they receive your funds. The amount shown at order creation is an estimate. The final amount is confirmed at the point of settlement.
Which rate type is available depends on your provider. The order form indicates whether you are getting a quote or an estimated rate.
Off-ramp requirements
Off-ramp has requirements that do not apply to on-ramp. Which ones apply depends on your provider.
Whitelisted fiat destination — all providers
Add the bank account as a whitelisted address before using it as an off-ramp destination.
Native blockchain asset for fees — when the source is a Fireblocks vault
When you off-ramp from a vault, the movement of digital assets to the provider is an on-chain transaction. Your vault must hold the native blockchain asset to cover the network (gas) fee — for example, ETH on Ethereum, MATIC on Polygon, or SOL on Solana. This applies whether the provider settles by standard transfer or by smart contract.
Transfer Policy — providers that settle by standard transfer
Off-ramp providers that receive your digital assets through a standard vault-to-provider transfer require you to have a Transfer Policy rule that explicitly allows that transfer. Without this rule, the transaction is blocked at the policy level. Applies to OpenPayd, Yellow Card, Alfred Pay, dLocal, Bridge, Mopay, and Banxa. (If you off-ramp from an external wallet, the transfer happens outside Fireblocks and no Transfer Policy rule is needed.)
Smart contract settlement — providers that settle through a smart contract
Some providers receive your digital assets through a smart contract interaction rather than a standard transfer. These providers require you have additional policy rules for the settlement steps — Approve and Typed Message on EVM blockchains (via the Permit2 smart contract), or Program Call on Solana — and do not need a separate Transfer Policy rule. Circle Payments Network (CPN) uses smart contract settlement; other providers may adopt it in the future.
See Policy rules for on-ramp and off-ramp orders.
Account-based providers
On-ramp and off-ramp use account-based providers — centralized providers such as OpenPayd, Yellow Card, Alfred Pay, dLocal, Bridge, Mopay, Banxa, and Circle Payments Network (CPN). They require you to create an account and connect it to your Fireblocks workspace before placing orders. The modal shows only the currencies, rails, and settlement types your connected account supports.
Some account-based providers settle through a smart contract — they receive digital assets through a smart contract interaction rather than a standard account transfer. CPN, for example, uses smart contract settlement for USDC off-ramp on Ethereum and Polygon (via the Permit2 smart contract) and on Solana (via a program call).
Some providers support sub-accounts — separate accounts at the provider level for each of your merchants or clients. Once you connect your main provider account, any existing sub-accounts are automatically discovered and appear in your workspace, where you can place orders on them. Opening new sub-accounts and managing KYB at the merchant or client level must be handled directly with the provider and are not part of the Fireblocks integration.
Use case variants
Treasury
Your organization converts between fiat and digital assets for its own use. Only your account details are required. This is called first-party orders.
Payout flow
Your organization converts on behalf of clients. You provide originator and beneficiary identification as part of the order to meet regulatory requirements. Some providers collect this information at the quote stage, before the order is created. This is called third-party orders.
Key considerations
Fees
Provider execution fees may apply depending on the provider and currency pair. The order form shows applicable fees before you confirm. In addition, when digital assets move from your Fireblocks vault to the provider (any DVP off-ramp from a vault — whether by standard transfer or smart contract settlement), a network (gas) fee applies and your vault's native asset balance pays it.
Order expiration
Orders have an expiration window. If funds do not reach the provider before the order expires, the order may fail. Expiration timeframes vary by provider and payment method.
Awaiting Information
Some providers may request additional compliance information or documentation after an order is submitted. When this happens, the order pauses, and you can view it on History > Orders to review the request and respond. The order resumes automatically once the request is cleared.