Bridge is a compliant crypto communication tool that ‘doesn’t suck’

As the crypto industry matures, pragmatism and common sense are slowly creeping into the idealistic, messy business of blockchain tech. For years, crypto founders have declared that they’re reinventing the financial system. While the focus has been on big ideas and innovative financial engineering, many crypto products and services remain off-limits to regulated organizations.

As banks, OTC desks, and institutional investors enter the crypto space, they find the basic infrastructure of serious finance either missing or lacking in the compliance tools that allow them to fully participate. Platforms like Telegram and X may be the preferred communication channels of the crypto-natives, but institutions face issues such as disposable messages, phishing attempts, and managing countless insecure channels. For instance, JPMorgan was fined $200 million by regulators in 2021 for using these platforms, which are often exploited by scammers for theft.

The Tie, a provider of institutional-grade digital asset data, has stepped in to solve the problem of secure crypto communication. By integrating with compliance-focused systems like Global Relay, it aims to meet the stringent requirements of financial institutions. According to Josh Frank, CEO of The Tie, “Institutions don’t get to opt in to compliance. They have rules and a duty to preserve records, making existing communication channels in crypto unsuitable for their needs.”

The Tie introduced a new messaging solution called Bridge, designed to meet the needs of institutions participating in the digital asset economy. Josh Frank explains, “There’s nothing wrong with WhatsApp or Telegram for most users, but for institutions, we had to build a platform that excels in compliance.” Melvin Deng, CEO of QCP, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of compliance, record preservation, and auditable communications. Bridge ensures identity verification and record-keeping as defaults, aligning with institutional standards.

Starting with email domain verification, strict Know Your Business (KYB) rules, and verified identities to eliminate bad actors, Bridge is designed to transform B2B messaging in the crypto industry. It simplifies team management, including the challenging process of bulk reassigning old members’ communication channels and histories directly to new members, thus addressing compliance liabilities. Furthermore, the platform includes an audit log for all blockchain transactions, ensuring every action is recorded, verified, and timestamped.

Bridge also integrates with The Tie’s data platform, offering privacy-focused access to institutional-grade insights. Users can search for contextual data using AI, such as listing custodians, OTC desks, or brokers meeting specific criteria. For example, one could ask, "List brokers in Singapore with over $10M in funding raised in the past two years." The platform further allows for the discovery of real-time market sentiment, developer statistics, and more.

Bridge is set to launch in early 2026 as a web and desktop app, along with native iOS and Android versions. The service will be priced at just $5 per month, per user, and according to Josh Frank, “It’s designed to be a no-brainer. If you operate in crypto, you need this.” Bridge ultimately aims to make the crypto space safer, welcome new participants, and provide tools to ensure it becomes the backbone of global finance.