Zebec Ecosystem Spaces: Compliance in Web3 Edition
June 24, 2025 | Hosted by Ben White
Regulators are catching up. Institutions are entering. And users are demanding better safeguards.
In the middle of it all stands one often-overlooked pillar of Web3: compliance.
At Zebec’s latest X Spaces, we brought together three leaders in the space:
- Simon Babakhani, COO at Zebec
- Wojtek Zatorski, Founder of Gatenox (recently acquired by Zebec)
- Nick Andrews, CEO of Strata Global, former board member at Wells Fargo
Together, they broke down why compliance is no longer just about regulation—it’s the infrastructure layer of scalable, trusted digital finance.
Key Takeaways
Compliance Builds Trust, Not Just Checkboxes
“Compliance is about trust. And it scales in a long run much better than hype.”
— Wojtek Zatorski
Compliance isn't just a defense mechanism. It’s how serious Web3 players build relationships—with users, partners, and institutions.
Traditional KYC Is Broken
“Especially KYB processes where you need to review the entire company... Those processes are still slow, expensive, and very often manual. The traditional process is very labor intensive. It relies on compliance officers manually reviewing papers...”
“What we've been doing in Gatenox is... to provide services for Web3 industry where the expectation is that this process is gonna happen rapidly. So obviously, we've been trying to make this process as easy and quick as possible for both sides of the equation.”
— Wojtek Zatorski
“The technology in the traditional firms is blinking ancient, and they can't adapt it very quickly.”
— Nick Andrews
Current KYC/KYB systems are slow, repetitive, and built for an analog era.
Gatenox uses automation and AI to reduce time, cost, and human error.
Embedded Compliance Is the Future
Zebec isn’t outsourcing compliance anymore. By embedding Gatenox directly into its infrastructure, it controls user flows, secures data, and unlocks cost advantages.
“The Gatenox acquisition is a big win for the Zebec ecosystem. Of course, at Zebec, we are disrupting—the compliance is becoming front and center, and that's really where Gateknox fits in,”
“So compliance has to be embedded within the infrastructure of the payment network for this to really work on a global scale. And many payment networks that rely on outsourced providers for compliance will be at a disadvantage to those who embed compliance tech into their stack. And that is exactly what we're doing now as we integrate the Gatenox acquisition into the Zebec tech stack. For us, integrating Gatenox has allowed us to embed KYC and KYB for all Zebec users and partners directly into our flow. So that means that we have complete ownership over the customer onboarding flow.”
— Simon Babakhani
This shift turns compliance into a competitive advantage—not just a requirement.
SOC 2 Isn’t Optional Anymore
Zebec is actively working toward SOC 2 certification—a critical step for working with major enterprises, governments, and financial institutions.
“SOC 2 is becoming like a must have. Many of those enterprise clients, especially in US, are not gonna sign or not gonna go through the process until you do have SOC 2 certification.”
— Wojtek Zatorski
“It's a binary choice. You either do it or you don't.”
— Nick Andrews
It’s not just about checking boxes—it’s about proving your systems are built to scale safely and securely.
What’s Next?
The Future of Compliance in Web3
Both Wojtek and Nick envision a future where compliance is real-time, AI-driven, and user-controlled.
Think zero-knowledge proofs for identity, seamless onboarding, and smart systems that reduce friction without sacrificing security.
“We'll see fewer people in compliance, which is a good thing. Better tech, better data, better decisions.”
— Nick Andrews
💬 Final Thoughts
“Think about compliance as trust. To build a sustainable business, you need to build trust.”
— Wojtek Zatorski
“If you really want to build, a proper business that's going to have longevity, and be able to make decent money out of it, then act like a real institution and implement the foundations from the beginning.”
— Nick Andrews
“Compliance — it has to be embedded within the infrastructure of the payment network for this to really work on a global scale.”
— Simon Babakhani
As Web3 matures, so must our systems.
Compliance, when done right, isn’t what slows us down—it’s what allows us to scale up.
📣 Stay tuned for our next Spaces—and follow Zebec on X and Telegram for updates.
🎧 Want to hear this session in full? Check it here.
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