Australia’s 2.5 million medium-sized businesses generate a major part of the country’s GDP. Yet most still use fashioned payment systems. XDC Network, a global blockchain network, wants to change that. They are working with AUDDapt, a grant program. This program gives small Australian businesses access to cheaper and more transparent ways to move money. In this interview with Bitcoin.com News, Sean White of XDC Network shares his perspective on why SMEs deserve better payment infrastructure and what needs to change.
Q: What is AUDDapt, and why did XDC Network decide to get involved?
Sean White: AUDDapt is a grant program launched by AUDC, the regulated issuer of AUDD, arguably Australia’s only regulated digital currency backed 1:1 by the Australian dollar, helping small and medium-sized businesses access modern digital payment tools. XDC Network is the strategic infrastructure partner, which means businesses that opt into the XDC track will gain direct access to our blockchain ecosystem alongside their grant funding and technical support. Our decision to collaborate was straightforward. There are 2.5 million small businesses in Australia contributing a major part of GDP, yet the majority still rely on traditional payment systems that have not changed in decades. AUDDapt gave us a practical, structured way to change and make their cash work smarter.
Q: What specific problems does XDC Network’s infrastructure solve for small businesses when it comes to payments?
Sean White: The core problems SMEs face with cross-border payments are cost, speed, and visibility. Traditional banking infrastructure routes payments through multiple intermediaries, each taking a cut and adding time. A payment that should take minutes can take days, and at no point does the business owner have reliable visibility over where their money is. To solve these hurdles, XDC Network is designed to address all three of those problems directly. XDC settles transactions in seconds, at a fraction of the cost compared to the traditional channels, with full transparency at every step. That is the infrastructure made accessible to the SME’s through the AUDDapt- XDC track, further, our ecosystem partners are the cream on the top.
Q: What role does AUDD play in the program, and why is a locally regulated digital currency important?
The AUDD stablecoin is what separates the AUDDapt Initiative from any other grant program targeting small businesses. Most digital payment initiatives ask SMEs to transact in foreign-issued currencies that sit outside local regulatory frameworks. AUDD does the opposite; backed 1:1 by the Australian dollar and fully regulated and issued by our partners at AUDC specifically for the local businesses. This distinction matters right now. Australia is at a pivotal moment in its digital payments journey, regulators are moving and businesses are watching, and the question of which digital currencies can be trusted is very much relevant. In fact, recently, a significant amendment to our Corporations Act was passed by both levels of Government. For the first time, we have a legislative framework that directly addresses digital asset platforms, and it provides long-awaited clarity for businesses, investors and regulators – marking a shift from uncertainty toward implementation. It is no coincidence that AUDDapt already operates within a compliant, locally regulated framework. This gives businesses the confidence to move forward at a time when regulatory clarity is still relatively emerging..
Q: Beyond the grant funding, what does XDC Network bring to the table for businesses that opt into the XDC track?
Sean White: Blockchain changes the way money moves. Settlements that take days through traditional banking happen in seconds. Fees that erode margins on every cross-border payment drop to a fraction of traditional costs. And business owners gain real-time visibility over every transaction, something the traditional system has rarely delivered at the SME level. Through XDC track, AUDDapt shares one of the cheapest and fastest, and most secure operational Web3 infrastructures directly with Australian small businesses. Those who opt in and are accepted by AUDC into the XDC track gain direct access to a network already running at an institutional scale worldwide leveraging XDC Network’s considerable global and local footprints into supply chain, international trade, and global payment ecosystems.
Q: Beyond the initial cohort, what is XDC Network ultimately trying to prove with AUDDapt?
Sean White: The gap between what large institutions and small businesses can do with payments has existed for too long, and it is not a technology problem. The technology is there. XDC Network has been running it at an institutional scale for years. What has been missing is the will to make it accessible. AUDDapt is that moment. If we can put a real Australian business on infrastructure that settles cross-border payments in seconds at a fraction of traditional costs, we are not just helping one business. We are making the case that this is how SME finance should work everywhere. That is the story we are trying to write – the legislative mood set by the Government, as evident by today’s unfolding in Parliament, reinforces that we are indeed becoming a digital economy.
Q: What would you say to an Australian small business owner who is curious about AUDDapt but unsure whether it is right for them?
Sean White: The most significant thing to understand is that AUDDapt is not a program for technology experts. It is for the local Australian business that moves money and wants to do it faster and at a lower cost. The funding, the technical guidance, and the infrastructure are all provided through the program. What we are looking for are businesses with a genuine cross-border payment challenge and the willingness to approach it differently. The barriers to entry are lower than most small business owners expect. That is precisely what AUDDapt was designed to prove.
About XDC Network
XDC Network is an open-source, EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain built for payments, trade finance and real-world assets, offering high throughput, low fees and enterprise-grade security, while being ISO 20022–compliant to support interoperability with global financial messaging and payment systems. XDC Network underpins a growing ecosystem of regulated digital money, trade, and settlement solutions across the globe.
About AUDC:
AUDC Pty Ltd is a regulated issuer of AUDD, Australian dollar-backed stablecoin. Headquartered in Melbourne, AUDC is focused on building trusted, compliant digital currency infrastructure for Australian businesses and consumers.
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