Standards/keepz-qr
Keepz QR
Overview
Keepz is Georgia's fastest-growing fintech, founded by CEO Papuna Lezhava, providing QR-based payment acceptance for merchants with comprehensive cryptocurrency + Open Banking + mobile-banking integration [1, 2, [ge-cro]]. Keepz has onboarded 20,000+ merchants in Georgia, enabling payment acceptance via traditional and emerging channels — Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrency, mobile banking for buyers. The structural distinction: Keepz was the first fintech in Georgia to acquire an Open Banking licence and the first to integrate cryptocurrency payments into tax collection.
In December 2024, Keepz helped position Georgia as one of the first countries globally to enable tax payments via digital assets — merchants can accept payments in USDT, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies, with the converted-to-fiat value usable for tax obligations [2]. This crypto-to-tax-payment bridge is structurally one of the most progressive government-crypto-integration arrangements globally. Keepz also brought Georgia its first 24/7 instant bank-to-bank transfer service (October 2025) — extending its infrastructure role beyond merchant acceptance into core interbank payment innovation. The Georgian context: Georgia has been one of the world's most crypto-friendly jurisdictions, and Keepz exemplifies the country's fintech-and-crypto-forward positioning.
History
Founding [2, [ge-cro]]:
- Papuna Lezhava co-founds Keepz.
- Tbilisi-based.
First Open Banking licence in Georgia [2]:
- Keepz becomes first Georgian fintech with Open Banking licence.
- Foundation for bank-account-integrated payment products.
Cryptocurrency integration [2]:
- Merchants accept USDT, Bitcoin, Ethereum, other major cryptos.
December 2024 — Digital-tax-payment milestone [2]:
- Keepz facilitates first government tax payments via digital currencies in Georgia.
- Positions Georgia as global pioneer.
October 2025 — 24/7 instant bank-to-bank transfer [financial-it]:
- Keepz brings Georgia its first 24/7 instant interbank-transfer service.
20,000+ merchants [2]:
- Substantial Georgian merchant penetration.
Credo Bank partnership — Keepz QR Terminal [1]:
- Credo Bank offers Keepz QR Terminal for Georgian merchants.
Technical specification
Keepz is Georgia's Open-Banking + crypto-integrated QR-payment fintech [1, 2]:
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| Operator | Keepz (Georgian fintech) |
| CEO | Papuna Lezhava |
| Currency | GEL (Georgian lari) + USDT/BTC/ETH/other crypto |
| Channels | Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto wallets, mobile banking |
| QR support | QR-code-based merchant acceptance |
| Open Banking licence | First in Georgia |
| Crypto integration | USDT, BTC, ETH + others; tax-payment integration |
| Merchants | 20,000+ |
| 24/7 interbank transfer | First in Georgia (Oct 2025) |
| Partner | Credo Bank (Keepz QR Terminal) |
Crypto-to-tax-payment flow [2]:
- Merchant accepts crypto payment from customer.
- Keepz handles conversion.
- Converted value usable for Georgian tax obligations.
Open Banking integration [2]:
- Direct bank-account-payment integration.
- Enables instant interbank transfers.
Use cases
Merchant QR-payment acceptance [1]: 20,000+ Georgian merchants.
Cryptocurrency-payment acceptance [2]: Major cryptocurrencies (USDT, BTC, ETH).
Tax payments via digital assets [2]: Pay Georgian government taxes via crypto.
24/7 instant bank-to-bank transfer [financial-it]: Real-time interbank transfers — first in Georgia.
Cross-channel acceptance [2]: Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto wallets, mobile banking — comprehensive cross-channel coverage.
Cryptal × Keepz top-up [cryptal]: Cryptal exchange integrates Keepz for fiat-or-crypto balance top-up.
Implementations & ecosystem
Operator: Keepz.
CEO: Papuna Lezhava.
Partner bank: Credo Bank (Keepz QR Terminal).
Other partners: Cryptal (Georgian exchange), Georgian Revenue Service (for tax-payment integration).
Major Georgian competitors: Bank-specific mobile-payment apps (TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, Liberty Bank); Apple Pay/Google Pay; other fintechs.
Fun facts
- First Georgian fintech with Open Banking licence: Regulatory-first-mover advantage.
- Crypto-to-tax-payment world first: Georgia became one of first countries globally enabling tax payments via digital assets — Keepz facilitated.
- 20,000 merchants in 4M-population country: Substantial penetration relative to Georgia's small economy.
- Cross-channel design: Apple Pay + Google Pay + crypto + mobile banking — broader channel coverage than most QR-focused peers.
- 24/7 interbank transfer first: Keepz also pioneered Georgia's real-time interbank-transfer service.
- Georgia's crypto-friendly positioning: Georgia has emerged as one of world's most crypto-friendly jurisdictions; Keepz exemplifies the fintech-and-crypto-forward national positioning.
- Papuna Lezhava: CEO frequently cited in fintech-news coverage of Keepz; Georgian-tech-entrepreneur profile.
- Credo Bank partnership: Credo Bank (Georgian commercial bank) offers Keepz QR Terminal — bank-fintech partnership model.
Comparison
| Feature | Keepz (GE) | chivo-qr (SV) | island-pay (BS) | hesabpay (AF) | Stripe (US/global) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Keepz (Georgian fintech) | Salvadoran state | Island Pay + Mastercard | HesabPay (private) | Stripe Inc. |
| Crypto integration | Deep (BTC/ETH/USDT) | Bitcoin-native | Sand Dollar CBDC + USD | Algorand blockchain | Limited |
| Tax-payment integration | First in world (Georgia) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Open Banking | Yes, first in Georgia | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 24/7 interbank transfer | Yes, first in Georgia | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Merchants | 20,000+ | Limited | Limited | Limited | Vast |
Status
Active, dominant Georgian fintech [1, 2]:
- Keepz operator, Papuna Lezhava CEO.
- 20,000+ merchants.
- First Open Banking licence in Georgia.
- Crypto-to-tax-payment integration (Dec 2024).
- 24/7 interbank transfer (Oct 2025, first in Georgia).
- Credo Bank partnership (Keepz QR Terminal).
Sources
- 1 Keepz QR Terminal — Credo Bank
- 2 Keepz × Georgia digital-tax payments — Fintech Times
- 3 Keepz fintech pioneer — Georgia Today
- [ge-cro]
reports/countries/GE-georgia.md
Deployments
Found in the following country reports (grep across reports/countries/):
- GE — GE-georgia.md