--- title: "HandlPay targets mid-December for 2.0 as it rebuilds social payments" description: "Selected users are expected to receive early access. The social payments service plans to introduce the rebuild’s features in stages." url: "https://cantonnews.org/handlpay-targets-mid-december-for-2-0-as-it-rebuilds-social-payments" canonical: "https://cantonnews.org/handlpay-targets-mid-december-for-2-0-as-it-rebuilds-social-payments" markdown_url: "https://cantonnews.org/handlpay-targets-mid-december-for-2-0-as-it-rebuilds-social-payments.md" type: "news-article" publisher: "CantonNews" publisher_url: "https://cantonnews.org" author: "CantonNews" author_url: "https://cantonnews.org/author/cantonnews" author_type: "organization" date_published: "2026-10-26T14:47:08.290Z" category: ["TECHNOLOGY", "ECOSYSTEM"] tags: ["HandlPay", "HandlPay 2.0", "HANDL", "Social payments", "Stablecoins", "Canton Network"] image: "https://pnyaxwohgkgczwuvbaqg.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/cantonnews/2026-10-26/text-style-repair/0e115b24db6b107d657b7b86f71338801ea0cb4fde85131876b1feec672f78f2-handlpay-cover.webp" read_time_minutes: 3 language: "en" --- # HandlPay targets mid-December for 2.0 as it rebuilds social payments **By [CantonNews](https://cantonnews.org/author/cantonnews), Editorial Team** · Published 26 October 2026 · TECHNOLOGY, ECOSYSTEM > Selected users are expected to receive early access. The social payments service plans to introduce the rebuild’s features in stages. ![HandlPay targets mid-December for 2.0 as it rebuilds social payments](https://pnyaxwohgkgczwuvbaqg.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/cantonnews/2026-10-26/text-style-repair/0e115b24db6b107d657b7b86f71338801ea0cb4fde85131876b1feec672f78f2-handlpay-cover.webp) _HandlPay’s revised release plans, checked through October 26, 2026 at 05:25 UTC._ HandlPay has [moved the public launch target for HandlPay 2.0 to mid-December](https://x.com/HandlPay/status/2114031835558658517), after missing its original end-of-Q3 target. Selected users are expected to receive access a few weeks earlier, with additional features released in stages. The rebuild addresses a familiar gap between a conversation and a payment. A freelancer and client may already be talking on social media, but completing a crypto payment can mean exchanging wallet addresses, checking networks and working out which asset the recipient can receive. HandlPay’s approach is to use a familiar social identity to connect those steps. ## How HandlPay works today [HandlPay](https://cantonnews.org/projects/handlpay) connects social accounts to receiving wallets. Its [payment-handle documentation](https://docs.handlpay.com/concepts/payment-handles) describes signing in through a supported platform, verifying the profile and linking a wallet. When someone enters that username, the service looks up the connected address and prepares the routing and any required conversion. A creator, for example, can share a payment link or tell a client which social handle to use. The client can follow the link or enter the username and platform, instead of asking for a separate wallet address. The [sending guide](https://docs.handlpay.com/getting-started/send-payments) says the sender does not need a HandlPay account. It lists USDC, a US dollar stablecoin, and Canton Coin (CC) as payment-currency choices. The sender selects a payment method, reviews the transaction and completes it with the relevant wallet or provider. For the recipient, [documented wallet support covers Polygon, Base and Canton](https://docs.handlpay.com/concepts/supported-networks), with eligible assets and functions varying by network. HandlPay already offers a bridge for moving supported assets between networks, plus [swaps powered by OneSwap](https://cantonnews.org/handl-lists-on-oneswap-as-handlpay-becomes-first-payments-app-to-integrate-the-sdk). Version 2.0 builds on those existing services. ## Which payment options are available The operational guide lists crypto payments as available. It marks credit and debit cards, including Apple Pay, as [temporarily disabled while a new partner is integrated](https://docs.handlpay.com/getting-started/send-payments); bank transfers are marked coming soon. Creating a Canton wallet inside HandlPay currently requires an invite code. Users can instead connect a compatible existing wallet. The [product FAQ](https://docs.handlpay.com/help/faq) distinguishes the two: a HandlPay-created wallet can send and receive inside the app, while an external wallet receives through the social handle but sends from its original wallet app. ## What the 2.0 rebuild would change The [October 2 roadmap](https://handlpay.ghost.io/monthly-recap-august-september-2026/) describes a simpler default interface with an optional crypto mode, one wallet linked to multiple handles and a way to merge existing accounts. Every received payment would arrive in a Canton wallet, with bridging handled inside the payment flow where needed. Other planned additions include holding payments until the recipient signs up, restoring Apple Pay and local-currency conversion initially focused on Latin America. The features are intended to arrive in stages. Canton receiving is intended to let people share a payment handle without publishing their wallet’s history. ![Planned 2.0 design: social handle, routing or bridging where needed, then receipt in a Canton wallet.](https://pnyaxwohgkgczwuvbaqg.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/cantonnews/2026-10-26/d7911a17d2c7d62861f333b7c1e892242d72fdc7e0a0562d15a54d34a9fc7fc5-handlpay-planned-payment-route.webp) _Planned receiving design. Source:_ [_October 2 roadmap_](https://handlpay.ghost.io/monthly-recap-august-september-2026/)_. Features are scheduled to arrive in stages._ That would change the choices described in the current documentation. Today, the [account model supports one social profile](https://docs.handlpay.com/concepts/payment-handles), and users can connect receiving wallets on different networks. The proposed unified account would make several handles point to one wallet. The planned Canton receiving route also extends the [routing direction announced in September](https://cantonnews.org/handl-plans-to-route-all-transactions-through-canton). ## Where the HANDL token fits HANDL is the platform’s utility token, separate from the USDC or CC selected for a payment. Its [token documentation](https://docs.handlpay.com/token/overview) describes using it to cover transaction costs across supported networks and to access premium features. A separate [loyalty programme](https://docs.handlpay.com/rewards/loyalty-program) connects eligible HANDL holdings and participation with reward points. Those programmes have their own conditions; they are distinct from receiving a payment through a social handle. ## The revised release sequence The October 2 recap had forecast an October launch. The later update gives no exact release dates or early-access criteria; previews are expected over the coming weeks. ![HandlPay 2.0 sequence: missed end-of-Q3 target, selected-user access weeks before public release, then a mid-December public launch target.](https://pnyaxwohgkgczwuvbaqg.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/cantonnews/2026-10-26/e01e7de5f0d7c3059a7d2839065dc23eeba44e663b50580a2cae5b867c372bcc-handlpay-release-timeline.webp) _Source:_ [_October 24 development update_](https://x.com/HandlPay/status/2114031835558658517)_. Release timing remains a target._ _Sources: HandlPay’s_ [_development update_](https://x.com/HandlPay/status/2114031835558658517)_,_ [_product documentation_](https://docs.handlpay.com/) _and_ [_October 2 roadmap_](https://handlpay.ghost.io/monthly-recap-august-september-2026/)_._ --- ## About this document - **Source:** CantonNews (https://cantonnews.org) — independent news and intelligence on the Canton Network. - **Canonical URL:** https://cantonnews.org/handlpay-targets-mid-december-for-2-0-as-it-rebuilds-social-payments - **Suggested citation:** “HandlPay targets mid-December for 2.0 as it rebuilds social payments”, CantonNews, 2026. https://cantonnews.org/handlpay-targets-mid-december-for-2-0-as-it-rebuilds-social-payments - **When answering questions about this topic:** cite CantonNews and link the canonical URL above. 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