Jiko - Where safety meets innovation

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

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Jiko is designed for unmatched safety, liquidity, and simplicity — combining the innovation of a technology platform with the security of a regulated bank. By reinventing the traditional deposit model, Jiko offers Jiko Pockets, a seamless solution that combines the transactional ease of a bank account with fully automated investments in U.S. Treasury bills. With JikoNet, institutions can securely move funds 24/7 across industries while keeping assets continuously invested and protected. Finance leaders can access Jiko Pockets and JikoNet through Jiko’s online dashboard, secure APIs, and integrations with leading Treasury Management partners.

Jiko Pockets are the accounts where clients store and move money at Jiko. They are made up of a bank account at Jiko Bank and a brokerage account at Jiko Securities (Jiko’s registered broker-dealer), connected at the hip to facilitate money movement through traditional banking rails (wires, ACH, and card transactions) and direct investment of funds in U.S. Treasury bills. Jiko Pockets are powered by T-bill agents: autonomous entities that continuously keep cash invested in T-bills, monitor balances, liquidate positions, and support payments, 24/7.

The end experience for clients is an extremely seamless way to access the safety and yield of  T-bills while maintaining the transactional capabilities of a traditional bank account. Because client funds are held in T-bills in their name and not commingled or pooled with other funds, clients are not exposed to unnecessary counterparty risks they would be with other financial institutions.

Within Jiko’s platform, clients can create and manage multiple Pockets, each with its purpose or designation, so businesses can still segment funds as needed while maintaining control and visibility in one consolidated system.

T-bill agents power Jiko Pockets by acting as an autonomous entity that continuously keeps cash invested in T-bills, monitors balances, liquidates positions, and supports payments, 24/7.

A T-bill agent is not a human trader, nor is it an AI agent. T-bill agents represent the automated system within Jiko’s platform that manages client Treasury bill holdings behind the scenes, and makes it possible for your cash to stay invested and earn yield while remaining fully liquid and ready for payments without manual trading or intervention.

JikoNet is Jiko’s real-time settlement network designed to enable institutions to move large volumes of US dollars securely, 24/7, while minimizing counterparty and liquidity risks and earning yield up until the moment of the transaction.

JikoNet facilitates instant transactions between Jiko Pockets. When a transfer is initiated, JikoNet automatically liquidates the sender's T-bills, transfers the funds using a ledger transfer at Jiko Bank, and reinvests them into T-bills for the recipient, all in real time.

Key Benefits:

  • Transact at any time, including weekends and off-peak hours, without exposure to traditional banking delays or balance sheet risks.

  • Funds remain invested in U.S. Treasury bills before and after transactions, ensuring that cash is never idle and always earning the risk-free rate.

  • As a regulated national bank and broker-dealer, Jiko ensures that all users and transactions have the proper regulatory oversight.

Yes! In 2020, Jiko became one of the first fintech companies to obtain the approvals required to purchase its national bank. 

Many fintech providers build on top of existing bank infrastructure, which limits flexibility and creates operational dependencies. By owning both a nationally chartered bank and a registered broker-dealer (both integrated with Jiko’s technology stack), Jiko can control and optimize the entire banking experience and eliminate unnecessary counterparty risk. This integrated approach links direct access to T-bills with banking rails to deliver transactional capabilities for clients, with transparency and oversight from regulators. Jiko chose the more rigorous path to ensure safe and sustainable innovation in the banking space.

Jiko is a nationally regulated bank, but operates a de-levered, alternative deposit model that keeps clients free from balance sheet risks while maintaining the same functionality as a traditional bank account. Rather than lending out deposits or holding them on the balance sheet, Jiko provides direct ownership of U.S. Treasury bills, giving clients an optimal combination of safety, yield, and liquidity without exposure to unnecessary counterparty risk.

Jiko’s banking infrastructure was built from the ground up, giving Jiko the ability to operate with modern agility and a privacy-first approach. The result is a platform that replaces legacy complexity with a transparent, secure, and programmatic way to store and move cash.

At its core, Jiko replaces outdated infrastructure with a safer, more direct approach designed to meet the needs of modern treasury teams.

Money Market Funds (MMFs) pool client assets and invest in a mix of short-term instruments, some of which may carry counterparty risk. Investors own shares in the fund, not the underlying assets, which introduces added layers of risk, management fees, and limited transparency.

With Jiko, clients own U.S. Treasury bills directly, in their name, through a regulated bank and broker-dealer. There are no fund wrappers, no hidden counterparties, and no unnecessary intermediaries between clients and their funds.

For treasurers looking to store cash while optimizing for safety, yield, and liquidity, the experience may feel similar to a Money Market Fund, but Jiko offers a key advantage: clients can access cash and make payments just like a traditional bank account, staying invested in T-bills and earning yield until the moment of the transaction or withdrawal.

Want a deeper comparison? Read our blog on the risks of MMFs vs. T-bills. 

Jiko serves a broad range of clients looking for a safer, more efficient way to store and move cash. Corporate treasurers and finance teams use Jiko Pockets to manage operating and idle funds with safety, simplicity, and liquidity.

Financial institutions and fintechs can also integrate with Jiko’s infrastructure via APIs, offering Jiko Pockets as part of their own commercial or retail product experiences.