Merchant token (MTO) is Hips Merchant Protocol's (HMP), the native protocoltoken issued on Ethereum using the ERC-20 standard. HIPS Merchant Protocol (HMP), the Hips Merchant Protocol Gateway (HMP-gateway), and the government Merchant Token (MTO) aim to be defined as a solution to consumer protection. The protocol, gateway, and token seek to introduce consumer protection concepts from the traditional card payment industry to any blockchain with support for distinct smart contracts such as Cardano (ADA), Solana, or Ethereum. 

Furthermore, HIPS Merchant blockchain is the native blockchain for Merchant Coin (MEO), and HMP that are optimized for real-time Merchant transactions. MEO and HMP are developed for electronic fund transfer devices and payment service providers (PSP) with complete support for backward-compatible financial protocols such as ISO8583 which enables cryptocurrency payments in standard terminal messages utilizing card scheme infrastructures and existing terminals for crypto payments on HIPS Merchant blockchain. 

According to the whitepaper, Merchant Token and Merchant Protocol act as a true enabler and missing piece for mainstream global mass adoption of crypto payments from the perspective of the consumers. MTO introduces the automatic dispute management (ADM) concept and community dispute management (CDM). Community dispute management system (CDM) seeks to allow token holders to enhance token holdings. 

The MTO is a base currency in the systems and concepts of ADM and CDM. The contract and dispute fees are paid in the form of Merchant Token. Moreover, traders can seek to earn and stake dividends from the fees paid for disputes and contracts by holding the tokens. Similarly, the automatic dispute management (ADM) concept assists in resolving the disputes related to the transactions on the blockchain. 

The Merchant Protocol was introduced in June 2020 and was launched privately by the HIPS Payment Group. In November 2020, the first Merchant Contract was made available in the Ethereum blockchain. The team behind Merchant Token (MTO) is made up of three main individuals— John Cavebring (CEO), Emil Lumdvall (CFO), and Axel Arvidsson (COO).