Ellis Norman

Dealwire.TECH Deal of the Week — Mesh ($75M Series C, $1B valuation) https://www.meshpay.com/ Crypto’s next chapter isn’t about speculation — it’s about payments infrastructure. Mesh’s $75M Series C at a $1B valuation signals a clear shift in investor conviction: capital is rotating from trading and token-centric narratives into real-world transaction rails. Mesh is building what many in the industry have talked about, but few have executed: a global crypto payments network that connects exchanges, wallets, and payment providers into a single interoperable layer. Consumers can pay with any supported digital asset, while merchants settle instantly in stablecoins or local fiat — no volatility risk, no wallet management, no fragmented integrations. The company’s asset-agnostic SmartFunding technology abstracts away blockchain complexity, routing “any-to-any” payments across chains and liquidity pools. The result is a horizontal payments layer that targets embedded deposits, remittances, and high-value cross-border commerce — areas where legacy card rails struggle with FX leakage, chargebacks, and delayed settlement. Led by Dragonfly, with participation from Paradigm and Coinbase Ventures, the round reflects strong alignment around an infrastructure-first thesis. Mesh’s ambitions — $1B in revenue and $1T in transaction volume — place it firmly in the category of next-generation global payment networks, not fintech tooling. Bottom line: If crypto is going to reach mass adoption, it won’t look like exchanges — it will look like invisible, instant payments embedded everywhere. #DealOfTheWeek #DealWire #CryptoPayments #Fintech #PaymentsInfrastructure #Stablecoins #Web3 #DigitalAssets

4

As crypto markets boom, the CFTC faces staff cuts, low morale, and internal strife. Acting chair Caroline Pham says the agency’s governance and enforcement need urgent fixes, even as its oversight role expands to $500T markets. https://lnkd.in/eZeGph7P

1

This is a big one! The Stellar Development Foundation is partnering with U.S. Bank in collaboration with PwC to test a U.S. Bank custom stablecoin issuance on the Stellar network. Imagine a world where programmable money is bank-grade from day one. Today, we moved a step closer - this isn’t just another “crypto experiment” - it’s a major U.S. bank building on open, resilient, finance-focused blockchain infrastructure. Why it matters: - Bank-issued stablecoins bring trust, regulation, and real-world utility to digital money. - Public networks like Stellar enable interoperability instead of closed, siloed systems. - Programmable, compliant money unlocks faster settlement, automated workflows, and new financial models. This is how the next generation of financial rails gets built. https://lnkd.in/eWhW5uru

52

2 Comments

Big milestone for Firmable. We’ve raised $14m Series A led by Airtree. Sales has moved through a few big waves: intuition-led, CRM-led, data-led. We’re now entering the next one – intelligence-led sales. The opportunity isn’t just better data. It’s turning that data into clear direction and action, without adding more work for sales teams. That’s what we’re building at Firmable: a foundation of trusted external data, layered with intelligence that helps sellers know who to focus on and when. Led by Airtree, this round supports our expansion across Asia and into the US – and accelerates the build-out of AI agents that take the admin work off sales teams so they can focus on what they do best. Proud of the team, grateful to our customers and investors. We’re just getting started. Read the exclusive in the AFR. https://lnkd.in/gr66uknb Leigh Jasper | Tara Salmon | Karthik Venkatasubramanian| Chester Thompson| Chath Widanapathirana

147

20 Comments

🚀 Tether enters the U.S. with a new stablecoin USAT Tether issuer of USDT is set to launch USAT a dollar backed stablecoin designed for the U.S. market by year end 👉 Led by former White House crypto council exec Bo Hines USAT will target institutional payments & interbank settlements 👉 This move aligns with recent U.S. stablecoin legislation and could signal Tether’s push for stronger compliance and trust Why it matters USAT could reshape how banks and institutions use stablecoins for cross border payments and settlements if Tether delivers on transparency and regulatory standards Do you see USAT becoming a trusted choice for U.S. institutions #Stablecoins #Crypto #DeFi #Fintech #Tether #Blockchain

7

1 Comment