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Stablecoin Firm Rain Valued at $1.95 Billion in $250 Million Fundraise

Stablecoin company Rain said on Friday it raised $250 million in a Series C funding round led by ICONIQ, valuing the firm at $1.95 billion, as investor appetite for crypto-related businesses continues to strengthen.

Stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to assets such as the U.S. dollar — have gained traction among consumers, investors and major financial institutions as digital assets move closer to the financial mainstream. The sector has also benefited from a more accommodating regulatory environment under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, encouraging traditional financial firms to explore crypto-based products.

Rain said the latest round brings its total funding to more than $338 million and comes just four months after its previous fundraise. The company added that its valuation has risen more than 17-fold in the past 10 months.

A spokesperson for Rain said the company’s priority is to expand its presence in key licensed markets and deepen its full-stack stablecoin payments platform, including through strategic acquisitions.

Rain provides infrastructure that allows businesses to issue and manage stablecoin-linked payment cards and digital wallets, enabling users to transact anywhere Visa is accepted.

“Stablecoins are quickly becoming the way money moves in the 21st century, but adoption by users worldwide requires cards and apps that just work,” said Rain CEO and co-founder Farooq Malik. He added that Rain’s active card base has grown 30-fold over the past year, while annualized payment volume increased 38%, though the company remains “in the early innings.”

Malik said the new capital will be used to enter additional markets, scale operations and support more enterprise product launches.

Other investors participating in the round included Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, Bessemer Venture Partners, Galaxy Ventures, FirstMark, Lightspeed, Norwest and Endeavor Catalyst.

VanEck Expands Focus with Investments in Crypto and AI Startups

With the growing landscape of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI) startups, VanEck, a leading New York-based investment management firm, has committed $30 million (roughly Rs. 258 crore) to foster innovation in these sectors. As startups in crypto and AI proliferate, the demand for investment to fuel their growth and development has surged. VanEck, whose market cap currently stands at $26.9 billion (roughly Rs. 2,25,869 crore), is positioning itself to capitalize on this trend through its new initiative, VanEck Ventures. This venture arm aims to nurture early-stage startups that show promise in transforming the future of finance, technology, and digital assets.

VanEck Ventures officially launched this week, aiming to streamline investment efforts for startups at the forefront of digital currency and AI technology. According to VanEck’s announcement, the dedicated investment pool is part of the firm’s strategy to stay ahead of industry trends and foster emerging technology’s potential. The move reinforces VanEck’s commitment to high-growth areas, reflecting the company’s intent to diversify beyond traditional asset management and into cutting-edge domains that have the potential to reshape multiple sectors.

Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck, remarked on the parallels he sees between gold investment in the late 1960s and Bitcoin today. VanEck was among the first to recognize gold’s potential as a strategic asset back in 1968, and it continues to be at the forefront of innovation in asset management. The CEO emphasized that Bitcoin, now considered the most valuable cryptocurrency, embodies similar transformative potential. Currently trading at $61,094 (around ₹51.2 lakh) according to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin serves as a key indicator of digital currency’s mainstream adoption, underscoring VanEck’s belief in cryptocurrency’s long-term value.

The establishment of VanEck Ventures signals the firm’s confidence in the future of digital assets and AI-driven solutions. With this funding, VanEck aims to help startups bridge the gap between initial concept and full-scale execution. The firm’s strategic support of both crypto and AI startups not only highlights its progressive approach to asset management but also its dedication to fostering a future where technology and finance converge in meaningful ways.