Noah, a stablecoin infrastructure startup, has raised US$22 million in seed funding led by London-based VC firm LocalGlobe.

Other investors include Felix Capital, FJ Labs, and angel investors such as Joe Lonsdale, David Helgason, and Alexander Matthey.

The funds will help Noah build a global payment network that supports fiat-to-stablecoin transactions via web and mobile apps.

Former Adyen executive Thijn Lamers joins Noah as co-founder and president, alongside CEO Shah Ramezani, as the company reports over UD$1 billion in transaction volume.

Noah enables real-time currency conversions across 70 countries, offering support for 50 currencies.

As competition in stablecoin infrastructure intensifies, Noah plans to expand its reach by partnering with tech leaders, regulators, and banking partners.

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🔗 Source: The Block

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Seed funding sizes in fintech reflect a shifting investment landscape

Noah’s $22 million seed round represents an unusually large initial funding round, especially when contrasted with broader fintech funding patterns.

The average seed round for fintech startups typically ranges between $2-5 million, making Noah’s raise over 4x larger than standard seed investments 1.

This outsized seed round likely reflects both the capital-intensive nature of building payment infrastructure and the presence of experienced leadership, as evidenced by the recruitment of former Adyen executive Thijn Lamers as co-founder 1.

Since 2023, fintech funding has shown signs of recovery with approximately $3.8 billion raised in the first nine months of 2024, though investors have become more selective, with nearly 20% of all new fintech investments being down rounds 1.

The presence of high-profile angel investors like Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale signals continued interest from established tech leaders in regulated crypto infrastructure, despite the broader crypto market volatility.

2️⃣ Stablecoins are evolving from crypto speculation to mainstream financial infrastructure

Noah enters a market that has matured significantly, with stablecoins increasingly recognized as practical financial instruments rather than purely speculative assets.

The total stablecoin market capitalization exceeded $208 billion as of Q1 2025, with analysts projecting growth to nearly $2.8 trillion by 2028 as these digital assets become integrated into payment systems 2.

Major financial institutions are recognizing this shift, as evidenced by Stripe’s $1.1 billion acquisition of Bridge and the exploration of stablecoin strategies by companies like Visa and Mastercard.

Stablecoins are finding utility beyond crypto trading, with emerging applications in cross-border payments, corporate treasury operations, and as programmable payment infrastructure for businesses seeking faster settlement times 3.

This evolution has attracted regulatory attention, with frameworks like the GENIUS Act in the U.S. establishing clearer guidelines for stablecoin issuers, requiring adequate reserves and regular audits to protect users 2.

3️⃣ Cross-border payments represent a strategic growth opportunity for stablecoin infrastructure

Noah’s focus on enabling currency conversion across 50 currencies and transfers across 70 countries addresses a persistent pain point in global finance where traditional systems remain slow and expensive.

Cross-border payments through conventional banking channels typically incur fees between 2-7% and can take 3-5 business days to settle, creating a substantial opportunity for stablecoin-based alternatives that can reduce these frictions 4.

The market for international remittances alone exceeds $700 billion annually, with high-inflation markets representing particularly promising adoption contexts where stablecoins can offer both efficiency and value preservation 2.

Liquidity remains a significant challenge for stablecoin platforms facilitating large B2B transactions, requiring strategic focus on high-volume corridors where stablecoin solutions can deliver immediate benefits 5.

For platforms like Noah to succeed where others have struggled, they must overcome both technical hurdles and the compliance challenges of operating across multiple regulatory jurisdictions, explaining why experienced fintech executives with regulatory relationships are highly valued 5.

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