News
Paycrest raises $404,000 pre-seed led by Hashed Emergent, StarkWare and Microtraction
Paycrest, founded by Nigerian software leaders, has raised a $404,000 pre-seed to build on-chain settlement rails linking stablecoin and fiat liquidity for cross-border payments.
By Propel Africa · 2026-01-15
Paycrest has raised $404,000 in pre-seed funding, Startup Researcher reported on 15 January. Hashed Emergent, StarkWare and Microtraction led the round, described as a mix of web3 and traditional venture firms. Lava, Sunny Side Venture Partners and experienced angel investors also took part.
What Paycrest does
The company builds decentralised infrastructure that connects fragmented stablecoin and fiat liquidity pools to settle cross-border payments on-chain. It positions this as an alternative to manual peer-to-peer trading. Nigeria's peer-to-peer settlement market is cited as key context, and the company is initially focused on one high-volume corridor.
Team and traction
Chibuotu Amadi and Francis Ocholi, described as Nigerian software leaders, founded Paycrest in 2024. It is based in the United States. The company has stress-tested its infrastructure in live environments with real transaction volumes, and it was a finalist in Base's Batches 002 programme.
Plans
The funds will go to long-term protocol development and to expanding operational capacity, including a deeper liquidity provider network and stronger multi-chain settlement.
At a glance
- Company: Paycrest
- Raised: $404,000
- Round: Pre-seed
- Lead: Hashed Emergent, StarkWare, Microtraction
- Other investors: Lava, Sunny Side Venture Partners, angels
- Founded: 2024
- Based in: United States
- Key number: Finalist in Base Batches 002