VelaFi raises $20M Series B to power enterprise stablecoin payments worldwide

Fintech startup VelaFi just closed a fresh $20 million Series B, bringing its total funding to $40 million and highlighting a quiet shift in global payments. The round was led by XVC and Ikuyo, with backing from Alibaba Investment, Planetree, BAI Capital, and a slate of international investors betting on stablecoins as the plumbing for cross-border finance.

The company is part of Galactic Holdings and has been building payment rails long before stablecoins became a boardroom buzzword. Founded in 2020, VelaFi gained experience in Latin America, a region where fragmented banking systems and slow settlement cycles still hinder global trade. That early focus paid off. The platform now serves enterprises in underserved markets and has since expanded coverage to the United States and Asia.

From LATAM to Asia: VelaFi Scores $20M to Scale Global Stablecoin Rails

VelaFi’s pitch is simple: connect local banks, global transfer networks, and major stablecoin protocols inside one system. For companies moving money across borders, that means faster settlement, tighter liquidity control, and fewer intermediaries skimming fees along the way. The company says it already supports hundreds of enterprise clients and has processed billions of dollars in payment volume.

Behind the scenes, the platform offers on-ramps and off-ramps, pay-ins and pay-outs, multi-currency accounts, FX workflows, treasury tools, and secure asset custody. Businesses can access it directly or integrate via APIs, a setup that supports everything from cross-border payroll to global supplier payments.

CEO and co-founder Maggie Wu frames the mission as infrastructure, not hype. “We are building the next generation of global payment infrastructure, one that is instant, transparent, and regulatory-first,” Wu said.

“This investment accelerates our global expansion from Latin America into the United States and Asia. These three regions collectively anchor a significant share of the world’s trade flows, capital movement, and enterprise activity. By strengthening our licensing footprint and deepening our connectivity across these critical economic corridors, we aim to build the unified settlement layer that modern global businesses urgently need but that traditional financial infrastructure has not been able to provide.”

The timing makes sense. Global payment flows now exceed $150 trillion each year. Stablecoins already handle an estimated $25 to $30 trillion in annual settlement volume across e-commerce, trade finance, and institutional transfers. Enterprises want speed, transparency, and predictability. Legacy rails still operate as if it’s 1999.

VelaFi is positioning itself as the bridge between legacy banking systems and digital money. The company operates through regulated entities across Latin America, the U.S., and Asia, a structure that matters in a sector where compliance is becoming table stakes.

This new capital will be allocated to licensing, regional expansion, and deeper integrations across payment corridors that power global commerce. For VelaFi, the goal isn’t flashy consumer apps. It’s becoming the backend that most businesses never see but rely on every day.

If stablecoins truly become the default settlement layer for cross-border trade, companies like VelaFi may end up shaping how money moves worldwide — quietly, behind the scenes, and at scale.