Fnality International Ltd., a UK-based company providing blockchain-based payments, has raised $136 million in a funding round led by major banks interested in exploring cryptocurrency technology.
Fnality disclosed to Bloomberg that the main investors in the round include Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., KBC Group NV, Tradeweb Markets Inc., Temasek Holdings Pte, and WisdomTree Inc. They were joined by existing investors such as Banco Santander SA, UBS Group AG, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
UBS led Fnality’s initial blockchain initiative several years before the company officially launched in 2019. CEO Michelle Neal stated that the funding will be used to expand its payment infrastructure, develop new products, and speed up regulatory approvals in key jurisdictions.
The startup aims to leverage blockchain technology to streamline the infrastructure of financial markets. While banks have explored similar innovations for over a decade, only a few systems have been widely adopted or commercially successful.
The London-based company’s solution enables banks to settle trades using digital cash fully backed by funds at the Bank of England. This makes it easier and faster for banks to settle trades with each other by giving them the cash part of deals that involve tokenized traditional assets like stocks and bonds.
Fnality, which launched its pound-based payment system in 2023, is seeking regulatory approval to extend its on-chain settlement platform to other major currencies.
Higher activity in the Crypto Space
Recent regulatory developments have coincided with increased activity in the crypto space. In June, JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced a trial for JPMD, a token representing dollar deposits.
Co-Founder Zak Folkman of World Liberty Financial, a crypto project reportedly associated with the Trump family, is preparing to introduce a debit card linked to its stablecoin, USD1.
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