In a bold move to redefine the future of finance, Catena Labs has announced an $18 million funding round led by a16z crypto, with the aim of building the first AI-native financial institution tailored for the rapidly emerging agent economy.
Founded by Sean Neville, co-founder of Circle and the originator of the USDC stablecoin, Catena Labs is addressing the fundamental mismatch between today’s legacy financial systems and the needs of autonomous AI agents. These agents are quickly evolving into powerful economic actors — yet the current infrastructure, built for humans, is riddled with slow transactions, high costs, and inflexible international workflows.
Also read – Gravitee Secures $60M Series C Funding to Lead the Future of Agentic API Management
Building the Infrastructure for AI-Powered Finance
Catena Labs is pioneering a next-generation financial institution designed specifically for AI agents. Its platform will be:
- AI-native, operated by digital agents and supported by human oversight
- Stablecoin-enabled, leveraging regulated assets like USDC for instant, low-cost global transactions
- Focused on compliance and risk management, with tools built for AI’s unique needs
“Agents thrive when given AI-native money,” said Neville. “Stablecoins unlock speed, scalability, and entirely new business models—ushering in a new era of economic collaboration between AI and humans.”
Also read – Blooms Raises $2.6M Seed Round to Revolutionize Agricultural Financing in Latin America
Launch of the Agent Commerce Kit (ACK)
Alongside the funding announcement, Catena Labs introduced the Agent Commerce Kit (ACK) — an open-source toolkit aimed at enabling secure, compliant financial interactions between AI agents, humans, and businesses. ACK lays the foundation for decentralized identity verification and transactional protocols fit for the agent-driven economy.
A Vision for the Future
Backed by a team of fintech, AI, and regulatory veterans, Catena Labs envisions a collaborative financial future where humans and AI agents work together, supported by transparent, secure infrastructure.
Also read – RoboForce Secures Additional $5M, Total Funding Reaches $15M to Accelerate AI Robotics Expansion
With this $18 million raise, Catena Labs is poised to lead the transformation of finance — one where AI isn’t just supported, but fully empowered to participate in and drive global economic activity.
About Catena Labs
Catena Labs is an AI-fintech company building the world’s first AI-native financial institution. Founded by industry veterans, including Sean Neville, Catena Labs is focused on enabling AI agents to securely and compliantly participate in the global economy using stablecoins, agent-native protocols, and open-source tools.
