Stablecoin Startup ZAR Raises $12.9 Million in Funding Round Led by a16z

By: theblockbeats.news|2025/10/28 19:15:56

BlockBeats News, October 28th, according to Bloomberg, stablecoin startup ZAR has raised $12.9 million in a new funding round, led by a16z, with participation from Dragonfly Capital, VanEck Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Endeavor Catalyst.

ZAR aims to leverage Pakistan's ubiquitous phone kiosks, convenience stores, and money agents to test a dollar-backed digital currency in everyday life. ZAR launched its platform earlier this year. Users can walk into local stores, scan a QR code, and exchange cash for digital dollars in their mobile wallets. The idea is that they can then use these digital currencies in stores without needing to understand stablecoins or blockchain technology. The startup has stated that its wallet is linked to a globally accepted Visa card.

-- Price

Claude Code founder's in-depth sharing at the Sequoia Conference: AI is downgrading "coding" to a basic skill, cross-domain product insights have become the new core barrier, traditional SaaS moats are completely collapsing, and the golden era of startups disrupting large companies has already begun...

Morning Report | MoonPay acquires Solana's execution layer DFlow; Strategy releases Q1 financial report; Manta Network announces the termination of Manta staking program

Overview of Important Market Events on May 6th

Dialogue Velocity Eric: What is the stablecoin track that the CFO really wants?

Former Worldpay strategic executive enters the crypto space: Revealing how Velocity tackles the CFO's most troublesome issues of cross-border settlement and idle funds with "stablecoin payment accounts."

The payment moment of AI agents: Who will become the Stripe of the machine economy?

Cryptographic infrastructure and card organizations are not mutually exclusive; the winner is the unified gateway that connects both tracks simultaneously.

Rented Tracks: What is this wave of stablecoin FX hot money really paying for?

What is truly being repriced in the market is the layer between stablecoin issuers and the real economy - the transaction layer.

Strategy should have said that selling coins is not ruled out

If Saylor sells his coins, will the cryptocurrency market plummet?

How MegaETH Achieved a TVL of 700m Within a Week of TGE? Analyzing the Packaging Strategy

MegaETH created a flywheel with USDm, aiming to attract a large number of users and funds in the short term.

Futures Trading Hours: Trade Cryptocurrency 24/7 and Earn Back Up to 45% in Trading Fees

Learn futures trading hours and the best time to trade crypto futures. Discover 24/7 market insights, peak trading sessions, and how to earn back up to 45% in fees.

a16z founder's Stanford lecture: Whenever Wall Street and Silicon Valley have different ideas, it's Wall Street that ends up being wrong

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of a16z, delivered a powerful talk: The two traditional moats of software in the AI era have been erased, and entrepreneurs must seek "new barriers" beyond code and UI.

Michael Saylor: After three consecutive quarters of losses, Strategy will sell Bitcoin to pay dividends

After MSTR's financial report showed continued net losses, Saylor changed his stance: Bitcoin is no longer "never to be sold" and can be used as a payment tool.

The toll station at Hormuz and the RMB that cannot be bought

The disorder of the US dollar is giving rise to a new situation in global settlement: gold is being redefined as a "bridge," the CIPS system is expanding rapidly, and global funds are quietly opening up a new channel for the renminbi, which is "hard to obtain."

Morning Report | MoonPay acquires Solana's execution layer DFlow; Strategy releases Q1 financial report; Manta Network announces the termination of Manta staking program

Overview of Important Market Events on May 6th