Key Takeaways:
- Catena Labs has raised $18 million to develop a regulated financial platform designed for AI agents.
- The company is led by Sean Neville, former co-founder of Circle and co-creator of USDC.
- Catena Labs aims to build AI-native financial infrastructure, including identity and compliance tools for autonomous agents.
- The initiative signals a broader shift in fintech toward machine-native systems.
Catena Labs has announced an $18 million funding round to develop a financial institution tailored for AI agents, citing the growing inadequacy of existing financial systems to accommodate autonomous technologies. The round was led by a16z crypto, with participation from several prominent venture firms and individual investors.
According to the company posts on X, AI agents—autonomous digital entities capable of executing economic transactions—are becoming more prevalent in sectors ranging from fintech to logistics.
However, their integration with the current financial infrastructure remains limited by outdated systems that were not designed for non-human participants.
Company Plans Regulatory-Compliant Rails for Machine Economies
Catena Labs announced that the new platform aims to provide regulated financial services specifically built for AI agents and their human collaborators. The roadmap includes developing identity protocols, compliance frameworks, and transaction mechanisms designed for autonomous, round-the-clock operations.
As part of the launch, Catena Labs has also introduced the “Agent Commerce Kit,” a set of open-source tools intended to establish verified identities and interaction standards for agents operating across businesses and digital ecosystems.
Stablecoins Positioned as Core Currency for AI Transactions
Stablecoins, especially USDC, are expected to serve as the primary transactional medium on the new platform. Catena Labs emphasized that regulated stablecoins offer the low-friction, high-speed capabilities necessary for AI agents to participate effectively in the global economy.
While the use of such tokens has become common in decentralized finance, their adaptation for machine-native systems marks a new frontier, particularly in terms of compliance and scalability.
Led by Circle Co-Founder, Backed by Crypto Veterans
The startup is headed by Sean Neville, former co-founder of Circle and one of the original creators of USDC. Additionally, the funding round drew investors from a16z crypto, Circle Ventures, Pillar VC, CB Ventures, and CoinFund, signaling strong support from figures familiar with both regulated finance and decentralized technologies.
Investors are Betting Big on Machine-Led Finance
Catena Labs’s initiative reflects a broader trend toward financial infrastructures that accommodate autonomous agents and AI-led transactions.
Other ventures with similar paths have emerged over the past year, including Affiniti, which raised $17 million to develop AI CFO agents for small businesses with backing from SignalFire.
Similarly, Eloquent AI, a Y Combinator-backed startup, is building tools to automate regulated financial customer service, while Feedzai, an established fraud detection firm, recently partnered with Mastercard to expand AI-powered crypto protections.
Together, these efforts mark a decisive shift in fintech, as financial systems begin to serve not just people, but intelligent agents acting on their behalf.
