Shield raises $5m to bring stablecoin payments to exporters

The round was led by Giant Ventures, with participation from a16z crypto CSX, Factor Capital, and strategic angels from Bank of America, Coinbase, Amex, and Menlo Ventures.

Shield was founded in 2022 but pivoted to payments in 2024 after its founders concluded that their own “gruelling” experiences with payments as former exporters could be addressed through stablecoins.

The firm now help exporters accept stablecoin payments (USDT) from their international buyers and settle them as same-day USD wires. It also uses AI to ensure strong compliance screenings that fit legitimate exporters while still flagging real risks.

In its first year, Shield processed over $150 million in cross-border payments — $40 million in the last month alone — for real businesses moving real goods.

With the funding in place, the startup says it will expand its licensing coverage and strengthen compliance, enter new trade industries, and launch USDT-friendly bank accounts (although it is not a bank and provides services via partners Cross River Bank and Lead Bank).

“We see a world where global trade payments are as fast as domestic wires, where compliance opens doors rather than closes them, and where exporters from every corner of the world can enjoy a banking and payments experience that finally optimizes for them,” says a blog.