Wall Street’s push to put securities on blockchains has exposed a mismatch: the assets can now move at internet speed, while the dollars that pay for them still settle on bank schedules that pause at night and on weekends. Regulators open digital asset markets one jurisdiction at a time, and each new market adds its own banking partners, stablecoin issuers, payment networks, and compliance rules, which forces fintechs and platforms to rebuild the same plumbing for every corridor. HIFI takes on that coordination work with a single API that connects regulated bank rails, stablecoins, and card networks, so businesses can move dollars on and off chain 24/7/365. Customers use it for USD virtual accounts, instant RTP and push-to-card payouts, and direct stablecoin minting and redemption, and the platform now handles more than $7B in annualized volume across 87 countries. The same rails settle the cash leg of tokenized transactions, which put HIFI among the participants in DTCC’s July production trades alongside BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Nasdaq. Sumitomo is rebuilding its cash management and trading operations on that infrastructure, and a partnership with Visa announced this month extends stablecoin-funded payouts to more than 4 billion cards worldwide.
AlleyWatch sat down with HIFI CEO and Cofounder Zach Walsh to learn more about the business, its future plans, recent funding round, and much, much more…
Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
HIFI raised a $37M Series A led by Left Lane Capital.
Tell us about the product or service that HIFI offers.
HIFI is stablecoin payments infrastructure that lets businesses move dollars on and off chain 24/7/365 through USD virtual accounts, instant RTP and push to card payouts, and direct stablecoin mint and redeem.
What inspired the start of HIFI?
HIFI was inspired by the opportunity to build a better financial system. Payments and financial products have been fragmented for their entire existence, and today we have the opportunity to build financial systems that break down these walls.
How is HIFI different?
HIFI connects regulated banking directly to stablecoins, allowing for the fastest and most cost effective money movement across ecosystem
What market does HIFI target and how big is it?
HIFI serves fintechs, payment companies, and platforms that move money globally, a market measured in trillions of dollars of annual cross-border payments.
What’s your business model?
HIFI earns fees on the money that moves through its platform.
How are you preparing for a potential economic slowdown?
HIFI makes payments cheaper and faster, which becomes of increasing importance to customers when budgets get tight.
What was the funding process like?
Our investors share our thesis that programmable money will fundamentally change payments and finance, which allowed us to focus conversations primarily on the necessary steps to bring that future forward.
What are the biggest challenges that you faced while raising capital?
We have our work cut out for us. This is still early in the first quarter, we have lots of competition out to take our lunch. Charting that path alongside our investors is how we turn this challenge into a strength.
What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
Our growth and our team are two of the main drivers for investor conviction in our business.
What are the milestones you plan to achieve in the next six months?
The financing will support the scaling of HIFI’s tokenized capital markets infrastructure and the expansion of its broader product suite, including stablecoin payments and cards products.
What advice can you offer companies in New York that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Focus on your customer. Their problem is your problem, and if you understand this deeply, your solution can be their solution.
Where do you see the company going now over the near term?
Our focus is continuing to improve our offering for existing customers and continuing to grow our customer base. Our team is elite, and we’re excited to bring on more top tier talent as we grow.
What’s your favorite fall destination in and around the city?
The office. Specifically for our Halloween party, where this year I will be dressing as trapped liquidity. What’s more spooky than that?
