Outpoll | CZ-linked YZi Labs leads $50 million round in stablecoin payment firm Better Payment Network

News
AI
CZ-linked YZi Labs leads $50 million round in stablecoin payment firm Better Payment Network

CZ-linked YZi Labs leads $50 million round in stablecoin payment firm Better Payment Network

19 hours ago7 min read9 comments

The tectonic plates of traditional finance and decentralized protocols are grinding together once more, and the latest tremor comes from a seismic $50 million funding round for stablecoin payment firm Better Payment Network, led by the CZ-linked YZi Labs. This isn't just another line item in a venture capital spreadsheet; it's a strategic masterstroke that signals a fundamental pivot in how value will move across the global economy.Better Payment Network's explicit plan to deploy this war chest for building onchain liquidity pools and developing sophisticated market-making systems is a direct assault on the archaic, correspondent-banking riddled infrastructure of SWIFT and legacy payment rails. Imagine a world where a freelance developer in Buenos Aires can receive payment from a startup in Berlin not in three to five business days, with hefty wire fees and unfavorable FX rates clipped off the top, but instantly, 24/7, for pennies, with the value settling on a transparent, immutable ledger.This is the future BPN is architecting, and YZi Labs' backing, with its indelible connection to Binance founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao's vast ecosystem, provides not just capital but a formidable network effect and a deep-seated understanding of crypto-native liquidity. The move underscores a broader trend where the once-clear lines between TradFi and DeFi are blurring into a new hybrid financial system—'TradFi 2.0' or 'Institutional DeFi'—where the efficiency and programmability of blockchain meet the regulatory guardrails and capital depth of traditional finance. These onchain liquidity pools will act as the beating heart of this new system, ensuring that stablecoins like USDC and USDT aren't just static digital dollars but dynamic assets that can be instantly swapped, lent, and utilized across a myriad of applications without the slippage and fragmentation that currently plague the space.The development of proprietary market-making systems is equally critical; it’s the sophisticated engine that will maintain peg stability and deep liquidity even during periods of market volatility, a challenge that has historically been a vulnerability for some algorithmic stablecoins. We've seen this playbook before with the early investments in foundational protocols like Uniswap and Aave, which now form the bedrock of DeFi.The bet here is that BPN will become the analogous backbone for global payments. Regulatory scrutiny, of course, looms large.The involvement of a CZ-affiliated entity will inevitably draw the gaze of global watchdogs, but this may also force a necessary and accelerated conversation around clear regulatory frameworks for stablecoins, potentially legitimizing the entire asset class in the process. The consequence? A more open, accessible, and efficient financial system that bypasses traditional gatekeepers, reduces friction for cross-border commerce, and finally brings the promise of crypto—real-world utility—to the fingertips of millions, not just speculators. This funding round isn't just an investment; it's a down payment on the future of money itself.