Augustus raises $180 million to build a clearing bank for the AI and stablecoin era

FinanceAugustus raises $180 million to build a clearing bank for the AI and stablecoin eraThe firm, freshly valued at $1 billion, aims to replace legacy correspondent banking with always-on infrastructure that connects traditional payment systems and stablecoins.By Krisztian Sandor|Edited by Sheldon Reback Jul 21, 2026, 2:27 p.m. 2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShowAugustus, a startup building an AI-native, federally chartered clearing bank focused on stablecoin-era payments, raised $180 million at a $1 billion valuation led by Tiger Global.Rather than issuing its own stablecoin, Augustus aims to provide infrastructure that moves money across traditional rails and blockchain networks with always-on, programmable settlement.The company has conditional OCC approval for a U.S. national bank charter and existing euro clearing operations and plans to expand dollar clearing and add customers in Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.Augustus, a startup building a federally chartered clearing bank for fintechs and financial institutions, said it raised $180 million to expand its dollar payment infrastructure as stablecoins reshape global finance.The fundraising valued the company at $1 billion, with Tiger Global leading the round and investors such as Hummingbird, QED and the founders of Nubank, Ramp, Circle and Deel participating, the company said in a Tuesday press release.The investment comes as banks, fintechs and crypto firms are racing to modernize the infrastructure behind cross-border payments. While much of the attention has centered on stablecoin issuers, Augustus is targeting a less visible but crucial part of the financial system: correspondent banking.“We think distribution breaks at the clearing bank layer,” CEO Ferdinand Dabitz told CoinDesk in an interview. Legacy clearing systems are “slow, unavailable, take two days to settle and close on the w…

Augustus raises $180 million to build a clearing bank for the AI and stablecoin era

Coins in this story

Related stories

Galaxy sets up $5 million fund to help shield Bitcoin against quantum computing threats

Claude's Fable 5 just solved an 87-year-old math problem, and it matters for bitcoin

Russia’s parliament passes crypto market law with $3,800 annual cap for retail investors