Catena Labs raises $18M to build AI-native financial institution

Catena Labs Secures $18M to Build First AI-Native Financial Institution We're witnessing the dawn of autonomous software agents - not just analyzing data or generating content, but actively engaging with the world by logging into services, moving money, hiring experts and negotiating contracts. Problem: current financial rails weren't built for this. They assume humans are involved, resulting in slow 3-day ACH transfers, high fees up to 3%, fraud flags on automated activity, and mandatory manual reviews. Core thesis: software agents need to pay and get paid, instantly and safely. Machine-speed systems need machine-speed money. Catena Labs is building that missing link. We've raised a $18M seed round led by a16z crypto to build an AI-native financial stack from scratch. Our protocol enables trusted AI agents to send stablecoins globally with near-instant finality, ultra-low fees, and built-in identity + compliance. Our team is stacked and led by an industry titan: Sean Neville (Circle cofounder who helped to take the stablecoin USDC from concept to one of the world's most widely used digital dollars). This unlocks previously impossible applications like real-time payments for AI-generated content and agents autonomously sourcing data/services on demand. Our regulated, AI-native rails will make this possible. Read the announcement post by a16z: https://lnkd.in/emEppUQr Learn more on our website: https://catenalabs.com/