Nigerian stablecoin fintech Daya secures $2.4 million pre-seed

Nigerian stablecoin payments startup Daya has raised $2.4 million in a pre-seed funding round to expand cross-border payment infrastructure for businesses operating across Africa and the Middle East. The oversubscribed round was led by Hivemind Capital, with participation from Lattice Fund, Alliance DAO, Aptos Foundation and Globelink Investment. Daya was founded in October 2025 by Tomiwa “Aleph” Lasebikan and Paul Joe and says it is growing by more than 40% month-on-month.

"Daya provides businesses with dollar accounts, stablecoin settlement infrastructure, and cross-border payment services," the company states, underlining the core suite of products the startup will scale with the new capital.

Funding and partners

The $2.4 million pre-seed infusion positions Daya to build payment corridors and deepen relationships with banks and blockchain partners. Lead investor Hivemind Capital joined a syndicate that included Lattice Fund, Alliance DAO, Aptos Foundation and Globelink Investment. Daya is a graduate of Alliance DAO’s ALL15 accelerator cohort, having emerged from the programme seven months after its October 2025 founding.

• Raised: $2.4 million (pre-seed)
• Founders: Tomiwa “Aleph” Lasebikan and Paul Joe
• Lead investor: Hivemind Capital
• Other investors: Lattice Fund, Alliance DAO, Aptos Foundation, Globelink Investment
• Founded: October 2025
• Reported growth: >40% month-on-month

Product and recent partnerships

Daya’s platform enables businesses to receive payments through virtual accounts denominated in US dollars, Hong Kong dollars and Chinese yuan, convert local currencies into dollar liquidity, hold funds in stablecoins, and initiate international payments from a single dashboard. In June, the startup announced a partnership with the Aptos Foundation and Dubai-based HashKey MENA to launch a stablecoin settlement corridor linking businesses in Africa and the Middle East.

The startup’s approach combines traditional banking rails with blockchain settlement layers to reduce friction and settlement times for cross-border transactions. By providing virtual dollar and offshore currency accounts alongside stablecoin liquidity, Daya aims to give African exporters, importers and service providers a single interface to manage multinational receivables and payables.

Context and market signals

The raise arrives as investor interest in stablecoin infrastructure has surged. According to a funding tracker cited by the company’s coverage, stablecoin startups accounted for 70% of total funding in May 2026 — a signal that backers are prioritising programmable-dollar rails and cross-border settlement solutions. The participation of crypto-native and traditional investors, including the Aptos Foundation and Globelink Investment, reflects a hybrid capital mix betting on interoperability between banks and chains.

Daya’s founders are leveraging previous experience: Tomiwa Lasebikan is known for founding BuyCoins, which was backed by Circle. Investors backing Daya are explicitly betting on that prior entrepreneurial track record to navigate regulatory, banking and liquidity challenges in Nigeria and across the continent.

Outlook

With the $2.4 million pre-seed, Daya plans to expand payment corridors, strengthen compliance capabilities and deepen partnerships with local and global financial institutions. The firm’s immediate priorities include scaling the recently launched Africa–Middle East settlement corridor with Aptos Foundation and HashKey MENA, and growing adoption among businesses that need faster, cheaper international payments.

If Daya sustains its reported month-on-month growth and successfully broadens its banking and blockchain integrations, it could become a key infrastructure player for businesses seeking dollar liquidity and stablecoin settlement across multiple jurisdictions.