Shield’s Mission to Bridge Crypto and Real-World Trade

Crypto neo-bank Shield announced on Monday that it has raised a $5 million seed round led by Giant Ventures, marking a significant step in its mission to make stablecoin-powered payments accessible to global businesses.

Launched in 2022 and pivoted to payments in 2024, Shield allows exporters and importers to settle cross-border transactions in U.S. cryptocurrencies. Beyond payments, the startup also provides compliance screenings, helping companies address sanctions risks and money-laundering threats.

Co-founder and CEO Emmanuel Udotong explained that Shield was created to push blockchain beyond speculation and scams into mainstream financial use cases. “We wanted to help bring…