Zerohash valued at $1 billion unicorn! Integrates Monad to expand USDC payment ecosystem

Valuation of $1 billion crypto infrastructure company Zerohash expands support for Monad blockchain and USDC on Monad, aiming to broaden stablecoin payments on Layer 1 networks. On Wednesday, they announced that this integration means their clients—including prediction market platform Kalshi, HR management platform Gusto, and trading platform Public—can now build and launch stablecoin-based payment flows without operating blockchain infrastructure or obtaining regulatory licenses.

Kalshi, Gusto, Public Enable USDC Payments Without Licenses, Disrupting the Market

Zerohash stated on Wednesday that this integration allows clients such as Kalshi, Gusto, and Public to establish and activate stablecoin payment processes without running blockchain infrastructure or applying for regulatory licenses. The solution supports real-time account deposits, cross-border payments, inter-company settlements, and on-chain commerce.

“Not needing to run blockchain infrastructure or obtain regulatory licenses” is a core selling point of Zerohash’s service. For non-crypto-native companies like Kalshi and Gusto, building blockchain infrastructure—nodes, wallet management, private key security—is costly and technically complex. Regulatory approval is even more challenging; providing stablecoin payments in the U.S. typically requires a Money Transmitter License, which varies by state, with application processes that can take years and cost millions of dollars.

As a licensed crypto infrastructure provider, Zerohash has obtained the necessary regulatory approvals and built a complete tech stack. Its clients can integrate via API and launch stablecoin payment features within weeks, without going through lengthy compliance and technical development processes. This “Infrastructure-as-a-Service” model significantly lowers the barrier for traditional companies to enter crypto payments.

After integrating USDC, Kalshi users can deposit and withdraw stablecoins, avoiding the 3-5 day bank transfer wait. Gusto can facilitate USDC payments to employees, which is especially convenient for companies with international staff. Public can enable quick conversions between crypto and traditional assets through USDC integration.

Monad’s Instant Confirmations and Multi-Chain Strategy

Raj Parekh, head of Monad’s stablecoin and payments, said Monad is “fast and reliable,” capable of helping scale stablecoin payments and everyday use with “near-instant finality.” This speed advantage is a key selling point over Ethereum. Ethereum’s transaction confirmation time is about 12-15 seconds, with final (irreversible) confirmation taking roughly 12 minutes. For payments, waiting 12 minutes is unacceptable; users can’t wait that long at checkout.

If Monad can reduce final confirmation time to a few seconds, it would be highly competitive for payments. Achieving this speed may depend on innovations in its consensus mechanism or network architecture. However, as a new chain, Monad’s security and stability still need time to prove themselves. Historically, many high-performance new public chains (like Solana) have experienced outages and issues. Zerohash’s early integration of Monad shows willingness to take some risks to gain first-mover advantage.

Zerohash Chief Business Officer Mark Daly told The Block that Ethereum and its broader ecosystem currently dominate stablecoin trading volume on Zerohash. “That said, as stablecoins expand into payments and settlement applications, we see transaction volume on other Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks also growing.” This indicates that while Ethereum remains dominant, multi-chain adoption is inevitable.

Interactive Brokers, Morgan Stanley, and Mastercard’s Strategic Play

Founded in 2017, Zerohash has about 200 employees worldwide, with offices in New York, Chicago, North Carolina, and Amsterdam. In September last year, the company completed a $104 million Series D funding round led by Interactive Brokers, with participation from Morgan Stanley, SoFi, Apollo-managed funds, Jump Crypto, and Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, bringing total funding to $275 million and valuation to $1 billion.

This investor lineup is highly prestigious. Interactive Brokers is one of the largest online brokerages in the U.S., Morgan Stanley is a top Wall Street investment bank, SoFi is a fintech unicorn, Jump Crypto is a leading crypto quant trading firm. Their joint investment signals strong recognition of Zerohash’s business model from both traditional finance and crypto-native capital.

Last month, reports indicated Zerohash was in negotiations to sell itself to Mastercard at a valuation of $1.5 billion, and was also in talks for a $250 million refinancing. It’s also rumored that Mastercard is considering a strategic investment rather than an acquisition. The valuation jump from $1 billion to $1.5 billion underscores Zerohash’s rapid growth. Mastercard’s continued interest highlights its strategic value.

Why is Mastercard interested? Because stablecoin payments could disrupt traditional cross-border remittances and FX markets—core areas for Mastercard. Current cross-border transfers often involve multiple banks and SWIFT, taking 3-5 days and costing 5-10%. Stablecoin payments can settle in seconds at under 1% fee, offering significant efficiency and cost advantages that could attract users away from traditional channels.

For Mastercard, it’s better to embrace the change than be disrupted by it. If Mastercard invests in or acquires Zerohash, it would be a major milestone for “TradFi embracing crypto,” potentially prompting other payment giants like Visa and PayPal to follow suit.