Vast's $2 Billion Valuation: Ripple Co-Founder Jed McCaleb Advances Commercial Space Station with Balerion Investment

pvt_key_collector · 2026-01-21T16:30:13+00:00

Jed McCaleb is leading Vast, an aerospace startup aiming to create the first commercially viable space station, with a $2 billion funding round led by Balerion Space Ventures. His commitment of up to $1 billion highlights confidence in expanding space infrastructure.

pvt_key_collector

2026-01-21 16:30:13

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Jed McCaleb, the visionary entrepreneur behind Ripple and Stellar, is channeling his decades of crypto industry expertise into a bold new frontier: commercial space infrastructure. His aerospace startup, Vast, is pursuing a significant funding round that values the company at $2 billion, according to reports citing sources close to the deal. Balerion Space Ventures is taking the lead on this capital raise, though negotiations remain fluid with final figures still subject to adjustment.

Balerion-Led Funding Round Marks Milestone for Space Commerce

The anticipated investment represents a major validation for Vast’s vision of building the world’s first commercially viable space station. Balerion Space Ventures’ role as lead investor underscores growing institutional confidence in private space infrastructure beyond traditional aerospace players. To date, McCaleb has primarily funded the venture through personal capital, demonstrating his conviction in the project. He has publicly committed to investing up to $1 billion of his own wealth to accelerate development and operations.

Haven-1 Launch and Long-Term Expansion Strategy

Vast’s roadmap centers on near-term and ambitious long-term objectives. The company intends to deploy its first prototype, designated Haven-1, as early as 2026, establishing proof-of-concept for the commercial station concept. Following this initial deployment, Vast will begin sending modular components for Haven-2 starting in 2028, designed to eventually assume the role of NASA’s International Space Station as aging infrastructure reaches retirement.

McCaleb’s proven track record of identifying transformative technology trends—evidenced by his foundational work on both Ripple and Stellar protocols—positions him as a credible architect for Vast’s mission to democratize access to orbital infrastructure. The Balerion-backed funding round represents the next critical step in converting this vision into operational reality.

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