Fintech companies raised $51 billion in venture capital in 2024, according to CB Insights. Blockchain-focused fintechs captured $10.6 billion of that total — roughly 21% of all fintech funding. Five years ago, blockchain and fintech were treated as separate categories. Today, blockchain is woven into the product roadmaps of payment companies, neobanks, lending platforms, and insurtech firms, regardless of whether they identify as “crypto” companies.
Blockchain Is Changing How Fintechs Build Products
Traditional fintech companies build on banking infrastructure. A neobank like Chime or Revolut connects to a bank partner’s core banking system, a card network (Visa or Mastercard), and a payment processor. This stack works, but it constrains product design. The neobank cannot offer instant settlement because the underlying ACH or SWIFT system does not support it. It cannot offer 24/7 trading because exchanges close on weekends.
Blockchain removes some of these constraints. A fintech building on blockchain rails can offer real-time settlement by default. It can enable 24/7 trading of tokenised assets. It can programme conditional payments through smart contracts. Stablecoins give fintechs a way to move value globally without correspondent banks. These capabilities allow fintechs to build products that are structurally different from what legacy infrastructure permits, as fintech revenue models expand.
Revolut, which started as a foreign exchange card, added crypto trading in 2017 and has since expanded to custody, staking, and blockchain-based payments. The company reported over 40 million customers by 2024. Nubank in Brazil, the largest digital bank in Latin America with over 90 million customers, launched crypto trading and is exploring blockchain-based products for its users. These are not crypto companies — they are mainstream fintechs using blockchain as one tool among many.
Payments Innovation Through Blockchain
Payment fintechs are the most advanced in blockchain integration. Stripe enabled USDC acceptance on Solana in 2024, allowing any Stripe merchant to accept stablecoin payments with automatic conversion to fiat. This means blockchain settlement happens behind the scenes while the merchant experience remains unchanged. Block (formerly Square) holds Bitcoin on its balance sheet and has integrated Lightning Network payments into Cash App.
Cross-border payment fintechs have adopted blockchain most aggressively. Wise, which processed $120 billion in cross-border transfers in fiscal year 2024, has explored blockchain rails for specific corridors where traditional banking is slow. Remitly serves 7 million customers with mobile-first remittances and has integrated blockchain settlement for certain routes. Chipper Cash and Yellow Card use blockchain for payments across African markets where traditional banking infrastructure is limited.
B2B payments are another frontier. Circle’s USDC is being used by businesses for international supplier payments, treasury management, and payroll for remote workers. Bridge, acquired by Stripe in 2024, provides stablecoin payment APIs that allow businesses to send and receive stablecoins without managing blockchain infrastructure directly.
Lending and Credit Innovation
Blockchain is enabling new lending models that were not possible with traditional infrastructure. On-chain credit scoring, built on blockchain transaction history rather than traditional credit bureau data, could extend credit to the 1.4 billion unbanked adults worldwide. Spectral Finance and Cred Protocol are building credit models based on wallet behaviour — repayment patterns, DeFi participation, and on-chain financial activity.
Tokenised credit instruments allow broader investor participation. Maple Finance connects institutional borrowers with DeFi lenders, having originated over $2.5 billion in loans. Goldfinch extends blockchain-sourced capital to borrowers in emerging markets. Centrifuge tokenises invoices, real estate loans, and other receivables, connecting them to DeFi liquidity pools. These platforms demonstrate that blockchain can improve credit allocation by connecting global capital to local borrowers more efficiently than traditional intermediaries.
Wealth Management and Investment Innovation
Fintech wealth management platforms are incorporating blockchain-based products. Betterment and Wealthfront offer crypto exposure through ETFs within their managed portfolios. Interactive Brokers allows trading of over 40 cryptocurrencies alongside stocks, bonds, and options. Robinhood’s crypto trading has grown to represent a significant share of its transaction-based revenue.
Tokenised investment products are expanding access to asset classes that were previously limited to institutions. Securitize, partnering with BlackRock, offers tokenised Treasury exposure. Ondo Finance provides tokenised money market funds. Republic and AngelList are exploring tokenised venture fund interests that would allow smaller investors to access early-stage companies. These innovations lower minimum investment thresholds and improve liquidity for traditionally illiquid assets.
RegTech and Compliance Innovation
Blockchain has created an entire compliance technology vertical. Chainalysis, Elliptic, and TRM Labs provide blockchain analytics for AML, sanctions screening, and fraud detection. These companies serve over 1,000 financial institutions and government agencies collectively. The blockchain analytics market was valued at $1.2 billion in 2024, according to Allied Market Research.
On-chain identity and compliance tools are the next frontier. Polygon ID provides zero-knowledge proof-based identity verification. Civic offers reusable KYC credentials stored on blockchain. These tools could reduce the $60 million that the average bank spends annually on KYC compliance by allowing verified credentials to be shared across institutions without repeated verification.
Blockchain’s reshaping of fintech innovation is visible in the numbers — 21% of fintech funding going to blockchain companies, mainstream fintechs like Revolut and Stripe integrating blockchain, and new product categories like on-chain credit and tokenised investments emerging. The technology is not a separate fintech vertical. It is becoming a capabilities layer that fintech companies across every vertical are incorporating into their products.
