Cyclops Raises $8M to Build Stablecoin Payment Infrastructure
Miami startup consolidates fragmented crypto payment tools as businesses push for round-the-clock settlements.
CyclopsTL;DR:
- Castle Island Ventures led the seed round, with F-Prime and Shift4 participating.
- Cyclops bundles services from multiple crypto payment vendors into one platform.
- The company plans to pursue integrations with Stripe, Adyen, Visa, and Mastercard.
- Businesses want instant settlements without banking hours—that's driving adoption.
- Existing Shift4 clients like Blade and Blue Origin give Cyclops early credibility.
Cyclops Raises $8M for Stablecoin Payment Tools
Cyclops, a Miami startup building stablecoin infrastructure, has raised $8 million in seed funding. The company, founded in 2025, announced the round on March 4, 2026.
The pitch: businesses want to settle payments instantly, any time of day, without waiting on banks. Stablecoins make that possible. Cyclops packages the tools to make it work—handling settlements, payouts, and crypto acceptance through a single platform instead of forcing companies to stitch together multiple vendors.
The company has 20 employees and makes money on transaction fees. It already works with Blade and Blue Origin through a partnership with Shift4 Payments. The three co-founders—Alex Wilson, Pat Duffy, and David Johnson—previously ran crypto initiatives at Shift4 after selling their donation platform The Giving Block to the company in 2022.
Who's Backing the Round
Castle Island Ventures led the investment. F-Prime Capital and Shift4 Payments also participated. The valuation wasn't disclosed.
The founders say the money will go toward expanding the platform and chasing partnerships with payment processors (Stripe, Adyen) and card networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). The goal is to replace the patchwork of providers—ZeroHash, Bridge, BVNK—that companies currently use.
| Funding Fact | Details | |--------------|---------| | Company | Cyclops | | What they do | Stablecoin infrastructure for payments | | Round | Seed | | Amount | $8 million | | Valuation | Not disclosed | | Lead investor | Castle Island Ventures | | Other investors | F-Prime Capital, Shift4 Payments | | Total raised | $8 million (first major round) | | Announced | March 4, 2026 | | What's missing | Specific budget breakdown; revenue numbers |
The investors bring relevant backgrounds: Castle Island focuses on blockchain companies, F-Prime has fintech experience, and Shift4 already sends clients Cyclops' way.
- Where the money goes: Platform development and partnerships with major processors and networks
- Why now: More businesses want 24/7 settlements, especially those dealing with cross-border payments or time zones
- Founder experience: The team built crypto donation tools at Shift4, so they've seen the fragmentation problem firsthand
The company name comes from Greek mythology—the one-eyed giant. The idea is "one platform" instead of juggling multiple vendors. Whether that's clever or a stretch depends on your tolerance for startup naming conventions.
Cyclops hasn't shared revenue figures but says it's generating income through fees. This is the company's first major funding round. The founders previously participated in MassChallenge's incubator in 2016, though that was before the current crypto focus.
With 20 people and $8 million, Cyclops is betting that stablecoin payments are ready for mainstream adoption—and that businesses would rather buy a bundled solution than build their own.