Zodia Markets Raises $18.25M to Expand Digital Asset Trading Platform

Zodia Markets has closed an $18.25 million Series A funding round to accelerate expansion of its institutional digital asset platform, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The London-based company, which enables institutional capital movement through stablecoins, was led by New York venture capital firm Pharsalus Capital. The round included participation from Circle Ventures, The Operating Group, XVC Tech, Token Bay Capital, Human Capital, and other strategic investors.

The funding will support Zodia Markets' geographic expansion and development of additional institutional trading products focused on cross-border stablecoin payment solutions, the statement said. The company plans to enhance its stablecoin-based payment orchestration capabilities as demand grows for alternative settlement methods.

Founded in 2021 by Usman Ahmad and Nick Philpott, Zodia Markets has been supported since inception by SC Ventures, the innovation arm of Standard Chartered Bank, and OSL Group, described as Asia's leading digital asset company.

The platform currently supports over 20 fiat currencies and more than 70 digital assets, including both USD and non-USD stablecoins. The company positions itself as addressing institutional demand for real-time wholesale trading and settlement that operates beyond traditional banking hours.

"Institutional capital shouldn't have to wait for banking hours or be held back by manual workarounds," said Ahmad, the company's co-founder and CEO. "Our heritage means we're in a unique position to reengineer traditional foreign exchange capital flows with real time stablecoin settlement across borders."

Zodia Markets operates what it describes as an "institution-first" approach, combining traditional wholesale finance infrastructure with digital asset technology. The platform targets financial institutions seeking alternatives to conventional foreign exchange and cross-border payment systems.