Lightspark

The Idea: After Libra was regulated out of existence, Marcus concluded the neutral global payment network he wanted to build already existed: Bitcoin. Lightspark launched in 2022 to make the Lightning Network usable by enterprises, abstracting node management, liquidity, and compliance behind clean APIs. Its UMA (Universal Money Address) standard, open-sourced in 2023, gives users email-like addresses for sending money across currencies with Lightning as the settlement rail.

Early Traction: Raised $175 million from investors including a16z and Paradigm, starting with a Series A co-led by the two firms at launch. Early integrations included Coinbase, Zero Hash, Bitso, Coins.ph, and Ripio, and Nubank selected Lightspark in 2024 to bring Lightning and UMA to its roughly 100 million customers.

Peak Stats: $175 million raised; UMA reach across roughly 120 countries; billions of dollars in payment volume handled for companies including Tether, Nubank, and SoFi; partnerships spanning major exchanges, fintechs, and banks such as Cross River and Lead Bank.

Status Today: Active and expanding beyond pure Lightning infrastructure. It acquired European e-money firm Striga in October 2025, and in April 2026 launched Grid Global Accounts, a banking and payments product for businesses and AI agents built on its settlement network, with regulated bank partners handling licensing and compliance.