Core Insights - Shield, a crypto neo-bank, has raised $5 million in a seed round led by Giant Ventures to enhance its payment services for cross-border transactions in US cryptocurrencies [1][6] - The company aims to address the challenges faced by trade businesses in regions like Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia, which often experience delays and high fees in international transactions [4] Company Overview - Shield was launched in 2022 and pivoted to focus on payments in 2024, providing compliance screenings to mitigate risks such as sanctions and money laundering [1][4] - The company has processed over $100 million in payments since its inception, with $40 million processed in the last month alone [5] Leadership and Vision - Co-founder and CEO Emmanuel Udotong expressed disappointment with the mainstream use cases for crypto and the presence of "bad actors" in the space, motivating the creation of Shield [2][3] - The leadership team includes Udotong, his brother Isaiah, and college friend Luis Carchi, who aimed to leverage stablecoins for international payments [3] Market Context - The crypto industry has seen a resurgence, creating new unicorns and attracting significant investment after a challenging period [5] - Shield faces competition from numerous startups and established players like PayPal's Xoom and Stripe's Bridge [5] Funding and Future Plans - The recent funding will be utilized to secure additional banking partnerships and enhance compliance products, including transaction monitoring and fraud detection [7] - Shield has raised a total of $7 million to date, with strategic investments from notable entities such as Coinbase and Bank of America [6][7]