Crypto payments has emerged as one of the most heavily funded verticals of 2026, with 46 rounds pulling in $3.47 billion in year-to-date capital, per CryptoRank's Q1 2026 fundraising report. The category now sits among the top-funded crypto segments of the year alongside established leaders.
BVNK anchored the flow with a $1.8 billion raise, more than half of the vertical's total tally. The next tier — Reap at $645M and Rain at $250M — accounts for most of the remaining gap between BVNK and a long tail of nine-figure and mid-eight-figure rounds (Slash, OpenFX, KAST, Mesh, Fun, ARQ, and Pomelo).
Why it matters
Capital concentration in payments has historically lagged trading, DeFi, and infrastructure. This year's $3.47B haul — driven by BVNK alone — signals that institutional rails, stablecoin settlement, and merchant-side crypto integration are now attracting the kind of late-stage check sizes more typical of centralized exchange or Layer-1 rounds.
Market impact
The deal sizes point to a maturing stack: investors are underwriting revenue and compliance rather than subsidizing user acquisition. Watch for follow-on rounds at the Reap and Rain tier, plus whether BVNK's anchor round resets valuations for the rest of the vertical.
Top 10 crypto payments raises in 2026 (by amount)
BVNK — $1.8B Reap — $645M Rain — $250M Slash — $100M OpenFX — $94M KAST — $80M Mesh — $75M Fun — $72M ARQ — $70M Pomelo — $55M
Source: [source](http://telegraph.controller.bot/files/8336652911/AgACAgIAAxkBAAIxqGn-AbQCoswD21tz9mCWOwco3Qy-AAJ0FGsbsufwSzDb5YQO_BYdAQADAgADeQADOwQ)
Frequently asked questions
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How much has been raised in crypto payments funding in 2026?
Crypto payments startups have closed $3.47B across 46 funding rounds in 2026 so far, putting the vertical among the top-funded crypto categories of the year according to CryptoRank's Q1 2026 fundraising report.
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Which crypto payments company raised the most in 2026?
BVNK led all crypto payments raises in 2026 with $1.8 billion — more than half of the vertical's year-to-date total and the single largest round in the top 10 list.
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What are the top crypto payments raises of 2026 by amount?
The top 10 crypto payments raises of 2026 so far are BVNK ($1.8B), Reap ($645M), Rain ($250M), Slash ($100M), OpenFX ($94M), KAST ($80M), Mesh ($75M), Fun ($72M), ARQ ($70M), and Pomelo ($55M).
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Why are crypto payments attracting more funding this year?
The deal sizes — multiple nine-figure rounds and a $1.8B anchor — suggest investors are underwriting revenue and compliance in institutional rails, stablecoin settlement, and merchant-side integration rather than subsidizing user acquisition.
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What does the BVNK raise signal for the payments sector?
BVNK's $1.8B anchor round is large enough to potentially reset valuations across the rest of the crypto payments vertical, and follow-on raises at the Reap and Rain tier will be the next datapoint to watch.
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