Better Money Secures $10 Million to Create Stablecoin Clearinghouse

In a significant move for the cryptocurrency industry, Better Money Company has successfully raised $10 million. Founded by former a16z crypto investor Sam Broner and his college friend Adam Zuckerman, this startup aims to function as a clearinghouse for U.S. dollar stablecoins, aligning with the new federal GENIUS Act regulations.

Key Takeaways

Funding: Better Money raised $10 million, led by a16z crypto, to support its mission.
Objective: The company aims to facilitate low-cost swaps between compliant stablecoins.
Founders: Sam Broner and Adam Zuckerman bring a wealth of experience in crypto and legal matters.
Compliance: It will initially support payment tokens that meet the GENIUS Act criteria.
Market Impact: The clearinghouse might reshape how institutions interact with stablecoins.

Better Money stablecoin clearinghouse founded by ex-a16z investor

Introduction to Better Money

Sam Broner, who co-founded Better Money in November, has a clear goal: to make stablecoins operate like traditional currency. He asserts that "stablecoins aren’t just the future; they’re better money today." This sentiment was echoed during his talk at the Proof of Talk 2025 conference, where he highlighted the current utility of stablecoins in cryptocurrency markets as working capital and settlement cash.

The startup's impressive $10 million seed round saw participation from Broner’s former firm, a16z crypto, as well as notable early-stage investors like BoxGroup and Sunflower Capital. Among the angel investors are Sean Neville, co-founder of Circle, and Charlie Songhurst, a former Microsoft strategy chief. Their involvement indicates a rising interest in developing regulated financial infrastructure instead of merely creating new tokens.

Employment and Outlook for Better Money

Current job listings reveal that Better Money is actively hiring engineers in New York, offering salaries ranging from $175,000 to $225,000. The company is dedicated to creating a stablecoin clearinghouse that facilitates the seamless exchange of compliant tokens.

Broner has stated that Better Money has already secured backing from several prominent issuers, including Paxos, Stripe’s Bridge unit, and MoonPay. Initially, the clearinghouse will only manage payment tokens that comply with the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. Laws established by the GENIUS Act will require fiat-backed stablecoin issuers to adhere to a dual licensing system, routine reserve disclosures, and annual financial audits for those with over $50 billion in circulation.

Regulatory Environment and Its Effects

The GENIUS Act also empowers the U.S. Treasury to identify foreign regimes that fail to comply with regulations. Within this framework, Better Money will specifically support stablecoins that are “signed and effective” under the GENIUS Act, intentionally excluding Tether’s USDT.

In response, Tether has introduced USAT, an alternative dollar-pegged token designed to meet the new federal guidelines and issued through a federally chartered bank. This new product will be integrated into Better Money, alongside tokens from Paxos and other compliant issuers, while USDT remains excluded for the time being.

Broner emphasizes that the clearinghouse's focus will be on providing “low-cost, high-throughput swaps” for institutional clients. The service is expected to launch soon, contingent upon finalizing technical integrations and obtaining legal approvals.

Founders' Expertise

Broner previously spent over two years at a16z crypto, primarily concentrating on stablecoin and payment investments. His research explored how liquidity, sovereignty, and credit can evolve tokens into everyday monetary tools. Zuckerman, on the other hand, contributed to the early analyses of the GENIUS Act while at Latham & Watkins, later transitioning to Eigen Labs. This shared background in policy and technological infrastructure positions the founding team for success.

In previous discussions around the GENIUS Act, lawyers have highlighted that its reserve, audit, and licensing stipulations could funnel global liquidity toward a narrower selection of compliant dollar tokens. Additionally, recent reports on major corporations like Amazon, Walmart, and Ant Group suggest they might need to work through regulated intermediaries to handle their stablecoins, especially given new restrictions on launching payment coins without federal approval.

As regulations tighten globally, neutral entities like Better Money could emerge as essential players, enabling exchanges and financial technology firms to transact efficiently between local and U.S. dollar systems without relying on non-compliant tokens.