New Jersey-based Bitcoin payment startup ZBD has raised $40 million in its Series C funding round to enhance its blockchain-based payment system for the video game industry. The company provides payment software to game developers, enabling direct in-game transactions such as peer-to-peer transfers, loyalty rewards, and Bitcoin payments without relying on third-party financial services. The largest portion of this investment, approximately $36 million, came from crypto investment firm Blockstream Capital. According to ZBD CEO Simon Coville, the company focuses its technology exclusively on Bitcoin payments, deliberately avoiding NFTs or crypto-native gameplay, aiming to develop a more widely accepted and stable payment solution, especially as stablecoins gain traction among major corporations and banks.
ZBD’s unique approach allows game developers to establish direct financial relationships with their users, facilitating in-product transactions without external financial intermediaries. This strategy has enabled the company to work with 55 games and maintain a team of around 70 employees by 2025. Last year, ZBD introduced Bitcoin rewards in TapNation’s mobile game Idle Bank, using the Lightning Network for payment processing, which significantly boosted player engagement and revenue. The company has also developed an SDK and API that help game developers integrate Bitcoin rewards while addressing cybersecurity and fraud challenges. Overall, this investment will support ZBD in further enhancing and expanding its payment system, anticipating broader adoption of Bitcoin payments within the gaming industry.
Source: bitcoinmagazine
