We’re very excited to announce $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the development and expansion of the AQUA Wallet. This funding marks a pivotal step in our journey to make Bitcoin accessible, practical, and transformative for users around the globe.
Our seed round is led by Fulgur Ventures with participation from Grupo Salinas, Tether, Lightning Ventures, East Ventures, Plan B Fund, Bitcoin Opportunity Fund, and NYDIG. We’re honored to have such incredible partners backing us and their support underscores the growing momentum for Bitcoin’s global adoption.
“At Fulgur Ventures, we are dedicated to supporting visionary entrepreneurs who are building the financial infrastructure of the future. Our investment in JAN3 reflects our confidence in their mission to accelerate Bitcoin adoption globally. We believe that JAN3's innovative approach will play a pivotal role in advancing the Bitcoin and Liquid Network ecosystems and we are excited to support JAN3’s journey towards bringing about a more inclusive and efficient financial system.”
- Oleg Mikhalsky, Partner at Fulgur Ventures
Strategic Investors
For this round we looked for investors who could do more than just provide capital – we wanted partners who align with our mission and are strategic to our expansion plans for Latin America and Asia.
Grupo Salinas, founded by Ricardo Salinas, is a Latin American powerhouse with a diverse portfolio of companies, including Banco Azteca, Elektra, and TV Azteca. Banco Azteca, in particular, focuses on financial inclusion, providing banking services to middle and lower-income families across Latin America.
In Asia, East Ventures brings its regional expertise to the table. As a leading investor in Indonesia and Japan, they have been instrumental in driving innovation across Southeast Asia. Co-founder Batara Eto is a trailblazer in the Bitcoin space, spearheading the transformation of Metaplanet into a Bitcoin Treasury company.
As the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, Tether (USDt) has been a game-changer in providing access to digital dollars for people in emerging economies. With Tether’s unparalleled network effects and JAN3’s easy-to-use AQUA Wallet, we aim to bring Bitcoin and financial freedom to the Global South.
“Tether is excited to support the work JAN3 is doing to advance financial freedom around the world. JAN3’s AQUA wallet has found excellent product-market fit by offering the perfect balance of saving in Bitcoin with spending in USDt.”
- Paolo Ardoino, Tether CEO
Bitcoin Treasury
Our new funding follows an oversubscribed pre-seed round of $620,000 that was closed in early 2023. As part of the current seed financing, $1 million of capital will be allocated to establish a Bitcoin Treasury for JAN3, consisting of 12 BTC, acquired at an average cost of $83,333.33 per BTC.
Driving AQUA Forward
In 2024 we’ve been seeing rapid growth in both user adoption and volumes, with the month of November 2024 alone crossing $11 million in swap volume. This shows us that we’re heading in the right direction and that it’s the opportune time to ramp up our development and marketing teams.
The new seed funding will take AQUA to the next phase of its mission to onboard a billion people to Bitcoin. The focus for the past year has been optimizing the core AQUA offering: seamless swaps across Bitcoin layers and with Tether USDt – all in a self-custodial wallet. With the new funding, our priority will shift to growth and adding more Marketplace integrations, such as credit cards, loans, and local on/off ramps.
“We’ve managed to create a Bitcoin Superapp that’s able to deliver real utility and is being used in daily life around the world. It just works, and it’s only going to get even better.”
- Samson Mow, JAN3 CEO
Looking Ahead
The $5 million we’ve raised will accelerate our plans to rebuild the global financial system on a Bitcoin Standard.
With the AQUA Wallet, our aim has been to bridge gaps in the global financial system and provide solutions for those who have been left behind. Whether it’s helping families in Latin America find stability in uncertain economies, enabling small businesses in Southeast Asia to thrive, or providing savings tools for individuals in underbanked regions, AQUA is making Bitcoin accessible to anyone who wants to take control of their finances.
Just a note that we had saved this historic date of January 3rd, 2025 for this announcement.