Funding

The collision of artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto finance just got a major boost. USD.AI, a stablecoin lending protocol designed for AI companies, has raised $13 million in Series A funding led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Dragonfly, Arbitrum, and other notable investors.

This funding round marks a pivotal step toward solving one of AI’s biggest challenges: access to capital for smaller, fast-growing AI firms often shut out of traditional lending.
What is USD.AI?

USD.AI, developed by Permian Labs, is a GPU-collateralized stablecoin lending protocol that reimagines how AI companies access credit. Instead of relying on conventional banking approvals that can drag on for weeks, startups can now borrow against their graphics processing units (GPUs) — the most critical hardware driving AI innovation.

USDai → A dollar-pegged stablecoin for everyday transactions.
sUSDai → A yield-bearing version, backed by income-generating compute assets.

By “treating GPUs like commodities,” USD.AI enables fast, programmatic loan approvals with 90%+ shorter wait times compared to traditional finance.

As CEO David Choi put it:

“We’re enabling credit to move at the speed of stablecoins.”

Why GPUs as Collateral?

GPUs are the lifeblood of modern AI. From training large language models to powering inference engines, they are in constant demand and hold immense value. With AI infrastructure booming, borrowers are paying 15%+ APRs on financing deals. Traditionally, that yield was reserved for private lenders and big funds.
USD.AI flips the model. Now, anyone can gain exposure to AI sector growth by participating in USD.AI’s ecosystem, where compute power becomes collateral and yields flow back to stablecoin holders.
Series A Backing: Why Investors are Betting Big

Framework Ventures’ Vance Spencer compared AI’s capital demand to the oil boom, emphasizing that AI startups need liquidity just as energy companies once did. By bridging DeFi and AI, USD.AI could democratize access to credit while also giving investors a new way to capture yield.
Key highlights so far:

$50M Total Value Locked (TVL) in private beta deposits.
First loan agreement signed with Compute Labs.Received an Arbitrum incentive grant.Built vault integrations with top DeFi partners.

With momentum already building, USD.AI’s public launch will feature an ICO and a game-based allocation model, bringing the project to a wider audience.
Why This Matters: The AI x Stablecoin Convergence

The rise of USD.AI signals something bigger than just another DeFi project. It represents the convergence of two of the fastest-growing industries:

Stablecoins → The backbone of crypto’s regulatory progress and digital asset adoption.AI → A mainstream technology with insatiable demand for compute power.
Together, they could unlock:

Autonomous AI agents transacting reliably with stable assets.Faster, smarter financial systems that cut out traditional gatekeeping.New yield opportunities for retail and institutional investors.Reduced risk & faster settlement in AI financing deals.

USD.AI’s $13M raise isn’t just about one company — it’s about a broader shift in how AI startups access funding and how crypto-native finance can play a role in fueling innovation.
With its upcoming ICO, game-based distribution model, and proven $50M deposits in private beta, USD.AI is positioning itself as a pioneer at the intersection of AI and DeFi.

#USDAI #Funding #AI
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