Zar, a fintech startup launched by Brandon Timinsky — the former CEO of SadaPay — has raised $7 million to make stablecoins like USDT and USDC accessible at neighborhood stores in cash-based economies.
The funding round attracted heavyweight investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Dragonfly Capital, VanEck Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and the co-founders of Solana. While Zar’s valuation hasn’t been disclosed, the support from these top-tier backers signals strong confidence in the company’s global potential.
Turning Local Shops Into Crypto Gateways
Zar’s big idea is simple but powerful: let people walk into a local store, hand over cash, and walk out with stablecoins in their digital wallet. The company plans to leverage over 28 million mobile money agents worldwide — everyday shop owners who already provide basic financial services — to make this happen.
Using the Zar app, customers can scan a QR code at a participating store, check exchange rates, read vendor reviews, and complete the transaction. The digital assets, like USDT or USDC, are then instantly deposited into their wallets.
Store owners earn a small profit from the margin on the exchange rate, while Zar takes a transaction fee that varies by region.
Focus on Emerging Markets
Zar is specifically targeting developing countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, Argentina, and Indonesia, where traditional banking access is limited and inflation is a serious concern. So far, nearly 100,000 users have joined the waitlist, and over 7,000 vendors across 20 countries have signed up to offer Zar’s services.
The U.S. isn’t part of the company’s initial rollout, given its mature financial infrastructure and relatively low need for stablecoin alternatives.
Why Stablecoins Matter Now
With the stablecoin market already worth over $238 billion and playing a growing role in global payments, Zar’s timing couldn’t be better. Citigroup recently forecasted that the total stablecoin market could balloon to $2 trillion by 2030, driven by clearer regulations and institutional interest.
Active usage is rising fast too — with over 30 million stablecoin wallets recorded in early 2025, up 53% from the previous year.
What’s Next for Zar?
The fresh funding will be used to grow the Zar team, expand into new markets, and launch the app by summer 2025. If successful, Zar could reshape how people around the world interact with digital money — one corner shop at a time.
