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Based in Switzerland, Ark Labs develops infrastructure for the Ark protocol, a Bitcoin Layer-2 scaling solution designed to facilitate fast, low-cost transactions while maintaining user self-custody and network security. The company builds Arkade, a programmable execution layer enabling fintech companies, brokerages, asset managers, and payment providers to integrate instant settlements, lending, and digital asset applications on Bitcoin. To support its protocol development, the startup secured $7.7 million in venture capital across pre-seed and seed rounds backed by prominent investors including Draper Associates, Tether, Anchorage Digital, and Fulgur Ventures. Founded in 2024 by CEO Marco Argentieri, the company emerged from stealth to build the first implementations of this technology ahead of a closed beta rollout. By eliminating the need to manage payment channels, this infrastructure offers an accessible alternative to the Lightning Network for borderless financial products.
Ark Labs has raised $8.2M across 2 funding rounds.
Ark Labs has raised $8.2M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Ark Labs has raised $8.2M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Ark Labs's investors include Ralph Ho, Anchorage, Ego Death Capital, Epoch VC, Lion26, Sats Ventures, Paolo A., Draper Associates, Global Founders Capital, Paradox Capital, Polygon, Trammell Venture Partners.
Ark Labs is a technology company building a Bitcoin layer two payment network based on the Ark protocol, enabling seamless, scalable, low-cost payments with simplified user experience and universal self-custody.[2][3][4] It develops open-source tools for programmable finance on Bitcoin, including market infrastructure for lending and derivatives, Bitcoin treasury solutions to activate balance sheets, and liquidity provision for yield generation without custody loss.[2][3] The company serves Bitcoin users, developers, and financial applications seeking to overcome Lightning Network limitations like liquidity management and node requirements, solving scalability issues for everyday transactions while maintaining security and self-custody.[2][4] Launched in June 2024, Ark Labs shows strong momentum through its open GitHub implementation, backing from Vulpem Ventures, and focus on real-world Bitcoin adoption.[2]
(Note: A separate entity at arklabs.tech provides Web3 integration services for Asian businesses, but the primary Ark Labs matching the Bitcoin focus is arklabs.xyz and related sources.[1][3])
Ark Labs emerged from the Ark protocol concept proposed in 2023 as a Bitcoin layer two solution complementing the Lightning Network.[2] The company officially launched on June 4, 2024, in Tallinn, led by a team of seasoned Bitcoin developers supported by Vulpem Ventures.[2] This team is committed to transforming the protocol into reality through an open-source implementation on GitHub, allowing anyone to run Ark Service Providers (ASPs) or compatible wallets.[2] Early traction stems from addressing core Bitcoin pain points—scalability, cost, and usability—pivoting from theoretical design to live development amid rising demand for efficient on-chain alternatives.[2]
Ark Labs rides the Bitcoin scalability wave, enhancing the Lightning Network to unlock programmable money on the world's most secure base layer amid growing institutional Bitcoin adoption.[2][3] Timing aligns with 2024's post-halving momentum and demand for layer two solutions that simplify onboarding for non-technical users, reducing barriers to global financial access.[2] Market forces like rising transaction volumes, DeFi's shift to Bitcoin rails, and needs for collateralized instruments favor Ark, as it eliminates geographical and liquidity hurdles while boosting trust via transparency.[1][2][3] By open-sourcing infrastructure, it influences the ecosystem, empowering developers to build lending, derivatives, and treasuries, accelerating Bitcoin's evolution from store-of-value to programmable network.[3]
Ark Labs is positioned to lead Bitcoin's payment and finance layer two evolution, with open tools driving adoption as Bitcoin treasuries and DeFi mature.[2][3] Next steps include expanding ASP networks, wallet integrations, and enterprise features like treasury yields, fueled by protocol maturity and venture support.[2] Trends like Ordinals, Runes, and institutional inflows will amplify its role, potentially evolving Ark into the go-to rails for borderless, self-custodial finance—ushering in the era of truly programmable Bitcoin that its launch promised.[2][3]
Ark Labs has raised $8.2M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.2M Seed in March 2026.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2026 | $5.2M Seed | — | Ralph HO, Anchorage, EGO Death Capital, Epoch VC, Lion26, Sats Ventures, Paolo A. | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2024 | $3M Seed | — | Draper Associates, Global Founders Capital, Paradox Capital, Polygon Labs, Trammell Venture Partners, Treble Capital, Unruly Capital, Balaji Srinivasan, Roneil Rumburg, Stephen Cole | Announced |
