ZBD is a technology company.
ZBD has raised $47.0M across 2 funding rounds.
ZBD has raised $47.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
ZBD has raised $47.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
ZBD's investors include Cadenza Capital Management, Lakestar, Hilmar Veigar Petursson, foobar.vc.
ZBD is a US-based fintech company founded in 2019 that builds a payment stack for games, enabling instant real-money rewards and seamless in-game transactions powered by the Bitcoin Lightning Network.[1][2][3] It serves game developers and players across 100+ markets, solving the problem of embedding frictionless Bitcoin payments into gameplay to boost engagement, such as paying players for rewards or enabling purchases without leaving the game.[1][2][4] With over 3 million app downloads, ZBD demonstrates strong growth momentum through its app for earning Bitcoin via games, surveys, and polls, alongside developer tools like software kits for in-game commerce.[3][5]
ZBD was founded in 2019 by Simon Cowell (CEO, experienced executive and investor drawn to Bitcoin's gaming potential), Andre Neves (CTO, Bitcoin Lightning engineer with product design expertise), and Christian Moss (Head of R&D, early Bitcoin game developer and Lightning gaming pioneer).[2][3] The idea emerged from the intersection of gaming and Bitcoin, aiming to integrate Lightning Network payments natively into games as a fully remote team of gamers and Bitcoin enthusiasts.[1][3] Early traction came from pioneering instant real-money rewards, positioning ZBD as the only licensed provider for embedded transactions, with rapid expansion to its app boasting millions of downloads.[1][5]
ZBD rides the wave of Bitcoin gaming and Web3 payments, capitalizing on the Lightning Network's scalability for microtransactions in virtual worlds where traditional fiat systems fall short.[1][3][4] Timing aligns with surging play-to-earn models and Bitcoin adoption, amplified by gaming's massive scale—virtual economies need internet-native currency like Bitcoin for seamless interoperability.[4][5] Market forces favoring ZBD include fintech-gaming convergence, regulatory progress for crypto payments, and developer demand for engagement-boosting rewards, influencing the ecosystem by onboarding millions to Bitcoin via fun, accessible apps and bridging devs to new monetization.[2][5]
ZBD is poised to dominate Bitcoin-powered gaming payments as Lightning adoption grows and play-to-earn evolves into mainstream in-game economies. Expect expansions in SDK integrations, more high-earning games, and deeper community tools amid rising crypto-gaming trends and regulatory clarity. Its influence could reshape how money flows in virtual worlds, turning ZBD from rewards pioneer into the essential payment layer for the next billion gamers—proving that ZBD is the payment stack for games is just the start.
ZBD has raised $47.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $35.0M Series B in July 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2022 | $35.0M Series B | Cadenza Capital Management, Lakestar, Hilmar Veigar Petursson | |
| Sep 1, 2021 | $12.0M Series A | Cadenza Capital Management, foobar.vc, Lakestar, Hilmar Veigar Petursson |