Lava

hybrid · New York, US · est. 2022 · open in the directory →

Started as self-custodial DLC loans, pivoted to custody after a $200M raise — the loudest custody U-turn in bitcoin fintech.

Bitcoin line of credit + card; dropped self-custody (DLC) for cold-storage custody in Sept 2025.

The facts

Category	hybrid
HQ	New York, US
Founded	2022
Custody	Custodial
Regulation type	Other / mixed
Licence detail	Custodial (cold storage, distributed keys) since Sept 2025
Card	Visa · Secured credit
Cashback	Up to 5% BTC
Yield	USD yield on deposits
Stablecoins	Yes
KYC	Yes
Active regions	North America
Founders	Shehzan Maredia
Funding	~$227M raised (Founders Fund, Khosla)

Verified links: official site ↗

Early investors

Notable venture and strategic investors from Lava's publicly disclosed funding rounds (~$227M raised (Founders Fund, Khosla)).

Founders Fund ↗

Khosla Ventures ↗

comparePut Lava side by side with any of the other 364 tracked neobanks in the directory — custody, licence, cashback, yield, stablecoins and geography in one view.

Peers

Revolut · Cash App · Mogo · Venmo · Robinhood · Crypto.com

Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.