Return founder, Tomiwa Lasebikan, raises $2.4 million for stablecoin startup Daya

Tomiwa “Aleph” Lasebikan, the former founder of Circle-backed Nigerian BuyCoins, is making his second startup bet. He has raised $2.4 million in pre-seed funding for Daya, a stablecoin-powered payments startup helping African businesses move money across borders.

The oversubscribed round was led by Hivemind Capital, with participation from Lattice Fund, Alliance DAO, Aptos Foundation, and Globelink Investment.

Founded in October 2025 by Lasebikan and Paul Joe, Daya provides businesses with dollar accounts, stablecoin settlement infrastructure, and cross-border payment services. The startup says it is growing by more than 40% month-on-month as demand for faster, cheaper international payments increases across Africa.

The raise marks another chapter for Lasebikan. Investors backing Daya are betting on a founder with prior startup experience to navigate one of Africa’s biggest financial challenges in its largest market.

Daya emerged from Alliance DAO’s ALL15 accelerator cohort seven months ago and has expanded its network of banking and blockchain partners. In June, the startup partnered with the Aptos Foundation and the Dubai-based HashKey MENA to launch a stablecoin settlement corridor connecting businesses across Africa and the Middle East.

The company’s platform allows businesses to receive payments through virtual US dollar, Hong Kong dollar, and Chinese yuan accounts, convert local currencies into dollar liquidity, hold funds in stablecoins, and make international payments from a single dashboard.

The funding comes amid growing investor interest in stablecoin infrastructure. According to the Condia funding tracker, stablecoin startups accounted for 70% of the total funding in May 2026.

Daya plans to use the new capital to expand its payment corridors, strengthen compliance capabilities, and deepen partnerships with local and global financial institutions as it builds financial infrastructure for African businesses operating internationally.

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Condia publisher Benjamin Dada shared his perspective on what Daya’s raise says about investor appetite for stablecoin infrastructure in Africa. Read his take here.

Last updated: June 25, 2026