Y Combinator opens stablecoin funding option for startups starting Spring 2026

Y Combinator, Silicon Valley’s best-known startup accelerator, will allow startups to receive their funding in stablecoins, marking the first time it has offered founders this option.

The stablecoin payout option will be available to any YC-funded startup — not just crypto-native or crypto-related firms — starting with the Spring 2026 batch, Nemil Dalal, a visiting partner focused on crypto at Y Combinator, told The Block. Dalal said YC will offer funding in USDC across major blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Base, and Solana.

The move comes as stablecoins reach what YC described as a "regulatory inflection point" following the passage of the GENIUS Act in the United States last year. YC also views stablecoin transfers as a faster and cheaper alternative to traditional fiat rails, particularly for founders operating across borders.

"Stablecoin transfers typically cost <1 cent and settle in <1 second, even across borders," Dalal said. "Traditional rails like international wires often cost tens of dollars once you factor in bank and intermediary fees, and can take days to settle. They also require lots of information. Sending money with stablecoins is to money what sending a text message is to information."

YC also pointed to growing real-world usage among YC-backed companies operating in markets such as India and Latin America. Startups, including Aspora and DolarApp, are already using stablecoins to help customers move and store money more efficiently in regions where access to traditional banking infrastructure can be limited or costly, YC said.

Importantly, the move does not affect YC’s funding amounts or terms, Dalal said. Instead, the stablecoin option simply gives founders another way to receive capital, he added.

Y Combinator's crypto investment plans

Since first backing Coinbase in its 2012 batch, Y Combinator said it has invested in nearly 100 crypto-related startups. Dalal said the firm is actively looking to fund more companies working on stablecoins as the technology matures. While stablecoins are a major focus, he said YC is also interested in areas such as tokenization, new credit markets, and onchain capital formation.

Last September, YC partnered with Coinbase to back startups focused on building onchain infrastructure. At the time, the accelerator said the world was entering “Fintech 3.0,” describing a shift toward a financial system built with code, where payments settle instantly, assets are held in self-custodial wallets, and financial services operate globally around the clock.

Looking ahead, Dalal said YC expects blockchains to play a growing role in how startups manage their finances, even if they are not building crypto products themselves. Founders are already using stablecoins for developer tools, remittances, and payouts, where speed and cost matter most, he said. Over time, he added, blockchains could increasingly underpin how startups raise capital, run financial operations, and eventually access public markets.

“In the future, we expect more and more of the financial needs of startups to be enabled by blockchains,” YC said.

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