<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Valiu, a blockchain-based international remittance firm located in Colombia, announced Thursday that it raised $5.25 million in seed funding.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blockchange Ventures and Anthony Pompliano (via Pomp Investments) </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">led the most recent round of funding. Blockchange Ventures is a blockchain-focused investment firm that has previously helped fund the crypto software company </span><a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/57881/crypto-software-firm-zabo-raises-2-5m-in-seed-funding"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zambo</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the crypto freelancer support firm </span><a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/79480/braintrust-raises-18-million-in-new-funds-for-token-powered-freelancer-marketplace"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Braintrust</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and numerous other </span><a href="https://www.theblockresearch.com/mapping-out-blockchange-ventures-portfolio-21301"><span style="font-weight: 400;">crypto-adjacent companies</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Valiu's round valued the startup at $20 million. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The company, founded in 2018, raised the $5.25 million in seed funding over a period of about two years. Other investors include Castle Island Ventures, Messari CEO Ryan Selkis, Volt Capital, Nima Capital, and former GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving.</span></p> <p>Valiu plans to use the funds to expand its user base across Latin America and to improve its product offerings, such as cross-border peer-to-peer payment systems and crypto lending and investing tools. </p> <p>"Crypto is not only the next fintech wave, but it is also the most exciting innovation in capital markets," said Simon Chamorro, Valiu's co-founder and CEO. "This is only the beginning of a long journey towards changing how people interact with money across Latin America and we are thrilled to form part of this paradigm shift in a region that desperately needs it."</p> <p>Valiu is the latest crypto firm in Latin America to raise funds with the goal of further expansion in the region. Bitso, a crypto exchange services firm, <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/87085/bitso-crypto-funding-62-million-brazil" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">raised $62 million</a> last year with an eye to expand in Brazil as well as continue its work in the Argentinian market. Bitso announced Thursday that it had <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/94586/crypto-exchange-bitso-acquisition-futures-options" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acquired</a> a European crypto derivatives platform. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>