Ground, a blockchain infrastructure startup founded by Superstate co-founder Reid Cuming, has raised $3.6 million in pre-seed funding to expand access to onchain yield products through an API aimed at fintech firms and asset managers.
Funding and launch details
The round was co-led by Bain Capital Crypto and ParaFi, with participation from Nascent, Robot Ventures, Chapter One, and Consonant Ventures. The raise was completed using a SAFE agreement with token warrants. The company did not disclose its valuation, and no governance roles were issued to participants.
Following the funding, Ground exited stealth and launched its platform. The system allows financial institutions to integrate blockchain-based yield strategies directly into their existing products without building in-house infrastructure. Its API enables customization based on risk tolerance and liquidity preferences.
Platform capabilities and integrations
Ground’s infrastructure connects to decentralized finance protocols across Ethereum, Solana, and Layer 2 networks. It supports lending and structured products, with plans to integrate liquid staking tokens.
Protocols currently accessible through the platform include Aave, Morpho, Maple, and Kamino. The company said it continues to add integrations based on client demand, reflecting a multi-chain approach to sourcing yield.
Target market and business model
The startup is targeting fintech platforms, neobanks, wealth managers, and similar firms seeking to embed yield-generating products into their offerings. These businesses manage access to a massive pool of capital, with global asset managers overseeing around $147 trillion, much of which sits idle in prefunded accounts and digital wallets.
Ground plans to generate revenue through usage-based fees tied to its API.
The San Francisco-based company currently has a small team of three full-time members, including its founders, along with one contractor. Hiring plans include expanding across engineering, commercial roles, and legal operations.
Founders and background
Ground was founded by Reid Cuming and chief technology officer Sam Yoon. Yoon previously held leadership roles in product and engineering at HiFi and served as technical CEO at Braid, focusing on stablecoin infrastructure. Cuming continues to serve as a board member and advisor at Superstate but is no longer involved in daily operations.
Broader market trend toward onchain finance
The funding reflects a wider shift toward building institutional-grade financial infrastructure on public blockchains. API-driven platforms like Ground aim to bridge traditional financial systems with decentralized protocols, enabling access to blockchain-native returns without requiring deep technical integration.
Capital continues to flow into this segment. ParaFi recently launched a $125 million venture fund focused on onchain finance and tokenization, while Bain Capital Crypto has consistently backed foundational infrastructure projects.
Growth in decentralized finance and yield products
The decentralized lending sector alone holds over $54 billion in deposits as of April 2026. Aave has surpassed $1 trillion in cumulative lending volume and controls more than $22 billion in supplied assets, generating a majority of the sector’s revenue in early June.
Other protocols integrated by Ground are also expanding. Morpho has exceeded $5 billion in total value locked, while Solana-based Kamino holds over $1.1 billion, underscoring growing activity across multiple blockchain ecosystems.
At the same time, the nature of onchain yield is shifting. Returns are increasingly derived from real economic activity rather than token incentives. Stablecoin lending on major platforms typically offers yields in the 4% to 9% range, making them competitive with traditional benchmarks such as U.S. Treasury bills.
Tokenization and new sources of yield
Tokenized real-world assets are emerging as a key driver of this transition. The market has grown from $2.9 billion to nearly $32 billion since early 2025, with tokenized U.S. Treasury products becoming a cornerstone for stable, onchain returns.
Ground’s planned support for liquid staking tokens taps into another large segment, which holds over $39 billion in value. These instruments allow assets to earn staking rewards while remaining usable across decentralized financial applications.
Fintech demand for embedded yield
The shift comes as fintech firms and neobanks look beyond basic payment services to differentiate their offerings. Embedding yield products allows these platforms to generate returns on idle balances held in user accounts.
As onchain financial systems mature, infrastructure providers like Ground are positioning themselves to simplify access, enabling firms to offer more advanced savings and investment products without developing the underlying blockchain systems themselves.
Institutional onchain yields growing fast? Explore how TradFi meets DeFi in Toobit’s in-depth guide on TradFi and how it works.
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