Bitcoin payments startup ZBD has raised $40 million in a Series C round led by Blockstream Capital, which contributed $36 million, Fortune reported. Co-founder and CEO Simon Cowell declined to disclose the company’s valuation or name the other investors. The New Jersey-based payments software company helps game developers embed payments directly into games, enabling peer-to-peer transfers, loyalty rewards, and Bitcoin payouts without relying on third-party fintech providers.
ZBD centers its technology on Bitcoin rather than stablecoins and positions itself as a broader payments provider that aims to keep users within developers’ ecosystems. The company says it worked with 55 games in 2025 and currently employs about 70 people. The newly raised capital will be used to expand ZBD’s payments product suite over the coming year, the report notes. ZBD also developed an SDK and API to let developers add Bitcoin rewards while addressing cybersecurity and fraud concerns.
ZBD’s Bitcoin rewards were integrated into TapNation’s Idle Bank last year, marking the first mainstream mobile game to deliver Lightning Network payouts and driving significant engagement gains. The project reportedly boosted 30-day player retention by 355% and revenue per player by 124%. The firm emphasizes a payments-focused approach, turning ad revenue into Bitcoin payouts to improve engagement and monetization across its game network, including titles like Bitcoin Miner.
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