SBI Holdings leads $125mn Series C for digital-asset firm Gauntlet

SBI Holdings has led a $125mn Series C financing for Gauntlet Networks, the digital-asset risk and optimization firm said, with the investment made through SBI Holdings USA, the Japanese group’s US subsidiary. Gauntlet said the capital will support a broader push into on-chain finance, including stablecoin coverage beyond dollar and euro markets.

The funding comes as financial groups test how tokenized assets, stablecoins and decentralized finance infrastructure can connect with regulated capital markets. Gauntlet said it currently curates more than $1.5bn in supplied assets through vaults across major digital-asset markets.

Gauntlet describes its role as providing quantitative risk controls and optimization tools for protocols, issuers, originators and financial platforms. In practice, the company says its systems help set the economic parameters under which protocol and institutional capital is deployed, including the rules and limits attached to on-chain vaults.

Use of proceeds

Gauntlet said the Series C proceeds will be directed to three near-term priorities. The first is infrastructure expansion, including support for stablecoins denominated in currencies beyond the US dollar and euro. The company named the Mexican peso and Japanese yen as target currencies, with additional foreign-currency stablecoins expected to follow.

The second priority is expanding Gauntlet’s global workforce. The company said it plans to use artificial intelligence to support operating scale, though it did not provide hiring targets or further details on staffing plans.

The third is the use of fresh capital to seed and accelerate new on-chain offerings. Gauntlet said the aim is to extend its platform across fintech, traditional financial services and tokenization initiatives worldwide, supported by SBI’s international network.

Tarun Chitra, Gauntlet’s co-founder and chief executive, said in the company’s announcement that the firm sees vaults and tokenization as drivers of decentralized finance adoption. He said SBI’s record in combining conventional financial services with crypto assets made it a relevant backer as Gauntlet seeks to work with institutions.

SBI’s digital-asset strategy

SBI said the investment fits its long-term plan to link established financial services with digital infrastructure. The company cited a global digital-asset market capitalization above $3.5tn and said it views digital assets as part of the development of modern finance.

According to the announcement, SBI’s plans include a yen-denominated stablecoin rollout in the second half of 2026. The group also said it is preparing for digital-asset investment trusts and exchange-traded products as regulatory frameworks develop internationally.

Yoshitaka Kitao, SBI Holdings’ representative director, chairman and president, said Gauntlet’s risk-management and optimization technology would support SBI’s aim of broadening digital-asset use. He also cited regulatory developments in the US, including the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, as relevant to the companies’ plans for digital financial infrastructure across Japan, Asia and other markets.

Gauntlet said global regulatory progress is shaping how capital is deployed in digital-asset markets. The company referred to the GENIUS Act as creating a federal framework for dollar-denominated stablecoins and to the CLARITY Act as part of the US move toward clearer digital-asset rules.

Financial Technology Partners acted as exclusive strategic and financial adviser to Gauntlet on the financing, according to the announcement.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.