Fintech-crypto startup Avici today announced it has closed a $3.5 million funding round, and in a bold governance move by returning approximately 90 percent of that capital (about $34.2 million in total committed funds) back to its community under a futarchy-based governance model. Avici is an internet stablecoin banking startup that combines a self-custodial wallet and Visa spend card to offer a modern banking experience. It is built by Sitaram, Varun and Abhishek a small founding group that has shipped fast, stayed lean and executed globally. Together they’ve built one of the most advanced stablecoin banking stacks in the space. Sitaram Varun Abhishek A Different Governance Play A Different Governance Play Avici is embracing Futarchy, a governance model invented by economist Robin Hanson, often called the godfather of prediction markets, AMMs, and modern market-based decision design, and cited in several foundational crypto whitepapers. Under Futarchy, decisions are made through decision markets, not majority votes. Participants buy outcomes (“yes this proposal increases value” vs “no it doesn’t”), and whichever side the market prices higher determines the decision. By adopting this model, Avici aligns incentives tightly: if the community believes a proposal will increase growth or surplus, they buy in; if not, they vote with their capital. What the Raise Means What the Raise Means The $3.5 million raise gives Avici the runway to build its unified internet banking infrastructure: crypto wallet, savings,Spend card, DEFI credit score ,onchain mortgages and unsecured lending.The roughly $34.4 million “capital given back” figure suggests Avici’s broader capital base (or cumulative deployable funds) is sizable and that only a small portion stays under direct founder/management control. The $3.5 million raise gives Avici the runway to build its unified internet banking infrastructure: crypto wallet, savings,Spend card, DEFI credit score ,onchain mortgages and unsecured lending. The roughly $34.4 million “capital given back” figure suggests Avici’s broader capital base (or cumulative deployable funds) is sizable and that only a small portion stays under direct founder/management control. Why This Matters for Avici and Crypto-Fintech Why This Matters for Avici and Crypto-Fintech Governance as moat: For Avici (whose long-term goal is to build a bank to replace central banks), having a governance model rooted in market mechanisms signals next-gen financial infrastructure, not just another fintech.Aligning founder incentives with users: By returning capital and giving users governance power, Avici reduces adversarial dynamics between founders and users — a sticking point in many crypto and fintech ventures.Capital efficiency & community trust: A $3.5 M raise is modest for fintech ambitions, but when paired with strong governance and clear alignment, it may yield outsized impact.Entering the trust economy: Building a decentralised wallet, credit-card spend tool, and banking platform places Avici in direct competition with traditional finance incumbents. Governance credibility could be a differentiator. Governance as moat: For Avici (whose long-term goal is to build a bank to replace central banks), having a governance model rooted in market mechanisms signals next-gen financial infrastructure, not just another fintech. Governance as moat Aligning founder incentives with users: By returning capital and giving users governance power, Avici reduces adversarial dynamics between founders and users — a sticking point in many crypto and fintech ventures. Aligning founder incentives with users Capital efficiency & community trust: A $3.5 M raise is modest for fintech ambitions, but when paired with strong governance and clear alignment, it may yield outsized impact. Capital efficiency & community trust Entering the trust economy: Building a decentralised wallet, credit-card spend tool, and banking platform places Avici in direct competition with traditional finance incumbents. Governance credibility could be a differentiator. Entering the trust economy What to Watch What to Watch How the futarchy governance model is implemented: Will prediction markets be liquid and meaningful? Will outcomes be transparent and enforceable?Scalability of Avici’s product stack: integrating savings, trading, card infrastructure, identity, credit scoring and wallet features is complex — governance won’t replace execution. How the futarchy governance model is implemented: Will prediction markets be liquid and meaningful? Will outcomes be transparent and enforceable? Scalability of Avici’s product stack: integrating savings, trading, card infrastructure, identity, credit scoring and wallet features is complex — governance won’t replace execution. Bottom Line Bottom Line Avici’s raise and governance announcement aren’t just about capital — they’re signalling a shift in how fintech companies structure value, control and participation. If the futarchy model succeeds, Avici may be positioning itself not only as a bank-replacement platform but as a governance-native financial ecosystem. This story was distributed as a release by Kashvi Pandey under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. This story was distributed as a release by Kashvi Pandey under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program.
