YC & Kraken Signal Crypto Infrastructure Buildout
Y Combinator released a crypto Request for Startups focusing on AI capital raising, stablecoins, trading, and agent infrastructure, while Kraken's parent Payward announced it will use Hyperliquid as the infrastructure layer for US regulated perpetual futures.
What we know
An account on X at YC says they're excited to fund crypto startups and the deadline is Monday (52K views). Another account on X adds context: YC's priorities are stablecoins, tokenization, AI agents, and fundraising rails. On the infrastructure side, another account on X breaks down the Kraken/Hyperliquid deal: Bitnomial owns/clears, NinjaTrader holds client accounts, Hyperliquid runs the order book — a novel three-party regulated perps structure pending CFTC approval. Meanwhile, @CoinDesk reports XRP Ledger devs testing zero-balance account creation, removing a key friction point for AI agents creating wallets.
How the story developed
Y Combinator released a crypto Request for Startups focusing on AI capital raising, stablecoins, trading, and agent infrastructure, while Kraken's parent Payward announced it will use Hyperliquid as the infrastructure layer for US regulated perpetual futures.
Payward (Kraken's parent) announced plans to become the first CFTC-regulated deployer on Hyperliquid's HIP-3 markets, with Bitnomial clearing contracts and NinjaTrader holding US custody.
Payward (Kraken's parent) announced it will become the first CFTC-regulated deployer on Hyperliquid's HIP-3 markets, bringing regulated onchain perpetual futures to US clients pending regulatory approval.
Payward, Kraken's parent company, announced plans to become the first CFTC-regulated deployer on Hyperliquid's HIP-3 markets, enabling US-regulated perpetual futures — a major institutional DeFi moment.
Hyperliquid is developing permissioned-market functionality that would allow Kraken's CFTC-regulated subsidiary Bitnomial to offer US perpetual futures through the protocol — a potentially landmark regulatory-crypto bridge.
Sources
“XRP Ledger developers are testing a way to create accounts with zero $XRP balance, letting apps and AI agents create wallets without pre-funding each one”
View post →By the Global Eye 24 desk, with AI assistance. Updated as the story develops. Spot an error? Write to corrections@globaleye24.com.