Tom Brady Backs Boston-Based Startup Catena Labs in New Crypto Endeavor
AI Financier Backing: Tom Brady Endorses Catena Labs
Football legend Tom Brady has re-entered the cryptocurrency space with a cautious approach, lending his support to Catena Labs, a Boston-based startup that combines artificial intelligence and finance. This move comes after Brady's high-profile involvement with FTX ended in controversy.
Catena Labs, which has recently emerged from stealth, aims to create the world's first AI-native financial institution. The startup was co-founded by Sean Neville, known for co-creating the USDC stablecoin at Circle. It seeks to establish a financial system tailored to AI agents—software programs that can conduct autonomous transactions—addressing the limitations of traditional financial systems.
The startup raises $18 million in seed funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz's crypto division, a16zcrypto. Investments also came from Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, and Breyer Capital. Notable figures such as Balaji Srinivasan, Kevin Lin, and Bradley Horowitz joined as angel investors.
Catena Labs has developed the Agent Commerce Kit (ACK), an open-source toolkit for AI systems to confirm identity and make payments independently. To bridge the gap between traditional and AI-driven systems, the company plans to integrate regulated stablecoins like USDC. With backing from Circle's co-founder and numerous venture capital firms, Brady appears to be betting on a more regulated and technologically advanced path.
The AI-native financial institution will help AI agents transact efficiently and securely by aligning with the unique requirements of the emerging AI economy. Catena Labs aspires to establish a financial system that seamlessly accommodates autonomous AI systems, providing support for their interactions within the digital economy.
Catena Labs, backed by Tom Brady, is developing an AI-native financial institution that combines artificial intelligence with finance, aiming to create a system tailored for AI agents. To achieve this, they have raised $18 million in seed funding from various investors, including Andreessen Horowitz's crypto division, Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Breyer Capital, with the focus on creating an efficient and secure system for AI-driven investments.
