The fintech or “financial technology” sector has been booming in recent years, with startups innovating in everything from payments to lending to personal finance management. But there’s a new wave of fintech startups that are taking things a step further, using the power of web3 technologies to build a new generation of financial applications.

De-Fi (Decentralized Finance) startups are building decentralized versions of traditional financial services, from lending and borrowing platforms to stablecoins and insurance protocols. And they're attracting a lot of attention from investors and users alike.

Let’s take a look at some of the most promising De-Fi startups that are turning heads in the web3 space.

Kiyaverse

Kiya.ai is a metaverse fintech that ushers in a futuristic banking experience. You can create your own avatar and explore personalized AR/VR environments. Their AI, RPA and ML-based solutions are designed to be immersive and sustainable.

Kiya provides Banking as a Service (BaaS) as a solution to help commercial banks be competitive by adopting cutting-edge tech to improve their digital footprint and develop integrated interfaces. Their solution offerings include AI-based omnichannel & open finance solutions, universal regulatory technology, digital core banking, digital engineering services and AI-based analytics.

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Enter the Kiyaverse to witness a hyper-personalized banking user experience with interactive data visualization and gamified processes.

Juno

Traditional banks are not very crypto-friendly. So this India-based startup came up with a solution to power up the web3 economy. Juno’s target customer is the long-term crypto investors. By integrating crypto and web3, Juno enables over 75,000 US customers to take their paychecks in cryptocurrency.

Juno Pay, available on a number of blockchains like Bitcoin, Eth, Polygon, Sol etc., has made buying crypto simple. They have partnered with Evolve Bank and Mastercard to enable real-time payments. They even launched their own token recently. Juno Coins or JCOIN will be part of their tokenized loyalty program for their members.

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You can make everyday transactions and bill payments with crypto and move funds to and from traditional banks easily with a Juno debit card.

KIRA

If you are a web3 finance app developer, KIRA is the perfect platform to host your product. Singapore-based KIRA connects decentralized financial applications via a Web3 DeFi network. It allows the staking of multiple digital assets at the same time using Multi-Bonded Proof of Stake (MBPoS) while maintaining liquidity.

The central KIRA blockchain called KIRA Hub makes use of Interchain Exchange Protocol (IXP) that allows asset swapping over multiple blockchains. With initial validator offering (IVO) and automated market maker (AMM), KIRA offers a cryptocurrency ecosystem to host DiFi apps complete with end-to-end security. The more assets you stake, the more secure KIRA becomes.

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You can crowdfund by staking your fungible and non-fungible tokens while being able to trade and transfer the staked funds at the same time.

RAI Finance

A social network for crypto trading? South Korea’s RAI Finance allows users to trade digital assets and socialize with traders too. On RAI’s Social Trading System (STS), you can view other traders’ asset distribution and portfolio to assess their strategy and performance.

With their multi-chain feature, you can swap tokens easily between ETH and USD. You can share your own portfolio, analyze your asset status and rebalance your portfolio. RAI Finance’s token, SOFI, has a unique governance function which allows holders to propose protocol changes and vote on them.

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If you are not a pro crypto trader yet, you can access a fellow trader’s investment strategy, analyze its performance and copy it for your own portfolio.

Summing up

The fintech sector is no stranger to startups. In fact, startups have been a driving force in the industry for years. But what's different about web3 finance startups? Built on decentralized protocols and technologies, such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, and IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), web3 fintechs are often lauded for their potential to upend the traditional banking sector by providing more transparency, security, and inclusion.

It’s no surprise that web3 finance startups are leading the charge in the finance sector. Rethinking how we interact with banking, they're making waves with their innovative approaches. From decentralized exchanges to digital asset management, we are excited to see more startups shake up the status quo and show us what's possible with web3 technology.

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