On June 16, 2026, Y Combinator's Spring 2026 batch Demo Day wrapped up. 196 startups had finished pitching to investors. Yet the biggest news to come out of that Demo Day wasn't about any single company. YC had introduced an option for every startup in the S26 batch to receive its $500,000 in funding in USDC.
When YC invested in Coinbase in 2012, Bitcoin was trading at $5 to $13. Over the 14 years since, YC has backed nearly 100 crypto asset (also known as virtual currencies) startups, but the investment funds were always delivered via traditional bank wire. This year, that 14-year pattern changed. Why now? And what does this shift mean for investors and entrepreneurs in Japan?
The Regulatory 'Bedrock' Story
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