What ZBD does

ZBD (legal entity ZEBEDEE, LLC, founded 2019 in Hoboken, New Jersey; formerly known as Zebedee) is a fintech company that builds vertically integrated payment infrastructure for the video game industry, operating on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Its core technology enables instant, low-cost microtransactions and real-money rewards within games, processing over 120 million transactions annually with instant settlement and minimal fees. The platform is delivered as a unified product suite comprising four modules: ZBD Earn (an embedded real-money rewards layer that rewards players with Bitcoin for in-game engagement to boost LTV and retention), ZBD Payouts (on-demand real-money delivery to players, creators, and winners via bank, wallet, or card), ZBD Embedded Accounts (in-game banking and P2P/creator economy infrastructure), and ZBD Debit Cards (branded cards that convert real-world spending into in-game rewards). ZBD also offers a ZBD Wallet for Lightning Network microtransactions.

ZBD serves game developers and publishers across mobile, PC, and console platforms as its primary customer segment, with secondary end-user segments including gamers, content creators, and influencers who receive instant Bitcoin payouts. The company targets a global market spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, and holds a distinctive regulatory footprint including US Money Transmitter Licenses (NMLS 2188007), EU EMI and MiCAR licenses in the Netherlands, SOC2 Type 2 certification, and certified Visa Direct partner status. Notable customers include TapNation (French mobile publisher whose Idle Bank game achieved +44.5% ARPDAU uplift, +142% D14 retention, and +28.5% D1 retention), Fumb Games (UK studio that doubled its 2025 revenue and paid out $5.2 million to players via ZBD), and Playember.

ZBD's business model is primarily transaction-fee based, charging a percentage on each Lightning Network payment processed for game developers. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise publishers, with developers typically allocating 10-20% of ad revenue to player rewards. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales for large publishers with a self-serve developer portal and SDK for smaller studios. The company has raised approximately $90 million in cumulative venture funding across three rounds, with a $40 million Series C closed in January 2026 led by Blockstream Capital Partners ($36 million committed), and has grown to approximately 70 employees as of 2025.

Name

ZBD

Legal name

ZEBEDEE, LLC

Website

https://zbd.gg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ZBD is a fintech company that provides vertically integrated Bitcoin Lightning Network payment infrastructure for video game developers and publishers, enabling instant microtransactions, real-money player rewards, embedded accounts, and branded debit cards. It serves mobile, PC, and console game studios globally with compliance-ready payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gaming Payment Infrastructure

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Crypto Payments & Digital Asset Settlement for Gaming (MPAEALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gaming-Focused Payment Gateways & Orchestration (MPAEALAB), Payments Orchestration, Wallets & Alternative Payments Enablement (MPAEAKAH), In-Game Wallets, Stored Value & Virtual Currency Issuance (MPAFAJAB)

Keywords

• Bitcoin payment infrastructure
• Gaming micropayments platform
• Lightning Network payments
• Real-money rewards engine
• Embedded gaming finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoboken

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Fees: ZBD charges transaction fees for processing Bitcoin Lightning Network payments within games. Developers integrate the ZBD SDK to enable player rewards, payouts, and in-game currency transactions, with the company taking a percentage of each transaction processed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZBD provides vertically integrated Bitcoin Lightning Network-based payment infrastructure for video game developers and publishers, enabling them to embed real-money rewards, instant payouts, in-game banking, and branded debit cards into their games via a single SDK/API integration. The platform processes over 120 million Lightning Network transactions annually across 55+ mobile games, replacing fragmented payment vendors with a full money lifecycle solution covering deposits, in-game value transfer, and instant cashouts. Compliance is handled end-to-end under US Money Transmitter, EU EMI, and MiCAR licenses, with Visa Direct partnership enabling card-based disbursements.

Product overview

ZBD is a vertically integrated fintech platform providing Bitcoin payment infrastructure for the video game industry. The platform operates as a unified product suite comprising four core modules: ZBD Earn (real-money rewards layer for player engagement), ZBD Payouts (instant on-demand payment delivery), ZBD Embedded Accounts (in-game banking and P2P/creator economy infrastructure), and ZBD Debit Cards (branded cards converting spending into rewards). The platform is built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network enabling instant, low-cost microtransactions, with developers integrating via SDK/API to add Bitcoin-based rewards and payment features to their games.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZBD Earn Embedded real-money rewards layer that enables game developers to reward players with Bitcoin and real currency for in-game engagement, boosting LTV, retention, and revenue. Targeted at mobile, PC, and console game publishers.
• ZBD Payouts On-demand payout system enabling game publishers to send real money directly to players, creators, or winners with instant delivery to bank, wallet, or card. Targeted at game publishers needing instant payout rails for tournaments, rewards, and creator monetization.
• ZBD Embedded Accounts Banking infrastructure embedded within games enabling P2P transactions and creator economies, allowing publishers to own the full player experience with real financial relationships. Targeted at game publishers building in-game economies and creator monetization features.
• ZBD Debit Cards Branded debit card offering that enables retention and loyalty beyond the game by turning player spending into in-game rewards. Targeted at game publishers seeking branded card-linked loyalty programs.
• ZBD Wallet Lightning Network-based Bitcoin wallet solution for instant, low-cost microtransactions. Supports gaming payments and integrates with Lightning Network for micropayment use cases; serves as the consumer-facing entry point at zbd.gg.

Quantifiable outcome

• +44.5% ARPDAU uplift, +142% D14 retention, +28.5% D1 retention for TapNation's Idle Bank game
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Visa DirectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026ZBD is a certified Visa Direct partner, enabling the company to offer compliance-ready payments stack and branded debit card programs for game publishers. This partnership provides the regulatory and payment network infrastructure for ZBD's global payout services.
• 55 Game StudioscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 January 2026ZBD partnered with 55 mobile games in 2025, integrating Lightning Network-based Bitcoin payments and rewards. This includes studios like TapNation, Fumb Games, and Playember that use ZBD's payment infrastructure to enable player rewards and real-money payouts within their games.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Moon (Lightspark): Lightspark operates Moon, a Bitcoin Lightning-based payments platform targeted at consumer and merchant use cases including digital goods and gaming. Most directly comparable to ZBD as a Lightning-native payments infrastructure player competing in the same developer-integration motion.
• OpenNode: OpenNode provides Bitcoin Lightning Network payment processing for merchants and developers. Overlaps with ZBD on crypto-native payment infrastructure and developer SDK/API distribution, though less gaming-specialized.
• CoinsPaid: CoinsPaid offers crypto payment gateway and processing services for merchants including gaming operators. Comparable in providing crypto-native rails with regulatory compliance, though more gambling-oriented than ZBD.

Broad incumbents

• BitPay: BitPay is one of the longest-standing crypto payment processors serving merchants with Bitcoin and stablecoin acceptance. Broader in scope than ZBD but competes for the same developer mindshare in crypto payment integrations.
• MoonPay: MoonPay provides fiat-to-crypto on-ramp infrastructure used by gaming and Web3 apps. Comparable as a developer-facing crypto payments provider, though focused on on-ramps rather than in-game real-money rewards.
• Nuvei: Nuvei is a major payment processor with a strong gaming and iGaming vertical, offering global acquiring and payout infrastructure. Overlaps with ZBD on payment orchestration for game publishers, but is a traditional (non-crypto) incumbent.
• Adyen: Adyen is a global payments platform serving large digital merchants including gaming. Comparable as enterprise-grade payments infrastructure that could expand into gaming-native rewards if it chose to.

Emerging players

• Sequence (Horizen Labs): Sequence provides blockchain-based gaming infrastructure including wallets, payments, and tokenization. Competes with ZBD in the gaming-specific crypto payments stack, particularly around embedded wallets and developer SDKs.
• Stardust: Stardust provides gaming-focused wallet, payments, and white-label infrastructure for game publishers. Direct overlap with ZBD on embedded accounts and developer tooling for real-money game features.

Others

• Circle: Circle (USDC issuer) provides programmable money infrastructure including wallets and payout APIs. Adjacent to ZBD's stack as a potential rails provider or competitor in the regulated digital-money-for-gaming category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zbdapp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zbdpay
• Facebookfacebook.com/zbdapp

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ZBD