6 February 2026 – Relay announced $17M in Series B funding led by Archetype and Union Square Ventures, bringing total funding to $20M, and launched Relay Chain to enable instant cross-chain settlements, strengthening its role in unified on-chain payments and DeFi.
High Signal Summary For A Quick Glance
- Change: Relay Chain enables instant settlements and more unified liquidity across chains.
- Constant: Reliability and wallet/app integrations remain the core adoption drivers.
- Significance: A smoother UX can unlock stablecoin volume and accelerate broader interoperability growth across DeFi, payments, and on-chain apps.
- Retail traders: Faster, cheaper cross-chain transfers across 85+ networks.
- Builders & developers: Easier integration with apps like MetaMask and OpenSea.
- Institutions: Scalable infrastructure for high-volume settlements and global payments.
- Crypto market: Reduced liquidity fragmentation, making on-chain transfers and routing smoother.
Relay Protocol Overview
Founded in 2022, Relay Protocol enables instant, seamless transfers of assets across 85+ blockchains, removing the need for bridges, swaps, or gas fees. It has processed over 100 million transactions worth $20 billion and integrates with wallets like MetaMask and Phantom, and platforms like OpenSea and MoonPay.
On February 5, 2026, Relay raised $17 million in a Series B led by Archetype and USV, bringing total funding to $20 million, and launched Relay Chain for faster, scalable cross-chain settlements. Early growth and integrations doubled monthly usage leading into 2026.
Key milestones in Relay Protocol’s evolution and scaling journey
Relay Protocol launches
Relay Protocol debuts as a multichain payments network by Reservoir, initially powering Zora’s cross-chain NFT minting to simplify asset transfers across blockchains.
Relay 2.0 introduced
Relay announces Relay 2.0, introducing Relay Vaults and opening the Relay Protocol to improve capital efficiency and multichain payment flexibility.
2025 milestones recap
Relay publishes its 2025 year-in-review, citing connections to 75+ networks, over 5M users, and more than $5B in processed volume.
$17M Series B and Relay Chain launch
Relay secures $17M in Series B funding led by Archetype and USV, alongside the launch of Relay Chain to enable instant cross-chain settlement and infrastructure scaling.
Relay Chain Features
It is a dedicated settlement layer for cross-chain transactions, enabling instant transfers across 85+ networks in under 2 seconds with 99.9% reliability. It abstracts bridge and routing complexity, allowing users to move any asset across chains with low costs and efficient liquidity management.
Future upgrades and documentation will support deeper integrations, faster settlements, and lower fees, positioning Relay Chain as scalable infrastructure for DeFi, payments, and global on-chain commerce without competing with existing blockchains.
What Readers Should Watch Next
- Relay Chain Adoption Metrics: Track transaction volume and user growth on Relay Chain in the coming months, as integrations with DeFi apps could signal rapid ecosystem expansion similar to past infrastructure launches.
- New Partnerships and Integrations: Monitor announcements for collaborations with major wallets, exchanges, or protocols like Aave or Uniswap, which could enhance Relay’s interoperability reach and drive mainstream adoption.
- Potential Token Launch: Keep an eye on any hints or roadmaps for a native Relay token, as funding rounds often precede tokenomics reveals that could introduce governance or incentives for users.
- Competitive Landscape Shifts: Observe responses from rivals like LayerZero or Axelar, including potential feature updates or market share changes, to gauge Relay’s impact on the broader cross-chain infrastructure sector.
