Standard Economics, a startup founded by former SpaceX and X veterans, has successfully raised $9 million in seed funding to launch Uno, an ambitious app designed to democratize cross-border payments and bring essential banking services to the unbanked globally, leveraging the power of stablecoins to achieve what one investor calls “Starlink for money.”
The global financial landscape is notoriously challenging for millions, particularly when it comes to sending money across borders. Steep fees, frustrating delays, and a fundamental lack of access to banking services plague individuals in developing countries. This very problem struck Evan Jones, CEO and cofounder of Standard Economics, when he struggled to send funds to his parents in rural Ireland. Recognizing this personal pain point as a widespread issue, Jones embarked on a mission to simplify international payments and empower the unbanked through a revolutionary platform.
On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, Standard Economics announced a significant milestone: $9 million in seed funding. This crucial investment round was spearheaded by the prominent crypto venture firm Paradigm, with additional participation from Lightspeed and several strategic angel investors. While the company opted not to disclose its current valuation, this substantial backing signals strong confidence in its ambitious vision.
The Vision: A “Starlink for Money” for the Global Unbanked
At its core, Standard Economics aims to be a global financial equalizer. “Our product is built to work globally and designed for people traditional finance overlooks,” Jones stated. The overarching goal is to enable anyone, anywhere on Earth, to access money and make financial transactions with unprecedented ease. This audacious vision has led Caitlin Pintavorn, a partner at Paradigm, to draw a compelling parallel: “[Standard Economics’] vision is to basically bring about Starlink for money.”
The choice of analogy is potent, invoking the disruptive, global connectivity of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. Just as Starlink seeks to provide internet access to remote and underserved areas, Standard Economics envisions a financial infrastructure that bypasses traditional banking limitations to serve the global unbanked and underbanked populations. This isn’t just about incremental improvements; it’s about fundamentally re-architecting how money moves and is accessed.
Founders with a Pedigree of Disruption: From Elon Musk’s Ventures to Fintech Innovation
The leadership team at Standard Economics brings a unique blend of experience from the frontiers of technology and innovation, having worked at companies founded by Elon Musk. The three co-founders are:
- Evan Jones (CEO): Formerly of X (formerly Twitter) and xAI.
- Payam Abedi (CTO): Also an alumnus of X.
- Tyler Carnevale (COO): Spearheaded special projects at both SpaceX and X.
This pedigree from highly disruptive and ambitious companies like SpaceX and X suggests a deep understanding of scaling complex technologies and challenging established norms. Their collective experience is a strong indicator of the caliber of innovation and execution they aim to bring to the financial services sector. With six employees currently, Standard Economics is still in its nascent stages and is not yet generating revenue, focusing entirely on product development and market expansion.
Introducing Uno: The Global One-Stop Shop for Payments
The company’s inaugural product is an app called Uno, which officially launched in Mexico on Tuesday. Available on both iOS and Android platforms, Uno is designed as a “one-stop shop” for a suite of free banking tools. Users can make internal payments within their country and, critically, send money to other countries completely free of charge. This directly addresses the core problem of high fees and slow processing times that inspired Jones.
Following its debut in Mexico, Standard Economics has aggressive expansion plans for Uno, targeting Argentina and the Philippines, alongside several other countries across Latin America and Asia. The long-term vision is to create a universally accessible app that transcends country-specific solutions. While current competitors like Félix, which allows users to send money to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras via WhatsApp, are prevalent, they are often siloed by region. Uno’s ambition is to offer a consistent, global experience for remittances and basic banking needs.
Stablecoins: The Engine for Accessibility
At the heart of Uno’s functionality and Standard Economics’ vision are stablecoins. These cryptocurrencies are typically pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar, aiming to combine the efficiency of blockchain technology with the stability of traditional currencies. Currently, stablecoins represent some of the most actively discussed and integrated technologies in the crypto space. This year alone, Congress passed legislation to regulate the technology, and both Silicon Valley and Wall Street are actively exploring their integration into mainstream finance. For Jones and his team, stablecoins are central to making money more accessible, reliable, and affordable for the unbanked worldwide.
Investor Perspective: Opportunity in a Vast, Underserved Market
For investors focused on disruptive technology and high-growth potential, Standard Economics presents a compelling narrative. The global remittance market is enormous, with billions of dollars sent across borders annually, much of it burdened by traditional financial institutions. The unbanked population represents a massive, underserved demographic hungry for reliable and affordable financial tools. Standard Economics’ approach, leveraging agile tech founders and stablecoin innovation, positions it to capture a significant share of this market.
The endorsement from a top-tier crypto venture firm like Paradigm, known for its deep expertise in the digital asset space, further validates the potential. While early-stage investments carry inherent risks, the combination of experienced founders from a culture of extreme innovation and a clear solution to a massive global problem makes Standard Economics a venture to watch closely. Its success hinges on aggressive expansion, seamless user experience, and navigating evolving regulatory landscapes, but the potential upside for long-term investors tracking fintech disruption could be substantial.
As Jones recounted, his father’s reaction to the app’s prototype—”You seem to have built a bank”—perfectly encapsulates the company’s ambition to redefine what banking means for millions. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com, highlighting the mainstream financial world’s increasing interest in decentralized solutions for pressing global challenges.
