Karsa
Karsa is a New York–based financial technology company that markets a “global dollar account” for people in inflationary or capital-controlled markets. Founded in 2025 by Shahryar Hasnani and Dale Wilson and backed by Y Combinator (Winter 2025), it lets users receive USD, hold stablecoins and spend on a Visa card.1
History
Hasnani (ex-Ethereum infrastructure business development; family in Pakistan) and Wilson (protocol engineering) launched Karsa after watching P2P crypto desks become the default dollar savings tool in emerging markets. A YC soft launch processed early volume; the full iOS/Android app followed in 2025 with traction reported in Nigeria, Pakistan, India and Kenya.2 The consumer site later emphasised business plus personal multi-currency accounts (ACH, wire, SWIFT, SEPA and stablecoins) and corporate cards.
Founders
Shahryar Hasnani and Dale Wilson co-founded Karsa and worked out of New York during the YC batch. Hasnani has led go-to-market; Wilson protocol and product engineering.
Model
Karsa describes itself as a stablecoin neobank rather than a chartered bank. Early design used a verified P2P supply network under the hood while abstracting chat and wallet complexity from buyers; user funds were described as self-custodial. Virtual U.S. accounts and Visa spend are delivered through banking and card partners. Availability is rolled out by region.
Products
Personal and business USD (and other currency) accounts, stablecoin balances, global payouts and Visa cards for online and in-store spend. It is frequently used in Nigeria and other African markets as a card-first dollar account alongside peers such as Chipper Cash and Roam.
External links
References
- Karsa is a Y Combinator Winter 2025 company building a stablecoin neobank for emerging markets. https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/karsa
- Disrupt Africa reported Karsa’s 2025 app launch for virtual US accounts and forthcoming Visa cards. https://disruptafrica.com/2025/11/14/nigerian-startup-karsa-launches-to-help-users-obtain-virtual-us-bank-accounts/
Frequently asked questions
- What is Karsa?
- Karsa is a Y Combinator-backed stablecoin neobank offering global dollar accounts and cards for emerging-market users.
- When was Karsa founded?
- Karsa was founded in 2025.
- Where is Karsa headquartered?
- Karsa is headquartered in New York, U.S..
- Who founded Karsa?
- Karsa was founded by Shahryar Hasnani, Dale Wilson.
- What type of company is Karsa?
- Karsa is described as Stablecoin neobank in its neobank.wiki profile.
- What is the official Karsa website?
- The official website for Karsa is https://gokarsa.com/.
See also
- Accrue — Accrue is a Ghana- and Nigeria-rooted fintech that moves money across Africa and the US using a stablecoin agent network.
- Airwallex — Airwallex is an Australian-founded business fintech for global accounts, payments and spend management.
- Alex Johnson — Alex Johnson is the founder of Fintech Takes, a widely read fintech newsletter and podcast; he is active on X as @AlexH_Johnson.
- Alexandre Prot — Alexandre Prot is co-founder and CEO of Qonto, the Paris-based European business neobank.
- Ali Niknam — Ali Niknam is founder and CEO of Bunq, the Amsterdam-based licensed Dutch neobank.