When people think about innovation, they think about Silicon Valley: venture capital, tech giants, startups disrupting entire industries.
Washington, D.C. brings other things to mind, like government, policy, regulation, and international institutions. It’s not where you’d expect a borderless fintech company to begin.
That may be exactly why Shaheen Money belongs here.
Our money has not kept pace with our world
Technology has made the world remarkably connected. We can message someone across continents in seconds, work with colleagues on the other side of the planet, and build businesses that serve customers everywhere.
Yet moving money across those same borders remains surprisingly hard. Transfers take days. Fees are unpredictable. Millions of people still have no access to basic financial services. The internet never closes, but much of the financial system still runs on banking hours, national boundaries, and fragmented infrastructure.
That gap is the problem that inspired Shaheen Money.
A personal question
I grew up in Lebanon and later built my life in the United States. My career took me through technology, user experience, and international development, including years at the World Bank, where conversations about financial inclusion were part of daily work.
But the problem was also personal. I saw firsthand how hard it was to move money across borders, especially when families needed it most.
I kept coming back to one question: if sending a message anywhere in the world is practically instant, why isn’t sending money just as simple?
That question became Shaheen Money.
Why the DMV
Shaheen Money started here, in the Washington metropolitan area where Maryland, Virginia, and the District come together.
That is more than a geographic detail. This region is home to influential financial institutions, policymakers, development organizations, and regulators. Here, financial inclusion, consumer protection, and the future of money are working conversations, not abstract ideas.
Financial infrastructure needs more than disruption. It needs trust, and trust is built through collaboration between technology companies, financial institutions, and the people who write the rules. Washington is where those groups meet, and that shapes how we build.
Innovation and regulation are not opposites
Financial innovation over the past decade has been extraordinary, and it has also taught hard lessons.
Speed without security is not enough. Decentralization without accountability is not enough. And innovation without trust cannot become the foundation of a global financial system.
Companies like Circle, the issuer of USDC, have shown how transparency and compliance can bring stablecoins into mainstream finance. Networks like Stellar were designed from the start to make cross-border value transfer more accessible and interoperable.
Both reflect a principle we share: the future of finance isn’t about avoiding regulation. It is about building innovation that earns trust and operates responsibly within it.
Shaheen Money is built on the Stellar network, using USDC to enable fast, low-cost payments across borders. Our wallet is designed so users stay in control of their funds. Wherever traditional money meets digital money, we work with regulated partners. For us, compliance and consumer protection are part of the foundation, not obstacles to deal with later.
Where we are today
Shaheen Money is live today on the U.S. to Lebanon corridor.
Someone in Maryland or Virginia can add money by card, bank transfer, or cash through MoneyGram, and send it to family in Lebanon. It arrives in their wallet in seconds. From there, they can hold it in digital dollars, send it on, or pick it up as cash.
We work with partners including MoneyGram and OwlPay. Our work connecting Stellar USDC to the Middle East has been supported by a Stellar Community Fund Build Award.
It’s a beginning, but it is a real one.
More than a wallet
Our vision goes beyond a single app.
A freelancer in Beirut can work for a company in Washington. A student can receive support from family abroad. A small merchant can sell to customers thousands of miles away. Economic life is increasingly global and continuous, but the infrastructure underneath it is not.
We imagine a network where wallets, banks, merchants, and payment providers connect across borders through shared infrastructure, and where stablecoins become a practical bridge between traditional money and the digital economy. Your wallet never closes, and money reaches people through channels they already use, including local shops where they can cash in and out.
Financial inclusion is not just about giving someone a wallet. It is about giving them the ability to participate in the economy: to earn, save, send, and receive.
The technology should be nearly invisible. What matters is the experience.
From the DMV to the world
There is still a great deal to build. Regulation, interoperability, access, and adoption all demand serious, patient work.
But the goal is clear: to let money move as freely as information, responsibly, securely, and for everyone, including the people the financial system has long left behind.
The next great financial innovation doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley. It can start right here in Washington, D.C.
Shaheen Money. Started in the DMV. Built for the world.