Founded
2019
2019
CEO
Alexander Leishman
Alexander Leishman
Status
Private
Private
Valuation
~$300M+ (Series B)
~$300M+ (Series B)
Founders
Alexander Leishman, Andrew Benson
Alexander Leishman, Andrew Benson
Key Leadership
Alexander Leishman (CEO), Andrew Benson (COO), Julia Duzon (Head of Operations)
Alexander Leishman (CEO), Andrew Benson (COO), Julia Duzon (Head of Operations)
Category
Bitcoin Financial Services / Full-Stack Brokerage
Bitcoin Financial Services / Full-Stack Brokerage
Regulatory Status
Registered Money Services Business (MSB); SOC2 Type 2 Compliant
Registered Money Services Business (MSB); SOC2 Type 2 Compliant
BTC Holding
Undisclosed (Operates one of the largest Lightning Network nodes)
Undisclosed (Operates one of the largest Lightning Network nodes)
Website
river.com
river.com
Product Ecosystem
River provides a vertically integrated Bitcoin stack. Unlike competitors that outsource, River builds its own brokerage, custody, and Lightning infrastructure. Key products include River Brokerage, River Mining (managed hardware), and River Lightning Services (RLS).
Open Source / Tech
- RLS (Lightning Enterprise API)
- Major LND/Lightning Contributors
Standards
- Full Taproot Support
- Lightning BOLT Standards
Connection & Network
River is a leader in the institutional Bitcoin space, serving high-net-worth individuals and family offices. They are the primary technology provider for Lightning infrastructure to large-scale enterprises via their RLS platform.
| Invested Amount | ~$50M+ Total (Last Round: $35M Series B) |
| Lead Investors | Founders Fund (Peter Thiel), Goldcrest Capital, Polychain Capital |
| Past Founder Success | Alexander Leishman (Former Engineer at Airbnb and Polychain Capital) |
| Subsidiaries | River Financial, River Lightning Services (RLS) |
| Companies Founded by Team | 1 (River) |
| Other Team Investments | Active in protocol development and Bitcoin-native tech startups. |