CRB Group secures $50m to scale AI and digital asset capabilities

CRB Group, the parent of Cross River Bank, has raised $50 million in common equity from existing investors, including funds managed by T. Rowe Price, as it looks to expand its capabilities across artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and embedded finance.

The capital injection is expected to support new product development, strengthen strategic partnerships, and accelerate the company’s international expansion. The move comes amid increasing competition among financial infrastructure providers to integrate multiple services such as payments, lending, and digital assets within unified platforms.

Cross River said the funding builds on momentum from 2025, during which the firm reported growth across payments, capital markets, and lending operations. The company plans to scale its crypto offerings and invest further in AI-driven capabilities aimed at enhancing compliance, risk management, and operational efficiency.

“We’re proud to announce that T. Rowe Price deepened its investment in Cross River,” said Gilles Gade, Chairman, Founder, and CEO of Cross River. “We thank T. Rowe Price for their support of Cross River’s strategy of embedded finance 2.0, the bundling of crypto, lending, payments, and cards on one platform with a sophisticated AI layer to deliver innovative solutions with exceptional compliance and risk management.”

The funding reflects a broader industry trend towards integrated financial ecosystems, where banks and FinTech firms are combining infrastructure, data, and advanced analytics to deliver end-to-end services. As demand grows for embedded financial solutions within non-financial platforms, providers are increasingly investing in scalable architectures and regulatory-compliant frameworks.

Founded in 2008, Cross River provides banking infrastructure for more than 100 technology partners, including firms such as Stripe, Plaid, and Coinbase. Its real-time banking core underpins a range of services spanning payments, lending, cards, and crypto, positioning the firm within a growing segment of FinTechs enabling embedded finance at scale.

CRB Securities acted as exclusive financial adviser on the transaction, while Sullivan & Cromwell served as legal counsel.