WikiPartner - User contributions [en]

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-02T07:42:35Z

HumptyDumpty:

{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Thapaliya
| image = Sam Thapaliya 2026.jpeg
| alt = Sam Thapaliya
| caption = Sam Thapaliya
| other_names = Sambhab Thapaliya
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|6|28}}<ref name="TechBullion2026">{{cite web |last=Ann |first=Priscilla |title=Zebec Founder Sam Thapaliya Highlights the Growing Role of Real-Time Payments in Web3 Finance |url=https://techbullion.com/zebec-founder-sam-thapaliya-highlights-the-growing-role-of-real-time-payments-in-web3-finance/ |website=TechBullion |date=19 May 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bharatpur]], [[Chitwan District]], [[Nepal]]<ref name="TechBullion2026" />
| nationality = Nepalese
| education = [[Menlo College]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur, investor
| known_for = Founding [[Zebec Network]]
| title = Founder of Zebec Network
| organization = Zebec Network
| awards = Menlo College Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award (2020)<ref name="TechBullion2022">{{cite web |last=Bajwa |first=Ali |title=Sam Thapaliya, the Nepalese Elon Musk |url=https://techbullion.com/sam-thapaliya-the-nepalese-elon-musk/ |website=TechBullion |date=31 August 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| website = https://samthapaliya.me/
}}
'''Sam Thapaliya''' (also known as '''Sambhab Thapaliya'''; born 28 June 1998) is a Nepalese [[entrepreneur]] and [[investor]] best known as the founder of [[Zebec Network]], a financial-technology and [[blockchain]] project that began in 2021 as a continuous-settlement protocol on the [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] blockchain.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="TheBlock">{{cite web |last=Dave |first=Anushree |title=Solana-based programmable cash stream protocol Zebec raises $15 million |url=https://www.theblock.co/news/deals/2022-02-23-zebec-solana-protocol-funding-round-feb-135100 |website=The Block |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Before Zebec, he co-founded ASMI, a technology company focused on advertising, video analytics and interactive commerce. He has also been named as an inventor on United States patents assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp.<ref name="Justia">{{cite web |title=Sambhab Thapaliya Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications |url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Justia Patents |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya's work with Zebec has centered on programmable payments, real-time payroll, treasury systems and infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based settlement with conventional payment networks.<ref name="Circle">{{cite web |author=Circle Ventures |title=Founder Q&A with Sam Thapaliya of Zebec |url=https://www.circle.com/blog/zebec-founder-qa |website=Circle |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="NatPay">{{cite web |title=Partnership with NatPay to expand bank-grade payroll infrastructure with Zebec Web3 connectivity |url=https://zebec.io/blog/to-blend-traditional-settlement-networks-with-real-time-web3-rails-and-iso-20022-standards |website=Zebec |date=2 December 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Business profiles list him as based in [[San Francisco]], California.

== Early life and education ==

Thapaliya was born on 28 June 1998 in Bharatpur, in Nepal's Chitwan region.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> In interviews, he has described growing up on the outskirts of Chitwan during the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. He has said that his mother participated in a small peer-to-peer microfinance group that helped support the family.<ref name="Beluga">{{cite web |last=McKinnon |first=Will |title=Beluga Spotlight: Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec |url=https://heybeluga.com/articles/spotlight-sam-thapaliya-zebec/ |website=Beluga |date=19 February 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has said that he began learning computer programming at around the age of 13 and started developing enterprise resource planning software for local businesses.<ref name="Beluga" /> In a 2022 interview with Circle, he recalled that he had not encountered a bank until around the same age, an experience he later connected with his interest in financial infrastructure.<ref name="Circle" />

After completing his schooling in Nepal, Thapaliya moved to California in August 2017 to attend [[Menlo College]].<ref name="HamroKatha">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya Interview |url=https://www.hamrokathacollection.com/sam-thapaliya-interview |website=Hamro Katha |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> In an interview with Hamro Katha, he described his field of study as [[management information systems]].<ref name="HamroKatha" /> Menlo College later identified him as a member of its class of 2020.<ref name="Menlo2026">{{cite web |title=Student-Athletes Shine At 2026 Menlo Startup Pitch Competition |url=https://menloathletics.com/news/2026/4/28/student-athletes-shine-at-2026-menlo-startup-pitch-competition.aspx |website=Menlo College |date=28 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== ASMI ===

While studying in California, Thapaliya co-founded '''ASMI''' (Augmented and Segmented Media Interface), a technology startup involved in advertising, video analytics and interactive digital commerce.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> Crunchbase lists him as a co-founder and chief architect of the company from 2019.

Patent records under the name Sambhab Thapaliya identify him as the inventor of technology assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp. relating to in-video product placement and purchasing through [[augmented reality]]. Two related U.S. patents were granted in September and November 2020.<ref name="Justia" />

Accounts of his Menlo College recognition use different names for the award. A 2022 profile reported that ASMI received the '''Menlo College 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award''', while later profiles have described Thapaliya's 2020 recognition as Menlo College's '''Entrepreneur of the Year'''.<ref name="TechBullion2022" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" />

=== Zebec Network ===

==== Founding and early development ====

Thapaliya founded Zebec in 2021. It launched on the Solana mainnet in November of that year as a protocol for continuous and real-time settlement of financial transactions.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks">{{cite web |last=Melinek |first=Jacquelyn |title=Solana Payment Processor Raises $15M on Promise of Instant Settlements |url=https://blockworks.com/news/solana-payment-processor-raises-15m-on-promise-of-instant-settlements |website=Blockworks |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya described the original idea as applying the concept of streaming to money. The system was designed to allow payments to move continuously rather than only at fixed intervals. Early use cases included employees receiving wages by the second, creators receiving royalties in real time and consumers making continuous subscription payments.<ref name="Circle" /> Zebec's early payroll product, Zebec Pay, used on-chain settlement and supported payments in [[USD Coin|USDC]] and other stablecoins.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Thapaliya has said that the payroll problem was an important reason for creating Zebec. He argued that workers, particularly in markets where payment delays can create financial difficulties, could benefit from receiving money as it was earned rather than waiting for a weekly or monthly payroll cycle.<ref name="Beluga" />

Zebec launched after a $6 million funding round led by Breyer Capital, Republic Capital and Shima Capital, according to The Block.<ref name="TheBlock" /> In February 2022, the company raised a further $15 million in a Series A round led by Solana Ventures and Distributed Global. Participants included Circle, Coinbase Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alameda Research.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks" /> Blockworks reported at the time that more than 250 projects were using or building on the protocol within several months of its launch.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Separate from the venture rounds, ''Vanguard'' reported in April 2022 that private and public sales of Zebec's ZBC token generated approximately $28 million, consisting of $21 million from private sales and $7 million from public sales.<ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya's Zebec Is A Name To Watch Out For With $28 Million Generated In Token Sales |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/sam-thapaliyas-zebec-is-a-name-to-watch-out-for-with-28-million-generated-in-token-sales/ |website=Vanguard News |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Expansion and rebranding ====

Zebec expanded beyond its initial continuous-payment protocol into payroll, treasury management, payment cards and other financial-infrastructure products.<ref name="Circle" /><ref name="Beluga" /> A 2025 profile by Beluga reported that the company was serving more than 200 corporate clients in the United States and had developed products including WageLink and the Nautilus blockchain infrastructure.<ref name="Beluga" />

In April 2024, Zebec Protocol announced a rebranding as '''Zebec Network''', alongside the migration of its ZBC token to the ZBCN ticker. The company said the name change reflected an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure network beyond its original protocol.<ref name="Chainwire">{{cite web |title=Zebec Announces Migration to ZBCN and Favorable Token Split to Boost Network Utility and Accessibility |url=https://chainwire.org/2024/04/10/zebec-announces-migration-to-zbcn-and-favorable-token-split-to-boost-network-utility-and-accessibility/ |website=Chainwire |date=10 April 2024 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Traditional payments integration ====

By 2025 and 2026, Zebec was increasingly presenting its technology as infrastructure that could work alongside conventional payroll and banking systems rather than functioning only through blockchain networks.<ref name="NatPay" />

In December 2025, Payroll Growth Partners, part of the Zebec ecosystem, and National Payment Corporation (NatPay) announced a partnership involving the PayBridge payroll platform. The announced system combined NatPay's conventional direct-deposit infrastructure with Zebec's programmable payment rails and included connections to [[Automated Clearing House|ACH]], wire payments and [[FedNow]]. Zebec's announcement said NatPay processed more than $170 billion in payments annually for over 300,000 ACH clients.<ref name="NatPay" />

On 2 April 2026, [[Nacha]] announced that Zebec Network was one of 20 organizations that had joined its Payments Innovation Alliance during the first quarter of 2026. Nacha describes the Alliance as a cross-industry membership and engagement program for organizations involved in payments, financial services and technology.<ref name="Nacha">{{cite web |title=Nacha Welcomes 20 New Payments Innovation Alliance Members in First Quarter of 2026 |url=https://www.nacha.org/news/nacha-welcomes-20-new-payments-innovation-alliance-members-first-quarter-2026 |website=Nacha |date=2 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Nacha reported that the ACH Network it governs handled 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion during 2025.<ref name="Nacha" />

In June 2026, company-distributed material described these developments as part of Zebec's '''2026 Institutional Compliance Initiative'''. The announcement stated that Zebec had worked on alignment with the [[ISO 20022]] financial messaging standard and outlined plans involving regulatory documentation, enterprise connectivity and expansion of payment infrastructure.<ref name="CryptoNews2026">{{cite web |last=Msiska |first=Samuel |title=Zebec Network outlines 2026 institutional compliance initiative |url=https://crypto.news/zebec-network-outlines-2026-institutional-compliance-initiative/ |website=crypto.news |date=25 June 2026 |type=Press release |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> The ISO 20022 alignment was described by Zebec as an internal technical alignment process rather than as an independent regulatory accreditation.<ref name="CryptoNews2026" />

== Investment and advisory activities ==

In addition to founding companies, Thapaliya has worked as an angel investor. Crunchbase lists personal investments in '''Cedro Finance''' and '''Novastro'''. Profiles of Thapaliya have described his investment interests as including [[financial technology]], Web3 and other emerging technology companies.<ref name="Beluga" />

Thapaliya also served as an early adviser to the founders of '''Movement Labs'''. In May 2025, ''CoinDesk'' reported on memoranda of understanding between Thapaliya and Movement Labs concerning MOVE-token allocations and services related to marketing, market-making and strategy. Movement Labs told ''CoinDesk'' that the agreements were exploratory and non-binding, while Thapaliya said they had not been voided and stated that he intended to pursue a contractual claim concerning one of the allocations.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement">{{cite web |last=Kessler |first=Sam |editor-last=De |editor-first=Nikhilesh |title=Movement Labs Secretly Promised Advisers Millions in Tokens, Leaked Documents Show |url=https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/15/movement-labs-secretly-promised-advisers-millions-in-tokens-leaked-documents-show |website=CoinDesk |date=15 May 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Thapaliya separately denied having a financial interest in Movement Labs or the Movement Foundation and denied involvement in Movement's agreement with market maker Web3Port. He told ''CoinDesk'' that his advisory work had included exchange discussions, token-allocation strategy, market-maker selection and assistance with hiring.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement" />

== Recognition and public activities ==

In addition to his 2020 entrepreneurship recognition at Menlo College, Thapaliya was included in the '''E-Pal · Hurun US Under30s 2022''', a list published by the Hurun Research Institute of entrepreneurs aged 30 or younger in the United States.<ref name="Hurun">{{cite web |title=Hurun US Under30s 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.co.uk/hurun-us-under30s-2022 |website=Hurun UK |date=10 November 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has continued to take part in entrepreneurship activities connected with Menlo College. In April 2026, the college identified him as a 2020 alumnus and one of the judges for its inaugural Menlo Startup Pitch Competition.<ref name="Menlo2026" />

He has also discussed entrepreneurship, blockchain adoption and startup development in interviews. In a 2022 interview with Circle, he emphasized product development and community building as priorities for early-stage Web3 founders.<ref name="Circle" />

== See also ==

* [[Financial technology]]
* [[Blockchain]]
* [[Decentralized finance]]
* [[Solana (blockchain platform)]]
* [[Real-time payment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://samthapaliya.me/ Official website]
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zebecsam/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[LinkedIn]]
* [https://x.com/sam_thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] on [[X (social network)|X]]
* [https://www.instagram.com/sam_thapaliya/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[Instagram]]
* [https://www.crunchbase.com/person/sambhab-thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] at [[Crunchbase]]
* [https://zebec.io/ Zebec Network]

[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nepalese entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Nepalese investors]]
[[Category:Blockchain people]]
[[Category:Fintech businesspeople]]
[[Category:Menlo College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Chitwan District]]
[[Category:Nepalese expatriates in the United States]]

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-01T13:58:56Z

HumptyDumpty:

{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Thapaliya
| image = Sam Thapaliya 2026.jpeg
| alt = Sam Thapaliya
| caption = Sam Thapaliya
| other_names = Sambhab Thapaliya
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|6|28}}<ref name="TechBullion2026">{{cite web |last=Ann |first=Priscilla |title=Zebec Founder Sam Thapaliya Highlights the Growing Role of Real-Time Payments in Web3 Finance |url=https://techbullion.com/zebec-founder-sam-thapaliya-highlights-the-growing-role-of-real-time-payments-in-web3-finance/ |website=TechBullion |date=19 May 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bharatpur]], [[Chitwan District]], [[Nepal]]<ref name="TechBullion2026" />
| nationality = Nepalese
| education = [[Menlo College]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur, investor
| known_for = Founding [[Zebec Network]]
| title = Founder of Zebec Network
| organization = Zebec Network
| awards = Menlo College Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award (2020)<ref name="TechBullion2022">{{cite web |last=Bajwa |first=Ali |title=Sam Thapaliya, the Nepalese Elon Musk |url=https://techbullion.com/sam-thapaliya-the-nepalese-elon-musk/ |website=TechBullion |date=31 August 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| website = https://samthapaliya.me/
}}
'''Sam Thapaliya''' (also known as '''Sambhab Thapaliya'''; born 28 June 1998) is a Nepalese [[entrepreneur]] and [[investor]] best known as the founder of [[Zebec Network]], a financial-technology and [[blockchain]] project that began in 2021 as a continuous-settlement protocol on the [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] blockchain.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="TheBlock">{{cite web |last=Dave |first=Anushree |title=Solana-based programmable cash stream protocol Zebec raises $15 million |url=https://www.theblock.co/news/deals/2022-02-23-zebec-solana-protocol-funding-round-feb-135100 |website=The Block |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Before Zebec, he co-founded ASMI, a technology company focused on advertising, video analytics and interactive commerce. He has also been named as an inventor on United States patents assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp.<ref name="Justia">{{cite web |title=Sambhab Thapaliya Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications |url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Justia Patents |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya's work with Zebec has centered on programmable payments, real-time payroll, treasury systems and infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based settlement with conventional payment networks.<ref name="Circle">{{cite web |author=Circle Ventures |title=Founder Q&A with Sam Thapaliya of Zebec |url=https://www.circle.com/blog/zebec-founder-qa |website=Circle |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="NatPay">{{cite web |title=Partnership with NatPay to expand bank-grade payroll infrastructure with Zebec Web3 connectivity |url=https://zebec.io/blog/to-blend-traditional-settlement-networks-with-real-time-web3-rails-and-iso-20022-standards |website=Zebec |date=2 December 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Business profiles list him as based in [[San Francisco]], California.

== Early life and education ==

Thapaliya was born on 28 June 1998 in Bharatpur, in Nepal's Chitwan region.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> In interviews, he has described growing up on the outskirts of Chitwan during the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. He has said that his mother participated in a small peer-to-peer microfinance group that helped support the family.<ref name="Beluga">{{cite web |last=McKinnon |first=Will |title=Beluga Spotlight: Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec |url=https://heybeluga.com/articles/spotlight-sam-thapaliya-zebec/ |website=Beluga |date=19 February 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has said that he began learning computer programming at around the age of 13 and started developing enterprise resource planning software for local businesses.<ref name="Beluga" /> In a 2022 interview with Circle, he recalled that he had not encountered a bank until around the same age, an experience he later connected with his interest in financial infrastructure.<ref name="Circle" />

After completing his schooling in Nepal, Thapaliya moved to California in August 2017 to attend [[Menlo College]].<ref name="HamroKatha">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya Interview |url=https://www.hamrokathacollection.com/sam-thapaliya-interview |website=Hamro Katha |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> In an interview with Hamro Katha, he described his field of study as [[management information systems]].<ref name="HamroKatha" /> Menlo College later identified him as a member of its class of 2020.<ref name="Menlo2026">{{cite web |title=Student-Athletes Shine At 2026 Menlo Startup Pitch Competition |url=https://menloathletics.com/news/2026/4/28/student-athletes-shine-at-2026-menlo-startup-pitch-competition.aspx |website=Menlo College |date=28 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== ASMI ===

While studying in California, Thapaliya co-founded '''ASMI''' (Augmented and Segmented Media Interface), a technology startup involved in advertising, video analytics and interactive digital commerce.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> Crunchbase lists him as a co-founder and chief architect of the company from 2019.

Patent records under the name Sambhab Thapaliya identify him as the inventor of technology assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp. relating to in-video product placement and purchasing through [[augmented reality]]. Two related U.S. patents were granted in September and November 2020.<ref name="Justia" />

Accounts of his Menlo College recognition use different names for the award. A 2022 profile reported that ASMI received the '''Menlo College 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award''', while later profiles have described Thapaliya's 2020 recognition as Menlo College's '''Entrepreneur of the Year'''.<ref name="TechBullion2022" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" />

=== Zebec Network ===

==== Founding and early development ====

Thapaliya founded Zebec in 2021. It launched on the Solana mainnet in November of that year as a protocol for continuous and real-time settlement of financial transactions.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks">{{cite web |last=Melinek |first=Jacquelyn |title=Solana Payment Processor Raises $15M on Promise of Instant Settlements |url=https://blockworks.com/news/solana-payment-processor-raises-15m-on-promise-of-instant-settlements |website=Blockworks |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya described the original idea as applying the concept of streaming to money. The system was designed to allow payments to move continuously rather than only at fixed intervals. Early use cases included employees receiving wages by the second, creators receiving royalties in real time and consumers making continuous subscription payments.<ref name="Circle" /> Zebec's early payroll product, Zebec Pay, used on-chain settlement and supported payments in [[USD Coin|USDC]] and other stablecoins.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Thapaliya has said that the payroll problem was an important reason for creating Zebec. He argued that workers, particularly in markets where payment delays can create financial difficulties, could benefit from receiving money as it was earned rather than waiting for a weekly or monthly payroll cycle.<ref name="Beluga" />

Zebec launched after a $6 million funding round led by Breyer Capital, Republic Capital and Shima Capital, according to The Block.<ref name="TheBlock" /> In February 2022, the company raised a further $15 million in a Series A round led by Solana Ventures and Distributed Global. Participants included Circle, Coinbase Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alameda Research.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks" /> Blockworks reported at the time that more than 250 projects were using or building on the protocol within several months of its launch.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Separate from the venture rounds, ''Vanguard'' reported in April 2022 that private and public sales of Zebec's ZBC token generated approximately $28 million, consisting of $21 million from private sales and $7 million from public sales.<ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya's Zebec Is A Name To Watch Out For With $28 Million Generated In Token Sales |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/sam-thapaliyas-zebec-is-a-name-to-watch-out-for-with-28-million-generated-in-token-sales/ |website=Vanguard News |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Expansion and rebranding ====

Zebec expanded beyond its initial continuous-payment protocol into payroll, treasury management, payment cards and other financial-infrastructure products.<ref name="Circle" /><ref name="Beluga" /> A 2025 profile by Beluga reported that the company was serving more than 200 corporate clients in the United States and had developed products including WageLink and the Nautilus blockchain infrastructure.<ref name="Beluga" />

In April 2024, Zebec Protocol announced a rebranding as '''Zebec Network''', alongside the migration of its ZBC token to the ZBCN ticker. The company said the name change reflected an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure network beyond its original protocol.<ref name="Chainwire">{{cite web |title=Zebec Announces Migration to ZBCN and Favorable Token Split to Boost Network Utility and Accessibility |url=https://chainwire.org/2024/04/10/zebec-announces-migration-to-zbcn-and-favorable-token-split-to-boost-network-utility-and-accessibility/ |website=Chainwire |date=10 April 2024 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Traditional payments integration ====

By 2025 and 2026, Zebec was increasingly presenting its technology as infrastructure that could work alongside conventional payroll and banking systems rather than functioning only through blockchain networks.<ref name="NatPay" />

In December 2025, Payroll Growth Partners, part of the Zebec ecosystem, and National Payment Corporation (NatPay) announced a partnership involving the PayBridge payroll platform. The announced system combined NatPay's conventional direct-deposit infrastructure with Zebec's programmable payment rails and included connections to [[Automated Clearing House|ACH]], wire payments and [[FedNow]]. Zebec's announcement said NatPay processed more than $170 billion in payments annually for over 300,000 ACH clients.<ref name="NatPay" />

On 2 April 2026, [[Nacha]] announced that Zebec Network was one of 20 organizations that had joined its Payments Innovation Alliance during the first quarter of 2026. Nacha describes the Alliance as a cross-industry membership and engagement program for organizations involved in payments, financial services and technology.<ref name="Nacha">{{cite web |title=Nacha Welcomes 20 New Payments Innovation Alliance Members in First Quarter of 2026 |url=https://www.nacha.org/news/nacha-welcomes-20-new-payments-innovation-alliance-members-first-quarter-2026 |website=Nacha |date=2 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Nacha reported that the ACH Network it governs handled 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion during 2025.<ref name="Nacha" />

In June 2026, company-distributed material described these developments as part of Zebec's '''2026 Institutional Compliance Initiative'''. The announcement stated that Zebec had worked on alignment with the [[ISO 20022]] financial messaging standard and outlined plans involving regulatory documentation, enterprise connectivity and expansion of payment infrastructure.<ref name="CryptoNews2026">{{cite web |last=Msiska |first=Samuel |title=Zebec Network outlines 2026 institutional compliance initiative |url=https://crypto.news/zebec-network-outlines-2026-institutional-compliance-initiative/ |website=crypto.news |date=25 June 2026 |type=Press release |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> The ISO 20022 alignment was described by Zebec as an internal technical alignment process rather than as an independent regulatory accreditation.<ref name="CryptoNews2026" />

== Investment and advisory activities ==

In addition to founding companies, Thapaliya has worked as an angel investor. Crunchbase lists personal investments in '''Cedro Finance''' and '''Novastro'''. Profiles of Thapaliya have described his investment interests as including [[financial technology]], Web3 and other emerging technology companies.<ref name="Beluga" />

Thapaliya also served as an early adviser to the founders of '''Movement Labs'''. In May 2025, ''CoinDesk'' reported on memoranda of understanding between Thapaliya and Movement Labs concerning MOVE-token allocations and services related to marketing, market-making and strategy. Movement Labs told ''CoinDesk'' that the agreements were exploratory and non-binding, while Thapaliya said they had not been voided and stated that he intended to pursue a contractual claim concerning one of the allocations.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement">{{cite web |last=Kessler |first=Sam |editor-last=De |editor-first=Nikhilesh |title=Movement Labs Secretly Promised Advisers Millions in Tokens, Leaked Documents Show |url=https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/15/movement-labs-secretly-promised-advisers-millions-in-tokens-leaked-documents-show |website=CoinDesk |date=15 May 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Thapaliya separately denied having a financial interest in Movement Labs or the Movement Foundation and denied involvement in Movement's agreement with market maker Web3Port. He told ''CoinDesk'' that his advisory work had included exchange discussions, token-allocation strategy, market-maker selection and assistance with hiring.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement" />

== Recognition and public activities ==

In addition to his 2020 entrepreneurship recognition at Menlo College, Thapaliya was included in the '''E-Pal · Hurun US Under30s 2022''', a list published by the Hurun Research Institute of entrepreneurs aged 30 or younger in the United States.<ref name="Hurun">{{cite web |title=Hurun US Under30s 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.co.uk/hurun-us-under30s-2022 |website=Hurun UK |date=10 November 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has continued to take part in entrepreneurship activities connected with Menlo College. In April 2026, the college identified him as a 2020 alumnus and one of the judges for its inaugural Menlo Startup Pitch Competition.<ref name="Menlo2026" />

He has also discussed entrepreneurship, blockchain adoption and startup development in interviews. In a 2022 interview with Circle, he emphasized product development and community building as priorities for early-stage Web3 founders.<ref name="Circle" />

== See also ==

* [[Financial technology]]
* [[Blockchain]]
* [[Decentralized finance]]
* [[Solana (blockchain platform)]]
* [[Real-time payment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://samthapaliya.me/ Official website]
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zebecsam/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[LinkedIn]]
* [https://x.com/sam_thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] on [[X (social network)|X]]
* [https://www.instagram.com/sam_thapaliya/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[Instagram]]
* [https://www.crunchbase.com/person/sambhab-thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] at [[Crunchbase]]
* [https://zebec.io/ Zebec Network]

[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nepalese entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Nepalese investors]]
[[Category:Blockchain people]]
[[Category:Fintech businesspeople]]
[[Category:Menlo College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Chitwan District]]
[[Category:Nepalese expatriates in the United States]]

File:Sam Thapaliya 2026.jpeg

2026-09-01T13:58:15Z

HumptyDumpty: Description: Portrait of Sam Thapaliya.

== Summary ==
Description: Portrait of Sam Thapaliya.

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-01T13:47:28Z

HumptyDumpty:

{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Thapaliya
| other_names = Sambhab Thapaliya
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|6|28}}<ref name="TechBullion2026">{{cite web |last=Ann |first=Priscilla |title=Zebec Founder Sam Thapaliya Highlights the Growing Role of Real-Time Payments in Web3 Finance |url=https://techbullion.com/zebec-founder-sam-thapaliya-highlights-the-growing-role-of-real-time-payments-in-web3-finance/ |website=TechBullion |date=19 May 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bharatpur]], [[Chitwan District]], [[Nepal]]<ref name="TechBullion2026" />
| nationality = Nepalese
| education = [[Menlo College]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur, investor
| known_for = Founding [[Zebec Network]]
| title = Founder of Zebec Network
| organization = Zebec Network
| awards = Menlo College Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award (2020)<ref name="TechBullion2022">{{cite web |last=Bajwa |first=Ali |title=Sam Thapaliya, the Nepalese Elon Musk |url=https://techbullion.com/sam-thapaliya-the-nepalese-elon-musk/ |website=TechBullion |date=31 August 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| website = https://samthapaliya.me/
}}
'''Sam Thapaliya''' (also known as '''Sambhab Thapaliya'''; born 28 June 1998) is a Nepalese [[entrepreneur]] and [[investor]] best known as the founder of [[Zebec Network]], a financial-technology and [[blockchain]] project that began in 2021 as a continuous-settlement protocol on the [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] blockchain.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="TheBlock">{{cite web |last=Dave |first=Anushree |title=Solana-based programmable cash stream protocol Zebec raises $15 million |url=https://www.theblock.co/news/deals/2022-02-23-zebec-solana-protocol-funding-round-feb-135100 |website=The Block |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Before Zebec, he co-founded ASMI, a technology company focused on advertising, video analytics and interactive commerce. He has also been named as an inventor on United States patents assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp.<ref name="Justia">{{cite web |title=Sambhab Thapaliya Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications |url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Justia Patents |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya's work with Zebec has centered on programmable payments, real-time payroll, treasury systems and infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based settlement with conventional payment networks.<ref name="Circle">{{cite web |author=Circle Ventures |title=Founder Q&A with Sam Thapaliya of Zebec |url=https://www.circle.com/blog/zebec-founder-qa |website=Circle |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="NatPay">{{cite web |title=Partnership with NatPay to expand bank-grade payroll infrastructure with Zebec Web3 connectivity |url=https://zebec.io/blog/to-blend-traditional-settlement-networks-with-real-time-web3-rails-and-iso-20022-standards |website=Zebec |date=2 December 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Business profiles list him as based in [[San Francisco]], California.

== Early life and education ==

Thapaliya was born on 28 June 1998 in Bharatpur, in Nepal's Chitwan region.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> In interviews, he has described growing up on the outskirts of Chitwan during the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. He has said that his mother participated in a small peer-to-peer microfinance group that helped support the family.<ref name="Beluga">{{cite web |last=McKinnon |first=Will |title=Beluga Spotlight: Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec |url=https://heybeluga.com/articles/spotlight-sam-thapaliya-zebec/ |website=Beluga |date=19 February 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has said that he began learning computer programming at around the age of 13 and started developing enterprise resource planning software for local businesses.<ref name="Beluga" /> In a 2022 interview with Circle, he recalled that he had not encountered a bank until around the same age, an experience he later connected with his interest in financial infrastructure.<ref name="Circle" />

After completing his schooling in Nepal, Thapaliya moved to California in August 2017 to attend [[Menlo College]].<ref name="HamroKatha">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya Interview |url=https://www.hamrokathacollection.com/sam-thapaliya-interview |website=Hamro Katha |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> In an interview with Hamro Katha, he described his field of study as [[management information systems]].<ref name="HamroKatha" /> Menlo College later identified him as a member of its class of 2020.<ref name="Menlo2026">{{cite web |title=Student-Athletes Shine At 2026 Menlo Startup Pitch Competition |url=https://menloathletics.com/news/2026/4/28/student-athletes-shine-at-2026-menlo-startup-pitch-competition.aspx |website=Menlo College |date=28 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== ASMI ===

While studying in California, Thapaliya co-founded '''ASMI''' (Augmented and Segmented Media Interface), a technology startup involved in advertising, video analytics and interactive digital commerce.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> Crunchbase lists him as a co-founder and chief architect of the company from 2019.

Patent records under the name Sambhab Thapaliya identify him as the inventor of technology assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp. relating to in-video product placement and purchasing through [[augmented reality]]. Two related U.S. patents were granted in September and November 2020.<ref name="Justia" />

Accounts of his Menlo College recognition use different names for the award. A 2022 profile reported that ASMI received the '''Menlo College 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award''', while later profiles have described Thapaliya's 2020 recognition as Menlo College's '''Entrepreneur of the Year'''.<ref name="TechBullion2022" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" />

=== Zebec Network ===

==== Founding and early development ====

Thapaliya founded Zebec in 2021. It launched on the Solana mainnet in November of that year as a protocol for continuous and real-time settlement of financial transactions.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks">{{cite web |last=Melinek |first=Jacquelyn |title=Solana Payment Processor Raises $15M on Promise of Instant Settlements |url=https://blockworks.com/news/solana-payment-processor-raises-15m-on-promise-of-instant-settlements |website=Blockworks |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya described the original idea as applying the concept of streaming to money. The system was designed to allow payments to move continuously rather than only at fixed intervals. Early use cases included employees receiving wages by the second, creators receiving royalties in real time and consumers making continuous subscription payments.<ref name="Circle" /> Zebec's early payroll product, Zebec Pay, used on-chain settlement and supported payments in [[USD Coin|USDC]] and other stablecoins.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Thapaliya has said that the payroll problem was an important reason for creating Zebec. He argued that workers, particularly in markets where payment delays can create financial difficulties, could benefit from receiving money as it was earned rather than waiting for a weekly or monthly payroll cycle.<ref name="Beluga" />

Zebec launched after a $6 million funding round led by Breyer Capital, Republic Capital and Shima Capital, according to The Block.<ref name="TheBlock" /> In February 2022, the company raised a further $15 million in a Series A round led by Solana Ventures and Distributed Global. Participants included Circle, Coinbase Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alameda Research.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks" /> Blockworks reported at the time that more than 250 projects were using or building on the protocol within several months of its launch.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Separate from the venture rounds, ''Vanguard'' reported in April 2022 that private and public sales of Zebec's ZBC token generated approximately $28 million, consisting of $21 million from private sales and $7 million from public sales.<ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya's Zebec Is A Name To Watch Out For With $28 Million Generated In Token Sales |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/sam-thapaliyas-zebec-is-a-name-to-watch-out-for-with-28-million-generated-in-token-sales/ |website=Vanguard News |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Expansion and rebranding ====

Zebec expanded beyond its initial continuous-payment protocol into payroll, treasury management, payment cards and other financial-infrastructure products.<ref name="Circle" /><ref name="Beluga" /> A 2025 profile by Beluga reported that the company was serving more than 200 corporate clients in the United States and had developed products including WageLink and the Nautilus blockchain infrastructure.<ref name="Beluga" />

In April 2024, Zebec Protocol announced a rebranding as '''Zebec Network''', alongside the migration of its ZBC token to the ZBCN ticker. The company said the name change reflected an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure network beyond its original protocol.<ref name="Chainwire">{{cite web |title=Zebec Announces Migration to ZBCN and Favorable Token Split to Boost Network Utility and Accessibility |url=https://chainwire.org/2024/04/10/zebec-announces-migration-to-zbcn-and-favorable-token-split-to-boost-network-utility-and-accessibility/ |website=Chainwire |date=10 April 2024 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Traditional payments integration ====

By 2025 and 2026, Zebec was increasingly presenting its technology as infrastructure that could work alongside conventional payroll and banking systems rather than functioning only through blockchain networks.<ref name="NatPay" />

In December 2025, Payroll Growth Partners, part of the Zebec ecosystem, and National Payment Corporation (NatPay) announced a partnership involving the PayBridge payroll platform. The announced system combined NatPay's conventional direct-deposit infrastructure with Zebec's programmable payment rails and included connections to [[Automated Clearing House|ACH]], wire payments and [[FedNow]]. Zebec's announcement said NatPay processed more than $170 billion in payments annually for over 300,000 ACH clients.<ref name="NatPay" />

On 2 April 2026, [[Nacha]] announced that Zebec Network was one of 20 organizations that had joined its Payments Innovation Alliance during the first quarter of 2026. Nacha describes the Alliance as a cross-industry membership and engagement program for organizations involved in payments, financial services and technology.<ref name="Nacha">{{cite web |title=Nacha Welcomes 20 New Payments Innovation Alliance Members in First Quarter of 2026 |url=https://www.nacha.org/news/nacha-welcomes-20-new-payments-innovation-alliance-members-first-quarter-2026 |website=Nacha |date=2 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Nacha reported that the ACH Network it governs handled 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion during 2025.<ref name="Nacha" />

In June 2026, company-distributed material described these developments as part of Zebec's '''2026 Institutional Compliance Initiative'''. The announcement stated that Zebec had worked on alignment with the [[ISO 20022]] financial messaging standard and outlined plans involving regulatory documentation, enterprise connectivity and expansion of payment infrastructure.<ref name="CryptoNews2026">{{cite web |last=Msiska |first=Samuel |title=Zebec Network outlines 2026 institutional compliance initiative |url=https://crypto.news/zebec-network-outlines-2026-institutional-compliance-initiative/ |website=crypto.news |date=25 June 2026 |type=Press release |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> The ISO 20022 alignment was described by Zebec as an internal technical alignment process rather than as an independent regulatory accreditation.<ref name="CryptoNews2026" />

== Investment and advisory activities ==

In addition to founding companies, Thapaliya has worked as an angel investor. Crunchbase lists personal investments in '''Cedro Finance''' and '''Novastro'''. Profiles of Thapaliya have described his investment interests as including [[financial technology]], Web3 and other emerging technology companies.<ref name="Beluga" />

Thapaliya also served as an early adviser to the founders of '''Movement Labs'''. In May 2025, ''CoinDesk'' reported on memoranda of understanding between Thapaliya and Movement Labs concerning MOVE-token allocations and services related to marketing, market-making and strategy. Movement Labs told ''CoinDesk'' that the agreements were exploratory and non-binding, while Thapaliya said they had not been voided and stated that he intended to pursue a contractual claim concerning one of the allocations.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement">{{cite web |last=Kessler |first=Sam |editor-last=De |editor-first=Nikhilesh |title=Movement Labs Secretly Promised Advisers Millions in Tokens, Leaked Documents Show |url=https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/15/movement-labs-secretly-promised-advisers-millions-in-tokens-leaked-documents-show |website=CoinDesk |date=15 May 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Thapaliya separately denied having a financial interest in Movement Labs or the Movement Foundation and denied involvement in Movement's agreement with market maker Web3Port. He told ''CoinDesk'' that his advisory work had included exchange discussions, token-allocation strategy, market-maker selection and assistance with hiring.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement" />

== Recognition and public activities ==

In addition to his 2020 entrepreneurship recognition at Menlo College, Thapaliya was included in the '''E-Pal · Hurun US Under30s 2022''', a list published by the Hurun Research Institute of entrepreneurs aged 30 or younger in the United States.<ref name="Hurun">{{cite web |title=Hurun US Under30s 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.co.uk/hurun-us-under30s-2022 |website=Hurun UK |date=10 November 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has continued to take part in entrepreneurship activities connected with Menlo College. In April 2026, the college identified him as a 2020 alumnus and one of the judges for its inaugural Menlo Startup Pitch Competition.<ref name="Menlo2026" />

He has also discussed entrepreneurship, blockchain adoption and startup development in interviews. In a 2022 interview with Circle, he emphasized product development and community building as priorities for early-stage Web3 founders.<ref name="Circle" />

== See also ==

* [[Financial technology]]
* [[Blockchain]]
* [[Decentralized finance]]
* [[Solana (blockchain platform)]]
* [[Real-time payment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://samthapaliya.me/ Official website]
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zebecsam/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[LinkedIn]]
* [https://x.com/sam_thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] on [[X (social network)|X]]
* [https://www.instagram.com/sam_thapaliya/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[Instagram]]
* [https://www.crunchbase.com/person/sambhab-thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] at [[Crunchbase]]
* [https://zebec.io/ Zebec Network]

[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nepalese entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Nepalese investors]]
[[Category:Blockchain people]]
[[Category:Fintech businesspeople]]
[[Category:Menlo College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Chitwan District]]
[[Category:Nepalese expatriates in the United States]]

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-01T13:40:47Z

HumptyDumpty:

{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Thapaliya
| other_names = Sambhab Thapaliya
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|6|28}}<ref name="TechBullion2026">{{cite web |last=Ann |first=Priscilla |title=Zebec Founder Sam Thapaliya Highlights the Growing Role of Real-Time Payments in Web3 Finance |url=https://techbullion.com/zebec-founder-sam-thapaliya-highlights-the-growing-role-of-real-time-payments-in-web3-finance/ |website=TechBullion |date=19 May 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bharatpur]], [[Chitwan District]], [[Nepal]]<ref name="TechBullion2026" />
| nationality = Nepalese
| education = [[Menlo College]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur, investor
| known_for = Founding [[Zebec Network]]
| title = Founder of Zebec Network
| organization = Zebec Network
| awards = Menlo College Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award (2020)<ref name="TechBullion2022">{{cite web |last=Bajwa |first=Ali |title=Sam Thapaliya, the Nepalese Elon Musk |url=https://techbullion.com/sam-thapaliya-the-nepalese-elon-musk/ |website=TechBullion |date=31 August 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://samthapaliya.me/}}
}}
'''Sam Thapaliya''' (also known as '''Sambhab Thapaliya'''; born 28 June 1998) is a Nepalese [[entrepreneur]] and [[investor]] best known as the founder of [[Zebec Network]], a financial-technology and [[blockchain]] project that began in 2021 as a continuous-settlement protocol on the [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] blockchain.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="TheBlock">{{cite web |last=Dave |first=Anushree |title=Solana-based programmable cash stream protocol Zebec raises $15 million |url=https://www.theblock.co/news/deals/2022-02-23-zebec-solana-protocol-funding-round-feb-135100 |website=The Block |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Before Zebec, he co-founded ASMI, a technology company focused on advertising, video analytics and interactive commerce. He has also been named as an inventor on United States patents assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp.<ref name="Justia">{{cite web |title=Sambhab Thapaliya Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications |url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Justia Patents |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya's work with Zebec has centered on programmable payments, real-time payroll, treasury systems and infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based settlement with conventional payment networks.<ref name="Circle">{{cite web |author=Circle Ventures |title=Founder Q&A with Sam Thapaliya of Zebec |url=https://www.circle.com/blog/zebec-founder-qa |website=Circle |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="NatPay">{{cite web |title=Partnership with NatPay to expand bank-grade payroll infrastructure with Zebec Web3 connectivity |url=https://zebec.io/blog/to-blend-traditional-settlement-networks-with-real-time-web3-rails-and-iso-20022-standards |website=Zebec |date=2 December 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Business profiles list him as based in [[San Francisco]], California.

== Early life and education ==

Thapaliya was born on 28 June 1998 in Bharatpur, in Nepal's Chitwan region.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> In interviews, he has described growing up on the outskirts of Chitwan during the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. He has said that his mother participated in a small peer-to-peer microfinance group that helped support the family.<ref name="Beluga">{{cite web |last=McKinnon |first=Will |title=Beluga Spotlight: Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec |url=https://heybeluga.com/articles/spotlight-sam-thapaliya-zebec/ |website=Beluga |date=19 February 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has said that he began learning computer programming at around the age of 13 and started developing enterprise resource planning software for local businesses.<ref name="Beluga" /> In a 2022 interview with Circle, he recalled that he had not encountered a bank until around the same age, an experience he later connected with his interest in financial infrastructure.<ref name="Circle" />

After completing his schooling in Nepal, Thapaliya moved to California in August 2017 to attend [[Menlo College]].<ref name="HamroKatha">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya Interview |url=https://www.hamrokathacollection.com/sam-thapaliya-interview |website=Hamro Katha |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> In an interview with Hamro Katha, he described his field of study as [[management information systems]].<ref name="HamroKatha" /> Menlo College later identified him as a member of its class of 2020.<ref name="Menlo2026">{{cite web |title=Student-Athletes Shine At 2026 Menlo Startup Pitch Competition |url=https://menloathletics.com/news/2026/4/28/student-athletes-shine-at-2026-menlo-startup-pitch-competition.aspx |website=Menlo College |date=28 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== ASMI ===

While studying in California, Thapaliya co-founded '''ASMI''' (Augmented and Segmented Media Interface), a technology startup involved in advertising, video analytics and interactive digital commerce.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /> Crunchbase lists him as a co-founder and chief architect of the company from 2019.

Patent records under the name Sambhab Thapaliya identify him as the inventor of technology assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp. relating to in-video product placement and purchasing through [[augmented reality]]. Two related U.S. patents were granted in September and November 2020.<ref name="Justia" />

Accounts of his Menlo College recognition use different names for the award. A 2022 profile reported that ASMI received the '''Menlo College 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award''', while later profiles have described Thapaliya's 2020 recognition as Menlo College's '''Entrepreneur of the Year'''.<ref name="TechBullion2022" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" />

=== Zebec Network ===

==== Founding and early development ====

Thapaliya founded Zebec in 2021. It launched on the Solana mainnet in November of that year as a protocol for continuous and real-time settlement of financial transactions.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks">{{cite web |last=Melinek |first=Jacquelyn |title=Solana Payment Processor Raises $15M on Promise of Instant Settlements |url=https://blockworks.com/news/solana-payment-processor-raises-15m-on-promise-of-instant-settlements |website=Blockworks |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya described the original idea as applying the concept of streaming to money. The system was designed to allow payments to move continuously rather than only at fixed intervals. Early use cases included employees receiving wages by the second, creators receiving royalties in real time and consumers making continuous subscription payments.<ref name="Circle" /> Zebec's early payroll product, Zebec Pay, used on-chain settlement and supported payments in [[USD Coin|USDC]] and other stablecoins.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Thapaliya has said that the payroll problem was an important reason for creating Zebec. He argued that workers, particularly in markets where payment delays can create financial difficulties, could benefit from receiving money as it was earned rather than waiting for a weekly or monthly payroll cycle.<ref name="Beluga" />

Zebec launched after a $6 million funding round led by Breyer Capital, Republic Capital and Shima Capital, according to The Block.<ref name="TheBlock" /> In February 2022, the company raised a further $15 million in a Series A round led by Solana Ventures and Distributed Global. Participants included Circle, Coinbase Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alameda Research.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks" /> Blockworks reported at the time that more than 250 projects were using or building on the protocol within several months of its launch.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Separate from the venture rounds, ''Vanguard'' reported in April 2022 that private and public sales of Zebec's ZBC token generated approximately $28 million, consisting of $21 million from private sales and $7 million from public sales.<ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya's Zebec Is A Name To Watch Out For With $28 Million Generated In Token Sales |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/sam-thapaliyas-zebec-is-a-name-to-watch-out-for-with-28-million-generated-in-token-sales/ |website=Vanguard News |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Expansion and rebranding ====

Zebec expanded beyond its initial continuous-payment protocol into payroll, treasury management, payment cards and other financial-infrastructure products.<ref name="Circle" /><ref name="Beluga" /> A 2025 profile by Beluga reported that the company was serving more than 200 corporate clients in the United States and had developed products including WageLink and the Nautilus blockchain infrastructure.<ref name="Beluga" />

In April 2024, Zebec Protocol announced a rebranding as '''Zebec Network''', alongside the migration of its ZBC token to the ZBCN ticker. The company said the name change reflected an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure network beyond its original protocol.<ref name="Chainwire">{{cite web |title=Zebec Announces Migration to ZBCN and Favorable Token Split to Boost Network Utility and Accessibility |url=https://chainwire.org/2024/04/10/zebec-announces-migration-to-zbcn-and-favorable-token-split-to-boost-network-utility-and-accessibility/ |website=Chainwire |date=10 April 2024 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Traditional payments integration ====

By 2025 and 2026, Zebec was increasingly presenting its technology as infrastructure that could work alongside conventional payroll and banking systems rather than functioning only through blockchain networks.<ref name="NatPay" />

In December 2025, Payroll Growth Partners, part of the Zebec ecosystem, and National Payment Corporation (NatPay) announced a partnership involving the PayBridge payroll platform. The announced system combined NatPay's conventional direct-deposit infrastructure with Zebec's programmable payment rails and included connections to [[Automated Clearing House|ACH]], wire payments and [[FedNow]]. Zebec's announcement said NatPay processed more than $170 billion in payments annually for over 300,000 ACH clients.<ref name="NatPay" />

On 2 April 2026, [[Nacha]] announced that Zebec Network was one of 20 organizations that had joined its Payments Innovation Alliance during the first quarter of 2026. Nacha describes the Alliance as a cross-industry membership and engagement program for organizations involved in payments, financial services and technology.<ref name="Nacha">{{cite web |title=Nacha Welcomes 20 New Payments Innovation Alliance Members in First Quarter of 2026 |url=https://www.nacha.org/news/nacha-welcomes-20-new-payments-innovation-alliance-members-first-quarter-2026 |website=Nacha |date=2 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Nacha reported that the ACH Network it governs handled 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion during 2025.<ref name="Nacha" />

In June 2026, company-distributed material described these developments as part of Zebec's '''2026 Institutional Compliance Initiative'''. The announcement stated that Zebec had worked on alignment with the [[ISO 20022]] financial messaging standard and outlined plans involving regulatory documentation, enterprise connectivity and expansion of payment infrastructure.<ref name="CryptoNews2026">{{cite web |last=Msiska |first=Samuel |title=Zebec Network outlines 2026 institutional compliance initiative |url=https://crypto.news/zebec-network-outlines-2026-institutional-compliance-initiative/ |website=crypto.news |date=25 June 2026 |type=Press release |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> The ISO 20022 alignment was described by Zebec as an internal technical alignment process rather than as an independent regulatory accreditation.<ref name="CryptoNews2026" />

== Investment and advisory activities ==

In addition to founding companies, Thapaliya has worked as an angel investor. Crunchbase lists personal investments in '''Cedro Finance''' and '''Novastro'''. Profiles of Thapaliya have described his investment interests as including [[financial technology]], Web3 and other emerging technology companies.<ref name="Beluga" />

Thapaliya also served as an early adviser to the founders of '''Movement Labs'''. In May 2025, ''CoinDesk'' reported on memoranda of understanding between Thapaliya and Movement Labs concerning MOVE-token allocations and services related to marketing, market-making and strategy. Movement Labs told ''CoinDesk'' that the agreements were exploratory and non-binding, while Thapaliya said they had not been voided and stated that he intended to pursue a contractual claim concerning one of the allocations.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement">{{cite web |last=Kessler |first=Sam |editor-last=De |editor-first=Nikhilesh |title=Movement Labs Secretly Promised Advisers Millions in Tokens, Leaked Documents Show |url=https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/15/movement-labs-secretly-promised-advisers-millions-in-tokens-leaked-documents-show |website=CoinDesk |date=15 May 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Thapaliya separately denied having a financial interest in Movement Labs or the Movement Foundation and denied involvement in Movement's agreement with market maker Web3Port. He told ''CoinDesk'' that his advisory work had included exchange discussions, token-allocation strategy, market-maker selection and assistance with hiring.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement" />

== Recognition and public activities ==

In addition to his 2020 entrepreneurship recognition at Menlo College, Thapaliya was included in the '''E-Pal · Hurun US Under30s 2022''', a list published by the Hurun Research Institute of entrepreneurs aged 30 or younger in the United States.<ref name="Hurun">{{cite web |title=Hurun US Under30s 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.co.uk/hurun-us-under30s-2022 |website=Hurun UK |date=10 November 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has continued to take part in entrepreneurship activities connected with Menlo College. In April 2026, the college identified him as a 2020 alumnus and one of the judges for its inaugural Menlo Startup Pitch Competition.<ref name="Menlo2026" />

He has also discussed entrepreneurship, blockchain adoption and startup development in interviews. In a 2022 interview with Circle, he emphasized product development and community building as priorities for early-stage Web3 founders.<ref name="Circle" />

== See also ==

* [[Financial technology]]
* [[Blockchain]]
* [[Decentralized finance]]
* [[Solana (blockchain platform)]]
* [[Real-time payment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://samthapaliya.me/ Official website]
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zebecsam/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[LinkedIn]]
* [https://x.com/sam_thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] on [[X (social network)|X]]
* [https://www.instagram.com/sam_thapaliya/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[Instagram]]
* [https://www.crunchbase.com/person/sambhab-thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] at [[Crunchbase]]
* [https://zebec.io/ Zebec Network]

[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nepalese entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Nepalese investors]]
[[Category:Blockchain people]]
[[Category:Fintech businesspeople]]
[[Category:Menlo College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Chitwan District]]
[[Category:Nepalese expatriates in the United States]]

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-01T12:53:17Z

HumptyDumpty:

{{Infobox person
| name = Sam Thapaliya
| other_names = Sambhab Thapaliya<ref name="Crunchbase">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya - Founder @ Zebec - Crunchbase Person Profile |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/person/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Crunchbase |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|6|28}}<ref name="TechBullion2026">{{cite web |last=Ann |first=Priscilla |title=Zebec Founder Sam Thapaliya Highlights the Growing Role of Real-Time Payments in Web3 Finance |url=https://techbullion.com/zebec-founder-sam-thapaliya-highlights-the-growing-role-of-real-time-payments-in-web3-finance/ |website=TechBullion |date=19 May 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bharatpur]], [[Chitwan District]], [[Nepal]]<ref name="TechBullion2026" />
| nationality = Nepalese
| education = [[Menlo College]]
| occupation = Entrepreneur, investor
| known_for = Founding [[Zebec Network]]
| title = Founder of Zebec Network
| organization = Zebec Network
| awards = Menlo College Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award (2020)<ref name="TechBullion2022">{{cite web |last=Bajwa |first=Ali |title=Sam Thapaliya, the Nepalese Elon Musk |url=https://techbullion.com/sam-thapaliya-the-nepalese-elon-musk/ |website=TechBullion |date=31 August 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://samthapaliya.me/}}
}}
'''Sam Thapaliya''' (also known as '''Sambhab Thapaliya'''; born 28 June 1998) is a Nepalese [[entrepreneur]] and [[investor]] best known as the founder of [[Zebec Network]], a financial-technology and [[blockchain]] project that began in 2021 as a continuous-settlement protocol on the [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] blockchain.<ref name="Crunchbase" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="TheBlock">{{cite web |last=Dave |first=Anushree |title=Solana-based programmable cash stream protocol Zebec raises $15 million |url=https://www.theblock.co/news/deals/2022-02-23-zebec-solana-protocol-funding-round-feb-135100 |website=The Block |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Before Zebec, he co-founded ASMI, a technology company focused on advertising, video analytics and interactive commerce.<ref name="Crunchbase" /> He has also been named as an inventor on United States patents assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp.<ref name="Justia">{{cite web |title=Sambhab Thapaliya Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications |url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Justia Patents |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya's work with Zebec has centered on programmable payments, real-time payroll, treasury systems and infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based settlement with conventional payment networks.<ref name="Circle">{{cite web |author=Circle Ventures |title=Founder Q&A with Sam Thapaliya of Zebec |url=https://www.circle.com/blog/zebec-founder-qa |website=Circle |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="NatPay">{{cite web |title=Partnership with NatPay to expand bank-grade payroll infrastructure with Zebec Web3 connectivity |url=https://zebec.io/blog/to-blend-traditional-settlement-networks-with-real-time-web3-rails-and-iso-20022-standards |website=Zebec |date=2 December 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Business profiles list him as based in [[San Francisco]], California.<ref name="Crunchbase" />

== Early life and education ==

Thapaliya was born on 28 June 1998 in Bharatpur, in Nepal's Chitwan region.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="Crunchbase" /> In interviews, he has described growing up on the outskirts of Chitwan during the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. He has said that his mother participated in a small peer-to-peer microfinance group that helped support the family.<ref name="Beluga">{{cite web |last=McKinnon |first=Will |title=Beluga Spotlight: Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec |url=https://heybeluga.com/articles/spotlight-sam-thapaliya-zebec/ |website=Beluga |date=19 February 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has said that he began learning computer programming at around the age of 13 and started developing enterprise resource planning software for local businesses.<ref name="Beluga" /> In a 2022 interview with Circle, he recalled that he had not encountered a bank until around the same age, an experience he later connected with his interest in financial infrastructure.<ref name="Circle" />

After completing his schooling in Nepal, Thapaliya moved to California in August 2017 to attend [[Menlo College]].<ref name="HamroKatha">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya Interview |url=https://www.hamrokathacollection.com/sam-thapaliya-interview |website=Hamro Katha |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> In an interview with Hamro Katha, he described his field of study as [[management information systems]].<ref name="HamroKatha" /> Menlo College later identified him as a member of its class of 2020.<ref name="Menlo2026">{{cite web |title=Student-Athletes Shine At 2026 Menlo Startup Pitch Competition |url=https://menloathletics.com/news/2026/4/28/student-athletes-shine-at-2026-menlo-startup-pitch-competition.aspx |website=Menlo College |date=28 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== ASMI ===

While studying in California, Thapaliya co-founded '''ASMI''' (Augmented and Segmented Media Interface), a technology startup involved in advertising, video analytics and interactive digital commerce.<ref name="Crunchbase" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" /> Crunchbase lists him as a co-founder and chief architect of the company from 2019.<ref name="Crunchbase" />

Patent records under the name Sambhab Thapaliya identify him as the inventor of technology assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp. relating to in-video product placement and purchasing through [[augmented reality]]. Two related U.S. patents were granted in September and November 2020.<ref name="Justia" />

Accounts of his Menlo College recognition use different names for the award. A 2022 profile reported that ASMI received the '''Menlo College 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award''', while later profiles have described Thapaliya's 2020 recognition as Menlo College's '''Entrepreneur of the Year'''.<ref name="TechBullion2022" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="Crunchbase" />

=== Zebec Network ===

==== Founding and early development ====

Thapaliya founded Zebec in 2021. It launched on the Solana mainnet in November of that year as a protocol for continuous and real-time settlement of financial transactions.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks">{{cite web |last=Melinek |first=Jacquelyn |title=Solana Payment Processor Raises $15M on Promise of Instant Settlements |url=https://blockworks.com/news/solana-payment-processor-raises-15m-on-promise-of-instant-settlements |website=Blockworks |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya described the original idea as applying the concept of streaming to money. The system was designed to allow payments to move continuously rather than only at fixed intervals. Early use cases included employees receiving wages by the second, creators receiving royalties in real time and consumers making continuous subscription payments.<ref name="Circle" /> Zebec's early payroll product, Zebec Pay, used on-chain settlement and supported payments in [[USD Coin|USDC]] and other stablecoins.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Thapaliya has said that the payroll problem was an important reason for creating Zebec. He argued that workers, particularly in markets where payment delays can create financial difficulties, could benefit from receiving money as it was earned rather than waiting for a weekly or monthly payroll cycle.<ref name="Beluga" />

Zebec launched after a $6 million funding round led by Breyer Capital, Republic Capital and Shima Capital, according to The Block.<ref name="TheBlock" /> In February 2022, the company raised a further $15 million in a Series A round led by Solana Ventures and Distributed Global. Participants included Circle, Coinbase Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alameda Research.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks" /> Blockworks reported at the time that more than 250 projects were using or building on the protocol within several months of its launch.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Separate from the venture rounds, ''Vanguard'' reported in April 2022 that private and public sales of Zebec's ZBC token generated approximately $28 million, consisting of $21 million from private sales and $7 million from public sales.<ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya's Zebec Is A Name To Watch Out For With $28 Million Generated In Token Sales |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/sam-thapaliyas-zebec-is-a-name-to-watch-out-for-with-28-million-generated-in-token-sales/ |website=Vanguard News |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Expansion and rebranding ====

Zebec expanded beyond its initial continuous-payment protocol into payroll, treasury management, payment cards and other financial-infrastructure products.<ref name="Circle" /><ref name="Beluga" /> A 2025 profile by Beluga reported that the company was serving more than 200 corporate clients in the United States and had developed products including WageLink and the Nautilus blockchain infrastructure.<ref name="Beluga" />

In April 2024, Zebec Protocol announced a rebranding as '''Zebec Network''', alongside the migration of its ZBC token to the ZBCN ticker. The company said the name change reflected an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure network beyond its original protocol.<ref name="Chainwire">{{cite web |title=Zebec Announces Migration to ZBCN and Favorable Token Split to Boost Network Utility and Accessibility |url=https://chainwire.org/2024/04/10/zebec-announces-migration-to-zbcn-and-favorable-token-split-to-boost-network-utility-and-accessibility/ |website=Chainwire |date=10 April 2024 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Traditional payments integration ====

By 2025 and 2026, Zebec was increasingly presenting its technology as infrastructure that could work alongside conventional payroll and banking systems rather than functioning only through blockchain networks.<ref name="NatPay" />

In December 2025, Payroll Growth Partners, part of the Zebec ecosystem, and National Payment Corporation (NatPay) announced a partnership involving the PayBridge payroll platform. The announced system combined NatPay's conventional direct-deposit infrastructure with Zebec's programmable payment rails and included connections to [[Automated Clearing House|ACH]], wire payments and [[FedNow]]. Zebec's announcement said NatPay processed more than $170 billion in payments annually for over 300,000 ACH clients.<ref name="NatPay" />

On 2 April 2026, [[Nacha]] announced that Zebec Network was one of 20 organizations that had joined its Payments Innovation Alliance during the first quarter of 2026. Nacha describes the Alliance as a cross-industry membership and engagement program for organizations involved in payments, financial services and technology.<ref name="Nacha">{{cite web |title=Nacha Welcomes 20 New Payments Innovation Alliance Members in First Quarter of 2026 |url=https://www.nacha.org/news/nacha-welcomes-20-new-payments-innovation-alliance-members-first-quarter-2026 |website=Nacha |date=2 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Nacha reported that the ACH Network it governs handled 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion during 2025.<ref name="Nacha" />

In June 2026, company-distributed material described these developments as part of Zebec's '''2026 Institutional Compliance Initiative'''. The announcement stated that Zebec had worked on alignment with the [[ISO 20022]] financial messaging standard and outlined plans involving regulatory documentation, enterprise connectivity and expansion of payment infrastructure.<ref name="CryptoNews2026">{{cite web |last=Msiska |first=Samuel |title=Zebec Network outlines 2026 institutional compliance initiative |url=https://crypto.news/zebec-network-outlines-2026-institutional-compliance-initiative/ |website=crypto.news |date=25 June 2026 |type=Press release |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> The ISO 20022 alignment was described by Zebec as an internal technical alignment process rather than as an independent regulatory accreditation.<ref name="CryptoNews2026" />

== Investment and advisory activities ==

In addition to founding companies, Thapaliya has worked as an angel investor. Crunchbase lists personal investments in '''Cedro Finance''' and '''Novastro'''.<ref name="Crunchbase" /> Profiles of Thapaliya have described his investment interests as including [[financial technology]], Web3 and other emerging technology companies.<ref name="Beluga" />

Thapaliya also served as an early adviser to the founders of '''Movement Labs'''. In May 2025, ''CoinDesk'' reported on memoranda of understanding between Thapaliya and Movement Labs concerning MOVE-token allocations and services related to marketing, market-making and strategy. Movement Labs told ''CoinDesk'' that the agreements were exploratory and non-binding, while Thapaliya said they had not been voided and stated that he intended to pursue a contractual claim concerning one of the allocations.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement">{{cite web |last=Kessler |first=Sam |editor-last=De |editor-first=Nikhilesh |title=Movement Labs Secretly Promised Advisers Millions in Tokens, Leaked Documents Show |url=https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/15/movement-labs-secretly-promised-advisers-millions-in-tokens-leaked-documents-show |website=CoinDesk |date=15 May 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Thapaliya separately denied having a financial interest in Movement Labs or the Movement Foundation and denied involvement in Movement's agreement with market maker Web3Port. He told ''CoinDesk'' that his advisory work had included exchange discussions, token-allocation strategy, market-maker selection and assistance with hiring.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement" />

== Recognition and public activities ==

In addition to his 2020 entrepreneurship recognition at Menlo College, Thapaliya was included in the '''E-Pal · Hurun US Under30s 2022''', a list published by the Hurun Research Institute of entrepreneurs aged 30 or younger in the United States.<ref name="Hurun">{{cite web |title=Hurun US Under30s 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.co.uk/hurun-us-under30s-2022 |website=Hurun UK |date=10 November 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has continued to take part in entrepreneurship activities connected with Menlo College. In April 2026, the college identified him as a 2020 alumnus and one of the judges for its inaugural Menlo Startup Pitch Competition.<ref name="Menlo2026" />

He has also discussed entrepreneurship, blockchain adoption and startup development in interviews. In a 2022 interview with Circle, he emphasized product development and community building as priorities for early-stage Web3 founders.<ref name="Circle" />

== See also ==

* [[Financial technology]]
* [[Blockchain]]
* [[Decentralized finance]]
* [[Solana (blockchain platform)]]
* [[Real-time payment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://samthapaliya.me/ Official website]
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zebecsam/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[LinkedIn]]
* [https://x.com/sam_thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] on [[X (social network)|X]]
* [https://www.instagram.com/sam_thapaliya/ Sam Thapaliya] on [[Instagram]]
* [https://www.crunchbase.com/person/sambhab-thapaliya Sam Thapaliya] at [[Crunchbase]]
* [https://zebec.io/ Zebec Network]

[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nepalese entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Nepalese investors]]
[[Category:Blockchain people]]
[[Category:Fintech businesspeople]]
[[Category:Menlo College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Chitwan District]]
[[Category:Nepalese expatriates in the United States]]

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-01T12:52:19Z

HumptyDumpty:

Sam Thapaliya

2026-09-01T12:51:53Z

HumptyDumpty: Creating Draft:Sam Thapaliya

'''Sam Thapaliya''' (also known as '''Sambhab Thapaliya'''; born 28 June 1998) is a Nepalese [[entrepreneur]] and [[investor]] best known as the founder of [[Zebec Network]], a financial-technology and [[blockchain]] project that began in 2021 as a continuous-settlement protocol on the [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] blockchain.<ref name="Crunchbase" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="TheBlock">{{cite web |last=Dave |first=Anushree |title=Solana-based programmable cash stream protocol Zebec raises $15 million |url=https://www.theblock.co/news/deals/2022-02-23-zebec-solana-protocol-funding-round-feb-135100 |website=The Block |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Before Zebec, he co-founded ASMI, a technology company focused on advertising, video analytics and interactive commerce.<ref name="Crunchbase" /> He has also been named as an inventor on United States patents assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp.<ref name="Justia">{{cite web |title=Sambhab Thapaliya Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications |url=https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sambhab-thapaliya |website=Justia Patents |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya's work with Zebec has centered on programmable payments, real-time payroll, treasury systems and infrastructure designed to connect blockchain-based settlement with conventional payment networks.<ref name="Circle">{{cite web |author=Circle Ventures |title=Founder Q&A with Sam Thapaliya of Zebec |url=https://www.circle.com/blog/zebec-founder-qa |website=Circle |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref><ref name="NatPay">{{cite web |title=Partnership with NatPay to expand bank-grade payroll infrastructure with Zebec Web3 connectivity |url=https://zebec.io/blog/to-blend-traditional-settlement-networks-with-real-time-web3-rails-and-iso-20022-standards |website=Zebec |date=2 December 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Business profiles list him as based in [[San Francisco]], California.<ref name="Crunchbase" />

== Early life and education ==

Thapaliya was born on 28 June 1998 in Bharatpur, in Nepal's Chitwan region.<ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="Crunchbase" /> In interviews, he has described growing up on the outskirts of Chitwan during the [[Nepalese Civil War]]. He has said that his mother participated in a small peer-to-peer microfinance group that helped support the family.<ref name="Beluga">{{cite web |last=McKinnon |first=Will |title=Beluga Spotlight: Sam Thapaliya, Founder of Zebec |url=https://heybeluga.com/articles/spotlight-sam-thapaliya-zebec/ |website=Beluga |date=19 February 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has said that he began learning computer programming at around the age of 13 and started developing enterprise resource planning software for local businesses.<ref name="Beluga" /> In a 2022 interview with Circle, he recalled that he had not encountered a bank until around the same age, an experience he later connected with his interest in financial infrastructure.<ref name="Circle" />

After completing his schooling in Nepal, Thapaliya moved to California in August 2017 to attend [[Menlo College]].<ref name="HamroKatha">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya Interview |url=https://www.hamrokathacollection.com/sam-thapaliya-interview |website=Hamro Katha |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> In an interview with Hamro Katha, he described his field of study as [[management information systems]].<ref name="HamroKatha" /> Menlo College later identified him as a member of its class of 2020.<ref name="Menlo2026">{{cite web |title=Student-Athletes Shine At 2026 Menlo Startup Pitch Competition |url=https://menloathletics.com/news/2026/4/28/student-athletes-shine-at-2026-menlo-startup-pitch-competition.aspx |website=Menlo College |date=28 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== ASMI ===

While studying in California, Thapaliya co-founded '''ASMI''' (Augmented and Segmented Media Interface), a technology startup involved in advertising, video analytics and interactive digital commerce.<ref name="Crunchbase" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" /> Crunchbase lists him as a co-founder and chief architect of the company from 2019.<ref name="Crunchbase" />

Patent records under the name Sambhab Thapaliya identify him as the inventor of technology assigned to Augmented and Segmented Media Interface Corp. relating to in-video product placement and purchasing through [[augmented reality]]. Two related U.S. patents were granted in September and November 2020.<ref name="Justia" />

Accounts of his Menlo College recognition use different names for the award. A 2022 profile reported that ASMI received the '''Menlo College 2020 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award''', while later profiles have described Thapaliya's 2020 recognition as Menlo College's '''Entrepreneur of the Year'''.<ref name="TechBullion2022" /><ref name="TechBullion2026" /><ref name="Crunchbase" />

=== Zebec Network ===

==== Founding and early development ====

Thapaliya founded Zebec in 2021. It launched on the Solana mainnet in November of that year as a protocol for continuous and real-time settlement of financial transactions.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks">{{cite web |last=Melinek |first=Jacquelyn |title=Solana Payment Processor Raises $15M on Promise of Instant Settlements |url=https://blockworks.com/news/solana-payment-processor-raises-15m-on-promise-of-instant-settlements |website=Blockworks |date=23 February 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya described the original idea as applying the concept of streaming to money. The system was designed to allow payments to move continuously rather than only at fixed intervals. Early use cases included employees receiving wages by the second, creators receiving royalties in real time and consumers making continuous subscription payments.<ref name="Circle" /> Zebec's early payroll product, Zebec Pay, used on-chain settlement and supported payments in [[USD Coin|USDC]] and other stablecoins.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Thapaliya has said that the payroll problem was an important reason for creating Zebec. He argued that workers, particularly in markets where payment delays can create financial difficulties, could benefit from receiving money as it was earned rather than waiting for a weekly or monthly payroll cycle.<ref name="Beluga" />

Zebec launched after a $6 million funding round led by Breyer Capital, Republic Capital and Shima Capital, according to The Block.<ref name="TheBlock" /> In February 2022, the company raised a further $15 million in a Series A round led by Solana Ventures and Distributed Global. Participants included Circle, Coinbase Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alameda Research.<ref name="TheBlock" /><ref name="Blockworks" /> Blockworks reported at the time that more than 250 projects were using or building on the protocol within several months of its launch.<ref name="Blockworks" />

Separate from the venture rounds, ''Vanguard'' reported in April 2022 that private and public sales of Zebec's ZBC token generated approximately $28 million, consisting of $21 million from private sales and $7 million from public sales.<ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |title=Sam Thapaliya's Zebec Is A Name To Watch Out For With $28 Million Generated In Token Sales |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/sam-thapaliyas-zebec-is-a-name-to-watch-out-for-with-28-million-generated-in-token-sales/ |website=Vanguard News |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Expansion and rebranding ====

Zebec expanded beyond its initial continuous-payment protocol into payroll, treasury management, payment cards and other financial-infrastructure products.<ref name="Circle" /><ref name="Beluga" /> A 2025 profile by Beluga reported that the company was serving more than 200 corporate clients in the United States and had developed products including WageLink and the Nautilus blockchain infrastructure.<ref name="Beluga" />

In April 2024, Zebec Protocol announced a rebranding as '''Zebec Network''', alongside the migration of its ZBC token to the ZBCN ticker. The company said the name change reflected an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure network beyond its original protocol.<ref name="Chainwire">{{cite web |title=Zebec Announces Migration to ZBCN and Favorable Token Split to Boost Network Utility and Accessibility |url=https://chainwire.org/2024/04/10/zebec-announces-migration-to-zbcn-and-favorable-token-split-to-boost-network-utility-and-accessibility/ |website=Chainwire |date=10 April 2024 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

==== Traditional payments integration ====

By 2025 and 2026, Zebec was increasingly presenting its technology as infrastructure that could work alongside conventional payroll and banking systems rather than functioning only through blockchain networks.<ref name="NatPay" />

In December 2025, Payroll Growth Partners, part of the Zebec ecosystem, and National Payment Corporation (NatPay) announced a partnership involving the PayBridge payroll platform. The announced system combined NatPay's conventional direct-deposit infrastructure with Zebec's programmable payment rails and included connections to [[Automated Clearing House|ACH]], wire payments and [[FedNow]]. Zebec's announcement said NatPay processed more than $170 billion in payments annually for over 300,000 ACH clients.<ref name="NatPay" />

On 2 April 2026, [[Nacha]] announced that Zebec Network was one of 20 organizations that had joined its Payments Innovation Alliance during the first quarter of 2026. Nacha describes the Alliance as a cross-industry membership and engagement program for organizations involved in payments, financial services and technology.<ref name="Nacha">{{cite web |title=Nacha Welcomes 20 New Payments Innovation Alliance Members in First Quarter of 2026 |url=https://www.nacha.org/news/nacha-welcomes-20-new-payments-innovation-alliance-members-first-quarter-2026 |website=Nacha |date=2 April 2026 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Nacha reported that the ACH Network it governs handled 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion during 2025.<ref name="Nacha" />

In June 2026, company-distributed material described these developments as part of Zebec's '''2026 Institutional Compliance Initiative'''. The announcement stated that Zebec had worked on alignment with the [[ISO 20022]] financial messaging standard and outlined plans involving regulatory documentation, enterprise connectivity and expansion of payment infrastructure.<ref name="CryptoNews2026">{{cite web |last=Msiska |first=Samuel |title=Zebec Network outlines 2026 institutional compliance initiative |url=https://crypto.news/zebec-network-outlines-2026-institutional-compliance-initiative/ |website=crypto.news |date=25 June 2026 |type=Press release |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> The ISO 20022 alignment was described by Zebec as an internal technical alignment process rather than as an independent regulatory accreditation.<ref name="CryptoNews2026" />

== Investment and advisory activities ==

In addition to founding companies, Thapaliya has worked as an angel investor. Crunchbase lists personal investments in '''Cedro Finance''' and '''Novastro'''.<ref name="Crunchbase" /> Profiles of Thapaliya have described his investment interests as including [[financial technology]], Web3 and other emerging technology companies.<ref name="Beluga" />

Thapaliya also served as an early adviser to the founders of '''Movement Labs'''. In May 2025, ''CoinDesk'' reported on memoranda of understanding between Thapaliya and Movement Labs concerning MOVE-token allocations and services related to marketing, market-making and strategy. Movement Labs told ''CoinDesk'' that the agreements were exploratory and non-binding, while Thapaliya said they had not been voided and stated that he intended to pursue a contractual claim concerning one of the allocations.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement">{{cite web |last=Kessler |first=Sam |editor-last=De |editor-first=Nikhilesh |title=Movement Labs Secretly Promised Advisers Millions in Tokens, Leaked Documents Show |url=https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/15/movement-labs-secretly-promised-advisers-millions-in-tokens-leaked-documents-show |website=CoinDesk |date=15 May 2025 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref> Thapaliya separately denied having a financial interest in Movement Labs or the Movement Foundation and denied involvement in Movement's agreement with market maker Web3Port. He told ''CoinDesk'' that his advisory work had included exchange discussions, token-allocation strategy, market-maker selection and assistance with hiring.<ref name="CoinDeskMovement" />

== Recognition and public activities ==

In addition to his 2020 entrepreneurship recognition at Menlo College, Thapaliya was included in the '''E-Pal · Hurun US Under30s 2022''', a list published by the Hurun Research Institute of entrepreneurs aged 30 or younger in the United States.<ref name="Hurun">{{cite web |title=Hurun US Under30s 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.co.uk/hurun-us-under30s-2022 |website=Hurun UK |date=10 November 2022 |access-date=1 September 2026}}</ref>

Thapaliya has continued to take part in entrepreneurship activities connected with Menlo College. In April 2026, the college identified him as a 2020 alumnus and one of the judges for its inaugural Menlo Startup Pitch Competition.<ref name="Menlo2026" />

He has also discussed entrepreneurship, blockchain adoption and startup development in interviews. In a 2022 interview with Circle, he emphasized product development and community building as priorities for early-stage Web3 founders.<ref name="Circle" />

== See also ==

* [[Financial technology]]
* [[Blockchain]]
* [[Decentralized finance]]
* [[Solana (blockchain platform)]]
* [[Real-time payment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}