Saudi–Singapore Takadao Launches Crypto Visa Card After $3.1M Funding

The new product, the LifeCard, under the umbrella of the community-owned DAO The LifeDAO, is a prepaid Visa card that allows users to spend stablecoins like cash at any merchant that accepts Visa payments.

Takadao’s core mission is to build “bankless financial alternatives” via a protocol that enables decentralized mutual-protection associations (tDAOs) and community-operated financial services. According to the project website, these alternatives aim to replace traditional insurance and banking models with member-governed, blockchain-based systems.

The seed round saw participation from multiple global investors aligned with Shariah-compliant fintech: Malaysia’s Hasan VC, France’s Syla Invest, UK/US-based Wahed Ventures, Japan’s Ice Blue Fund, US-based Istari Ventures, and Saudi Arabia’s Adverse, alongside follow-on backing from Draper Associates (US).

Takadao CEO Morrad Irsane said the investor mix reflects a desire to tap Islamic-fintech ecosystems, especially in Southeast Asia and Francophone markets.

This funding will support product rollout, onboarding of LifeDAO members, and further development of Takadao’s underlying protocol. At the time of the announcement, Takadao noted that LifeDAO had approximately $1 million in total value locked (TVL).

The LifeCard is positioned as a direct on-ramp from stablecoins to day-to-day spending: users receive stablecoins (e.g., from participating in the LifeDAO ecosystem) and can load the card to spend at any Visa-accepting merchant globally. In addition, features include profit-sharing of card-fee revenue among LifeDAO members, automatic roundup savings and investment with each transaction, and a 0 % interest micro-loan offered to card users based on historical top-ups.

Co-founder and COO Sharene Lee emphasized that the card “is a tangible link between the Web3 world and the real world” and is designed to maximize utility for members of the LifeDAO community.

Unlike conventional fintech or DeFi offerings, Takadao frames its model around three pillars: Shariah-compliance, community-ownership, and decentralized governance. The LifeDAO FAQ states that the organization is not a bank, not an insurance company, and not an investment firm, rather it is a member-governed mutual support association built on smart-contracts and blockchain transparency.

The LifeDAO whitepaper further explains that the pooled contribution model enables members to support one another (for example, via life-protection benefits) while surplus funds are redistributed to members rather than retained as profit by a central firm.

On the tech side, Takadao claims to have a patented risk-algorithm for its tDAO structure, enabling member-driven underwriting and smart-contract automation of payouts, notably within seven days of an event.

The launch signals that Web3 projects are pushing harder into “real-world” utility, not just token hype, but bridging crypto assets to merchant spend and daily finance. A prepaid visa card with stablecoin loading capabilities is a tangible step in that direction.

For Islamic-fintech and emerging markets, the Shariah-compliant framing may open faster uptake in regions where mainstream finance has historically been constrained or exclusionary. The investor base reflects that positioning.

However, challenges remain. Regulatory frameworks for crypto-linked cards differ significantly across jurisdictions (including the GCC, ASEAN, EU and US). How the LifeCard integrates with fiat rails, anti-money-laundering (AML) controls, issuer licensing, and stablecoin custody will all determine how broadly it can roll out and at what cost.

Another point: a TVL of $1 million (as stated) is modest compared with larger DeFi entrants; scaling the mutual aid model while maintaining trust and governance will be key. Further, the extent to which members use the card (and thus build transaction volume) will determine whether the revenue-share features deliver meaningful returns.

Moreover, stablecoin spendability depends on issuer acceptance and settlement arrangements behind the scenes. Users will want clarity on how conversion from stablecoins into fiat currency for merchant payments is handled, what fees apply, and how funds are safeguarded.

Takadao’s website indicates a roadmap for additional tDAO categories beyond life-protection (for example HealthDAO, AgriDAO, TravelDAO) to follow. In practical product terms, while the LifeCard is available for pre-order (or early access) now, full global deployment (including onboarding of users in multiple jurisdictions) will be the next major milestone.

From a market perspective, growth will likely pivot on partnerships, both payments/rail providers (to expand issuance and merchant acceptance) and fiat on-/off-ramp infrastructure. Indeed, Takadao announced a partnership with Uniramp earlier in 2025 to plug in fiat-crypto flow for LifeDAO users.

For the inclusive finance narrative (particularly in the Muslim world and emerging economies), this could mark a notable case of blockchain-native “protect & spend” models gaining real traction.

This story underscores how Web3 innovation is increasingly intersecting with everyday finance and alternative banking/insurance models, especially in regions like the GCC where both fintech and Islamic-finance regulatory frameworks are evolving fast. The combination of stablecoin payments, DAO governance, and Shariah-compliance gives Takadao a differentiated proposition.