By Riley Kaminer
There are 12,000 banks in the US alone. The problem is that they have trouble talking to each other. Why does that matter? When banks can’t communicate about lending opportunities, we consumers and businesses suffer.
That’s the exact mission that Wynwood-based Capstack is on a mission to solve. The company has built a loan trading and analytics platform enabling collaboration between financial institutions – all with the added benefit of increased profitability and risk mitigation through asset diversification and liquidity.
The startup has now begun a new chapter with its acquisition of Edge Tradeworks. Capstack is focused on the participation side of loan trading, where multiple banks come together to fund a single loan. Meanwhile, Edge Tradeworks focuses on whole loan trading, where buyers can purchase a basket of dozens or even hundreds of individual loans.
In an interview with Refresh Miami, Capstack founder and CEO Michal Cieplinski asserted that this partnership is unique because, by combining the strengths of both companies, Capstack and Edge created a single platform where whole loans and participations could be traded seamlessly.
“This is a massive paradigm shift in a market where there is too often a lack of communication between banks,” said Cieplinski [pictured above].
Capstack’s platform had already gained significant traction since it launched in May, with over $300 million in transactions on the platform thus far. The addition of Edge’s sophisticated analytics tools will bring a new level of depth to the offering. Edge had been empowering regional and national banks, credit funds, and credit unions with data-driven insights, enabling them to compare loan portfolios and make informed trading decisions.
“Historically, financial institutions haven’t been able to easily access the trading opportunities that best suit their liquidity needs,” Edge co-founder and CEO John Roberts shared in a statement. “Capstack offers customers an unparalleled level of liquidity and ability to manage risk from within their loan portfolio, where the bulk of the risk lies.”
Earlier in March, Capstack had already set the stage for this moment with a strategic investment from Citi Ventures. A year ago, we reported on Capstack’s $6 million fundraise.
Capstack currently has just under 20 employees, around half of whom are based in Miami. “We’re proudly based in Florida,” said Cieplinski, praising our city’s central location and useful airport. “All of our quarterly meetings take place in Miami. We could have them anywhere, but why do we choose Miami? Because it offers the best transportation, hotels, office space, and much more. It’s safe, energetic, and the ideal place for travelers.”
As for the future of Capstack, Cieplinski shared his ambitions of building one of the biggest banking infrastructures in the world – right here in Miami. “We’re starting with U.S. banks, but the need is global,” he said, hinting at early discussions from banks in Latin America that are excited about the offering.
“We’re excited to build a massive company that will change the face of financial services. And the more diversification we can provide to banks, the better for businesses – and our economy overall.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- In wake of SVB and First Republic collapse, Capstack collects $6M to build inter-bank marketplace
- BuildrFi is constructing the fintech tools for contractors
- Immigrant-focused banking platform MAJORITY raises $20M
- Have you considered SBA funding for your startup? Locality Bank can help
- Koywe’s answer to slow international payments started with a lifelong friendship - September 9, 2026
- Split Pay raises $125M to give your paycheck better timing - September 9, 2026
- PRIMA raises $5M to turn hot tables into a referral business - September 4, 2026