Stripe, the global payment processing powerhouse, has reportedly acquired the stablecoin platform Bridge for $1.1 billion, marking a milestone as the largest acquisition in the cryptocurrency sector to date.
TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington confirmed the completion of the deal, which had been under discussion since at least October 17.
While both companies have yet to make a public statement, this acquisition highlights Stripe’s commitment to enhancing its stablecoin offerings.
As of July, Stripe was valued at approximately $70 billion and has been actively expanding its presence in digital payments. The company achieved a major milestone earlier this year, surpassing $1 trillion in total payment volume, which represents about 1% of global GDP.
The acquisition follows Stripe’s recent efforts to integrate stablecoins into its payment systems, including the addition of Circle USD (USDC) to its payment interface. This move aligns with co-founder John Collison’s announcement that Stripe would support global stablecoin transactions.
In addition, the company recently launched a “Pay with Crypto” feature that allows customers to use stablecoins at checkout for a 1.5% transaction fee. Stripe’s president, Will Gaybrick, emphasized the potential of stablecoins to provide efficient payment solutions, particularly for users outside the U.S.
Bridge, founded by former Coinbase employees Zach Abrams and Sean Yu, offers software that enables businesses to accept cross-border payments using stablecoins. With a market cap exceeding $170 billion, stablecoins like Tether, USDC, and Dai are gaining traction in the financial ecosystem. In fact, Bridge has processed over $5 billion in annualized payment volume and counts clients such as the U.S. State Department, U.S. Treasury, SpaceX, and Coinbase among its significant partners.
The integration of Bridge into Stripe is expected to further enhance the adoption of stablecoin solutions, solidifying Stripe’s leadership in the fintech sector. This acquisition represents a strategic move as the cryptocurrency industry continues to evolve, drawing interest and investment even amid challenging market conditions.
In a time of growing interest in cryptocurrencies, Stripe began allowing crypto purchases in the EU in July and has offered businesses the ability to accept payments in stablecoins for some time. With increasing competition from companies like PayPal, Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge positions it well to capitalize on the ongoing trends in digital finance.
With cryptocurrencies transitioning from niche markets to mainstream finance, experts suggest that the next phase will involve integrating decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols with traditional financial systems.
Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge reflects its recognition of this shift and its determination to be at the forefront of the evolving financial landscape.
