Stripe has closed its acquisition of Bridge, a stablecoin payment infrastructure startup, for $1.1 billion in a deal that signals the payments giant growing commitment to cryptocurrency rails. The acquisition, Stripe largest to date, gives the company access to Bridge robust APIs for creating, sending, and receiving stablecoin payments across multiple blockchain networks.
Bridge, founded in 2022 by former Coinbase engineers, had built a platform that allows businesses to accept and send payments using USDC and USDT stablecoins without needing to understand the underlying blockchain technology. The company had processed over $5 billion in stablecoin transactions in 2025, with particular strength in cross-border payments where traditional banking rails are slow and expensive.
For Stripe, the acquisition addresses a growing demand from its merchant base for stablecoin payment options. International merchants in particular have been requesting faster settlement times and lower fees for cross-border transactions. Stablecoin rails can settle transactions in seconds at a fraction of the cost of traditional correspondent banking, making them particularly attractive for businesses operating in emerging markets.
Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison noted that stablecoins are experiencing their WhatsApp moment, referring to how the messaging app disrupted traditional SMS by offering a superior product over internet rails. The company plans to integrate Bridge technology into its core Stripe Connect and Stripe Treasury products, allowing any Stripe merchant to accept stablecoin payments alongside traditional card payments within a unified checkout experience.
The deal reflects a broader trend of traditional fintech companies embracing blockchain-based payment infrastructure. PayPal, Block, and Adyen have all made significant investments in stablecoin capabilities over the past year. Analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate that stablecoin payment volume could reach $5 trillion annually by 2028, representing roughly 3% of global payment flows.
