#Stripe
5 articles tagged #Stripe — curated RWA tokenization coverage.
Bridge founder Zach Abrams sees an opportunity for ‘tokenized local currencies’ across Asia
Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure firm co-founded by Zach Abrams and Sean Yu, has emerged as a critical layer for cross-border payments, processing over $5 billion in annualized volume by 2024. Originally focused on the U.S. market, the company discovered significant demand in emerging economies like Colombia, Venezuela, and the Philippines, where traditional financial rails are inefficient. Following its $1.1 billion acquisition by Stripe in 2024, Bridge is now positioning itself to simplify the complex landscape of tokenized assets. Abrams emphasizes that the current dominance of U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins is a sign of market immaturity rather than a permanent state. The firm is actively expanding support for non-dollar currencies, including the Mexican peso, British pound, and Brazilian real, to facilitate local business needs. By providing a unified infrastructure layer, Bridge aims to enable businesses in hubs like Singapore to hold tokenized local currencies and access yield-generating investments. This shift toward multi-currency tokenization is essential for integrating stablecoins into global trade and addressing the regulatory requirements of diverse international markets.
Stripe owned Bridge joins EU MiCA register as 42nd authorized stablecoin issuer
Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure company recently acquired by Stripe for approximately $1.1 billion, has been officially added to the European Union’s MiCA register as an authorized electronic money token (EMT) issuer. This milestone follows Bridge securing both a crypto-asset service provider authorization and an Electronic Money Institution license from Luxembourg’s financial regulator, the CSSF. By joining the register, Bridge becomes the 42nd authorized EMT issuer in the EU, enabling it to provide regulated stablecoin and payment services across all 27 member states under a single framework. This development is significant for the RWA market as it facilitates the issuance of custom euro-backed stablecoins and cross-border settlement for enterprises. The move aligns with the broader implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, which mandates that regulated platforms support only compliant stablecoins. Stripe is actively integrating Bridge’s technology to expand its global payments network and stablecoin-backed card programs. This regulatory approval strengthens Stripe's position in the institutional stablecoin infrastructure space, providing a compliant pathway for businesses to move funds without relying on traditional correspondent banking networks.
$40M Coldcard Breach, BitMEX Exodus, CLARITY Act Showdown
BlackRock has expanded its BUIDL tokenized Treasury fund to Tempo, a payments-focused Layer 1 blockchain incubated by Stripe, representing a significant integration of institutional financial products with on-chain payment infrastructure. This development highlights the ongoing trend of major asset managers leveraging diverse blockchain ecosystems to enhance the utility and accessibility of tokenized real-world assets. Beyond this, the RWA sector continues to see rapid growth, evidenced by Binance's tokenized stocks reaching $500 million in assets under management within seven weeks of launch. Additionally, Hastra has launched AUTO markets on Solana, bringing real-time US auto loan data on-chain to provide DeFi investors exposure to the $1.6 trillion consumer credit market. These milestones collectively demonstrate the deepening integration of traditional financial instruments into decentralized networks. The expansion of BUIDL and the emergence of new credit-based products underscore the maturing institutional appetite for on-chain yield and asset management. As these platforms scale, they bridge the gap between legacy financial systems and high-efficiency blockchain execution layers.
AI & stablecoins: PayPal fits a gap in Stripe’s horizontal integration strategy
Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have reportedly submitted a joint acquisition offer for PayPal at $60.50 per share, valuing the payment giant at over $53 billion. This bid represents a 28% premium over PayPal's recent stock price and is supported by $50 billion in committed bank financing. PayPal has faced significant market challenges, with its valuation dropping 40% over the last year from a 2021 peak of $360 billion. Under CEO Enrique Lores, the company has recently reorganized into three distinct units focusing on checkout, consumer services, and crypto payments. The potential acquisition aligns with Stripe’s broader strategy to integrate horizontal payment services and expand its footprint in the emerging agentic payment and stablecoin sectors. This move signals a major consolidation effort within the fintech industry as traditional payment providers pivot toward blockchain-integrated financial infrastructure. The outcome of this bid remains uncertain as PayPal has yet to provide a formal response to the proposal.
Stripe’s Bridge gains MiCA approval for EU stablecoin operations
Luxembourg has granted Stripe's Bridge platform authorization as both a crypto-asset service provider and an Electronic Money Institution under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation. This dual approval enables Stripe to issue and manage stablecoin services across all 27 EU member states through a single, unified regulatory framework. By securing this status, Stripe gains a significant competitive advantage in the payments sector, positioning itself to facilitate compliant stablecoin transactions more effectively than many centralized exchanges. The move provides essential regulatory clarity that is expected to accelerate the adoption of digital assets for everyday payment use cases within the European market. This development marks a pivotal shift in the infrastructure layer of the RWA ecosystem, as major payment processors integrate stablecoins into their core offerings. The increased institutional legitimacy provided by MiCA compliance will likely force other payment providers to expedite their own regulatory strategies to remain competitive. Ultimately, this integration bridges the gap between traditional financial rails and blockchain-based assets, signaling a maturing landscape for stablecoin utility in the EU.