Stripe

Revolut has launched EURR, a euro-pegged stablecoin (e-money token) issued by Bridge Building S.A., a Luxembourg-based entity owned by Stripe’s Bridge. The token, pegged at €1, is initially available to eligible customers in Denmark, Poland, and Portugal starting August 2026, with plans to expand across the European Economic Area. Integrated into Revolut’s app, EURR enables on-chain euro-to-crypto transfers on blockchains like Ethereum and Polygon. The rollout is a small pilot with only 374 tokens in circulation, backed by €374 in cash deposits.

9 reports · 3 sources · Updated Aug 31, 08:00 AM UTC

Stripe has finalized a deal to acquire OpenRouter, an AI gateway startup, for over $7 billion. OpenRouter provides developers access to over 400 AI models and serves 8 million users, helping businesses manage AI costs and switch between models. Founded in 2023 by former OpenSea CEO Alex Atallah, OpenRouter had raised over $150 million at a $1.3 billion valuation. The acquisition strengthens Stripe’s position in AI infrastructure, following earlier reports of talks around $10 billion.

26 reports · 6 sources · Updated Aug 30, 08:00 PM UTC

PayPal is in active negotiations to sell itself to a consortium of fintech startup Stripe and private-equity firm Advent International. The group initially offered $60.50 per share in July, valuing PayPal at $53 billion, which was rejected as too low. Talks have since resumed with a potentially higher price. The deal would combine Stripe’s modern payment infrastructure with PayPal’s 439 million active accounts, creating a $3 trillion payment platform. PayPal’s stock rose nearly 2% on the news.

16 reports · 5 sources · Updated Aug 28, 05:34 PM UTC

Leopold Aschenbrenner’s AI-focused hedge fund, Situational Awareness, suffered steep losses on leveraged bets in AI infrastructure stocks (e.g., SK Hynix) and short positions in software. To meet margin calls, it sold most of its ~$16 billion public equity portfolio to Citadel. The fund retains private investments, including a ~$5 billion stake in Anthropic, and plans to transition into a private holding company. The collapse tests Aschenbrenner’s AI infrastructure thesis and sparks debate on AI investing risks.

34 reports · 6 sources · Updated Aug 10, 10:50 AM UTC

Payments firm Stripe and private equity firm Advent International jointly offered $60.50 per share to acquire PayPal, valuing the company at over $53 billion. The proposal, backed by $50 billion in committed bank financing, would give Stripe and Advent equal ownership. PayPal shares surged up to 28% on the news. The deal reflects major consolidation in digital payments, as PayPal faces slowing growth and competition from Apple Pay and Google Pay. Neither PayPal nor Stripe has officially confirmed the offer.

46 reports · 6 sources · Updated Jul 28, 10:57 PM UTC

PayPal's board has reportedly deemed the $60.50-per-share cash buyout offer from Stripe and Advent International as inadequate, according to multiple reports. The bid, which valued the payments company at over $53 billion, represents a 28% premium to PayPal's pre-bid price. However, the stock currently trades at about $56, a 7% discount to the offer, reflecting market skepticism about deal completion. Analysts' average price target of $53 is even lower, suggesting the company's standalone value is below the current market price. Reports indicate the bidders may raise their offer, and potential antitrust remedies, including separating PayPal's Braintree business, have been discussed. PayPal's first-quarter results showed modest growth, with revenue up 7% and active accounts rising only 1% year-over-year.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 25, 07:43 PM UTC

PayPal's board has reportedly deemed a $60.50-per-share cash offer from Stripe and Advent International as inadequate, according to multiple reports. The bid, which valued PayPal at over $53 billion, represents a 28% premium to the stock's pre-bid price. However, shares currently trade around $56, a 7% discount to the offer, reflecting market skepticism about deal completion. Analyst consensus targets are even lower at $53. The board's stance suggests they believe the company is worth more, and reports indicate bidders may raise their offer. Potential antitrust concerns have been raised, including possibly separating PayPal's Braintree business. The company's recent financial results show modest growth, with Q1 revenue up 7% to $8.4 billion and active accounts growing only 1% to 439 million.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 25, 07:43 PM UTC

In mid-July 2026, fintech firm Stripe made an unsolicited $53 billion bid for PayPal, a move that has positively impacted the cryptocurrency market, particularly Bitcoin. Bitcoin, which had been down 25% year-to-date, rose over 5% following the news, with some analysts predicting it could reach $80,000 by the end of August. The deal is seen as a signal that digital currencies are going mainstream, as both Stripe and PayPal are heavily involved in the stablecoin business. PayPal's 400 million active customer accounts could provide a massive on-ramp for Bitcoin adoption. However, stablecoins have increasingly taken over the role Bitcoin was meant to play in payments, leading some analysts like Cathie Wood to adjust their Bitcoin price targets. Despite this, long-term bulls like Tim Draper still see Bitcoin reaching $250,000 or higher if it becomes a mainstream payment method.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 24, 11:05 AM UTC

Business Insider profiles 21 tech executives who achieved success without completing college degrees, including Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Sam Altman (OpenAI), the Collison brothers (Stripe), Mustafa Suleyman (Microsoft AI), Melanie Perkins (Canva), Daniel Ek (Spotify), and Larry Ellison (Oracle). The article highlights how these founders dropped out of prestigious universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Oxford to pursue tech ventures, often becoming billionaires. It notes the growing debate about the value of college education amid high tuition costs and AI reshaping white-collar work. The piece includes direct quotes from Zuckerberg and Altman defending the decision to drop out, and provides current company valuations, such as Stripe at $159 billion and Canva at $42 billion.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 22, 01:03 PM UTC

Goldman Sachs has launched a new alternative investments platform aimed at providing wealthy clients and family offices with direct access to fast-growing private companies. The platform, led by Matt Doherty, includes a newly formed private company investments team and a secondary advisory group to facilitate trading of private stakes. Goldman focuses on mature companies with proven products and substantial revenue, avoiding early-stage ventures. The bank has directed clients toward AI infrastructure such as data centers. The announcement follows a strong second quarter with record revenue of $20.34 billion, driven by equities trading and dealmaking. Goldman recently served as lead underwriter for the SpaceX IPO, reflecting a broader Wall Street trend of startups staying private longer to capture valuation gains before public offerings.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 22, 12:49 PM UTC

Goldman Sachs has launched a new alternative investments platform aimed at giving wealthy clients and family offices direct access to fast-growing private companies, according to an internal memo. The platform, led by Matt Doherty, includes a newly formed private company investments team and a secondary advisory group for trading private stakes. Goldman focuses on mature companies with proven products and substantial revenue, avoiding early-stage ventures. Surging interest in AI has driven demand for physical infrastructure like data centers. The move follows a record second quarter for Goldman, with quarterly revenue of $20.34 billion, up 39% year-over-year. The bank's wealth and asset management push reflects a broader Wall Street trend as startups stay private longer, allowing early investors to capture valuation gains before public markets. Goldman recently served as lead underwriter on the SpaceX IPO, valued at over $2 trillion.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 22, 12:49 PM UTC

The Ryder Cup has announced a sponsorship deal with Irish-founded financial services firm Stripe, making it a worldwide partner for the 2027 and 2029 editions of the intercontinental golf competition. Stripe will also serve as the official payment solutions partner, aiming to deliver a cashless experience at the 2027 event in Ireland's Adare Manor and the 2029 event in Minnesota's Hazeltine. Stripe's chief revenue officer Conor McNamara highlighted the firm's capability to handle the event's complex financial infrastructure. The partnership adds to the Ryder Cup's existing roster of global partners including Capgemini, DP World, Sap, Rolex, and Smurfit Westrock. The 2027 Ryder Cup ballot for Adare Manor has already closed, and the event will mark Ireland's second Ryder Cup after the 2026 European win at K Club.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 22, 10:00 AM UTC

Ramp has launched stablecoin accounts and payments for all its customers, allowing businesses to hold, send, and receive both fiat dollars and stablecoins like USDC and USDT on a single platform. The feature settles on the Solana blockchain, chosen for its speed and low transaction costs. Previously, stablecoin payments required separate wallets and manual reconciliation, consuming disproportionate accounts payable time. Ramp integrates stablecoins into existing business workflows, including approval chains and accounting systems. The service supports deposits across seven blockchain networks. Over 150 businesses, including non-crypto entities like farms and churches, adopted the feature during beta. Ramp built the capability in partnership with Stripe, using its Bridge and Privy infrastructure for issuance and wallets.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 21, 09:37 PM UTC

Goldman Sachs has created a new alternative investments platform to expand offerings for wealthy clients and family offices seeking direct stakes in fast-growing private companies like SpaceX and Stripe. The platform combines Goldman's existing alternatives business with two new teams: one focused on direct investments in individual private companies (rather than broader private equity funds) and another on helping clients buy and sell those stakes. Kristin Olson, Goldman's global head of alternatives for wealth, said the move responds to the trend of companies staying private longer and going public at massive valuations, meaning early investors capture most gains. The AI investment boom has intensified demand, with Goldman steering clients toward AI infrastructure like data centers. The announcement formalizes Goldman's growing secondary advisory business and comes after the firm reported record quarterly revenue driven by AI-related activity.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 21, 06:23 PM UTC

The article analyzes the launch of Open USD (OUSD), a stablecoin backed by a consortium of over 140 participants including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Coinbase, and BlackRock. OUSD differentiates itself by sharing reserve earnings with consortium members, creating a financial incentive for distribution through exchanges, wallets, and merchant services. This model intensifies competition against established incumbents USDT and USDC, which maintain advantages through liquidity depth and exchange listings. Experts interviewed include Louisa Bai (Mysten Labs), Marc Boiron (Polygon Labs), and Kevin Cui (OSL Group). The article notes that different stablecoins will serve different use cases—PYUSD for consumer payments, OUSD for business settlement, exchange-backed coins for trading. Regional demand analysis highlights Latin America as the strongest market for stablecoin adoption due to currency instability and high remittance costs, with the Gulf as an early regulatory leader and Japan building bank-connected products.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 21, 03:46 PM UTC

The article analyzes the launch of Open USD (OUSD), a new stablecoin backed by a consortium of over 140 participants including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Coinbase, and BlackRock. OUSD differentiates itself by sharing reserve earnings with consortium members, creating a financial incentive for distribution through exchanges, wallets, and merchant services. This model challenges established incumbents USDT and USDC, which maintain advantages through liquidity depth and exchange listings. Experts interviewed note that different stablecoins will serve different use cases—PYUSD for consumer payments, OUSD for business settlement, exchange-backed coins for trading, and bank-supported assets for treasury management. Regional demand varies, with Latin America leading in everyday stablecoin use for savings and cross-border payments due to currency instability and high remittance costs. The Gulf region is an early regulatory leader, Japan builds bank-connected products, and the US gains more room for regulated issuance.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 21, 03:46 PM UTC

Tara Sandhu, a former risk and compliance leader at Stripe, Plaid, Gusto, and Mercury, recounts how she built a $2 million consulting business in two years by specializing in fintech compliance. She describes being paid $12,250 for a three-page vendor recommendation document, emphasizing that clients pay for her decade of expertise, not the time spent. After months of failed cold outreach, she landed her first client through a warm introduction via her husband's former colleague in venture capital. The article provides a six-week roadmap for aspiring consultants: week one focuses on defining a specific problem to solve; week two advises leveraging warm networks (former colleagues, trusted contacts) rather than cold leads. Sandhu stresses that specialization and trust-based referrals are key to high-value consulting.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 21, 12:00 PM UTC

PayPal Holdings (PYPL) is set to report Q2 2026 earnings on July 28 before market open. Analysts expect diluted EPS of $1.28, an 8.6% decline from $1.40 a year ago. The company has beaten EPS estimates in three of the last four quarters. For fiscal 2026, full-year EPS is projected at $5.32, rising to $5.76 in fiscal 2027. PYPL stock has fallen 23.4% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the S&P 500 and financial sector ETF. On July 15, shares surged 17% after reports that Stripe and Advent International submitted a $53 billion acquisition proposal at $60.50 per share, a 28% premium. Analysts remain cautious, with a consensus 'Hold' rating; the mean price target is $49.91, while the Street-high target of $65 implies 14.9% upside. The article also includes links to other market news and a disclosure that the author held no positions in the securities mentioned.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 20, 12:15 PM UTC

PayPal, once a Wall Street darling with a $360 billion market cap in 2021, is now facing an unwanted $53 billion takeover bid from rival Stripe and private equity firm Advent International. The company's board believes the $60.50 per share offer is too low and is expected to meet to discuss next steps. PayPal's decline stems from slowing growth, intensified competition from Apple Pay and other rivals, failure to capitalize on digital banking and AI trends, and leadership instability with three CEOs in four years. Analysts suggest Stripe and Advent could raise their bid, given they have assembled $17 billion in equity and $50 billion in bank financing. However, competing bids appear unlikely. PayPal's quarterly earnings report later this month could influence the bid's outcome, with a weak report potentially increasing pressure on the company.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 20, 10:03 AM UTC

PayPal, once a Wall Street darling with a $360 billion market cap in 2021, is now facing a $53 billion takeover bid from Stripe and Advent International at $60.50 per share, which its board considers too low. The company has struggled with slowing growth, intensified competition from Apple Pay, and failed attempts to innovate in digital banking and AI. Its user base has plateaued, and newer products like buy now, pay later have underperformed. With three CEOs in four years and a second turnaround effort underway, analysts question whether PayPal is worth more as a whole or broken up, with Venmo as a potential sale asset. The article highlights PayPal's missed opportunities in mobile payments and agentic commerce, and its aggressive pricing strategy that failed to generate attractive returns.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 20, 10:03 AM UTC

The article discusses the emerging field of agentic commerce, where AI agents conduct buying and selling, and the race to build its infrastructure. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire argues that blockchain is the new operating system for the economy, with stablecoins like USDC as the foundation. New stablecoins like Open USD are launching with partnerships from Stripe, Visa, and Blackrock, allowing consumer brands to bypass credit card fees. Visa and SWIFT are also developing blockchain-based platforms. The article notes that winners in this space will be those building safe, popular highways for transactions. Additional sections cover United Airlines' premiumization strategy, the U.S.-Iran conflict, and the UK's new prime minister facing bond market pressures.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 20, 08:32 AM UTC

The article argues that despite a seemingly weak market, many stocks outside the tech sector are performing well. It highlights Wells Fargo, where CEO Charlie Scharf is expanding into M&A and underwriting, cutting costs, and poaching talent, leading to a stock rebound after analyst skepticism. J.B. Hunt reported a strong earnings surprise amid a trucking recovery. Biotech ETFs are up over 27% year-to-date, driven by a wave of acquisitions. The piece also notes Stripe's offer to acquire PayPal as a significant fintech consolidation move. The author suggests these opportunities indicate a healthy market beneath the surface, questioning the sustainability of tech-heavy portfolios.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 20, 12:33 AM UTC

On July 15, 2026, privately held fintech Stripe and private equity firm Advent International made a joint offer to acquire PayPal for approximately $53 billion ($60.50 per share), causing PayPal's stock to surge over 17%. The article analyzes whether this acquisition is beneficial for PayPal and its shareholders. The author argues that from a company perspective, selling is not ideal given PayPal is in the middle of a turnaround under new CEO Enrique Lores (formerly of HP). The offer is characterized as a lowball, noting PayPal generated $6.4 billion in free cash flow last year and holds $13.5 billion in cash, making the deal a potential steal for Stripe and Advent. For shareholders, the author suggests that while selling at the right price could be acceptable for impatient investors, the initial offer seems too low. PayPal's ongoing stock buybacks ($1.5 billion in Q1) provide incentive for patience. The author concludes that selling is not in the best interest of the company or shareholders currently, but shareholders could be convinced at a higher price.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 19, 05:05 PM UTC

On July 15, 2026, it was reported that fintech company Stripe and private equity firm Advent International made a joint offer to acquire PayPal for approximately $53 billion, or $60.50 per share. The news caused PayPal's stock to surge over 17%. The article analyzes whether this buyout is beneficial for PayPal and its shareholders. The author argues that the offer is lowball, given PayPal's $6.4 billion in annual free cash flow and $13.5 billion in cash reserves. PayPal is in the midst of a turnaround under new CEO Enrique Lores, appointed in February. While impatient shareholders might accept a sale at the right price, the author believes selling is not in the best interest of the company or its long-term shareholders, though a higher offer could emerge.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 19, 05:05 PM UTC

Aaron Webster, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Risk Officer at PayPal, sold 3,883 shares on July 15, 2026, according to an SEC Form 4 filing. The sale was a non-discretionary action to cover tax liabilities from the vesting of restricted stock units (RSUs), not a discretionary change in investment stance. Webster retains 63,256 shares and 25,566 RSUs. The transaction coincided with news that PayPal received a buyout offer from competitor Stripe at $60.50 per share. PayPal's stock had fallen to a 52-week low of $38.46 in February amid fierce competition and missed expectations, but a new CEO, Enrique Lores, took over in March to boost performance. The article advises investors not to be concerned by the sale, as it was tax-related.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 18, 11:15 PM UTC

On July 15, 2026, PayPal Executive Vice President and Global Chief Risk Officer Aaron Webster sold 3,883 shares of PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) at a weighted average price of $47.37. The sale was a non-discretionary action to cover tax liabilities from the vesting of restricted stock units (RSUs), not a discretionary change in investment stance. Webster retains 63,256 shares directly and 25,566 RSUs. The transaction coincides with news that PayPal received a buyout offer from competitor Stripe at $60.50 per share. PayPal's stock had fallen to a 52-week low of $38.46 in February 2026 amid competitive pressures and missed expectations, but a new CEO, Enrique Lores, took over in March to lead a turnaround. The article concludes the sale is not a cause for investor concern.

1 reports · 1 sources · Updated Jul 18, 11:15 PM UTC

Coinbase executive Jesse Pollak has handed control of the Base consumer app to prominent trader Cobie, admitting his 2024-2025 strategy focused on onchain social was wrong. Pollak said the social ecosystem including Farcaster, Zora, and creator coins has 'disintegrated completely,' leaving Base trailing rivals in perps, prediction markets, tokenization, and payments. He apologized for content coins, echoing Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's earlier comments. Pollak now aims to build Base into 'the blockchain for global finance' with priorities on trading, payments, and agents for 2026. Cobie, who joined Coinbase after it acquired his platform Echo, will oversee trading products at Coinbase including CB app, Pro, and Baseapp. The article also covers broader crypto market movements with BTC at $64.2k and ETH at $1,885, ETF inflows, an $18M DeFi exploit on Ostium, and other industry developments including Stripe's $53 billion bid for PayPal and regulatory changes in South Korea and Japan.

1 reports · 1 sources

This technical article highlights a critical difference between traditional Web2 API interactions and blockchain transactions on Solana. In Web2 environments, such as using Stripe, failed requests typically result in no charge because the server rejects the request before performing significant work or handles rollbacks internally. However, the author discovered that Solana operates differently. Even if a transaction fails on-chain, the user must still pay transaction fees (Lamports). The author illustrates this by describing an experiment during their #100DaysOfSolana challenge where they intentionally triggered failed transactions. By bypassing preflight simulations—safety checks that usually catch errors before submission—they forced transactions onto the network that were guaranteed to fail. The result was that despite the failure, the transaction fees were consumed. This serves as an important lesson for developers transitioning from Web2 to Web3, emphasizing that error handling in blockchain development has direct financial implications, unlike the cost-free retry mechanisms common in traditional web development.

1 reports · 1 sources

Layer-1 blockchain developer Solayer has launched a new Visa-compatible payment card that enables users to spend USDC stablecoin balances directly from their Solayer Pay accounts. The card supports online, in-store, and contactless transactions globally, as well as ATM withdrawals in supported regions. Existing users can request the physical card for free, while new users are subject to a $20 annual activation fee. This launch expands the Solayer Pay platform, which previously operated as the Emerald Card and served 40,000 users across over 100 countries. The move reflects a broader industry trend where crypto and payment firms are integrating stablecoins with traditional card networks like Visa and Mastercard. Recent similar initiatives include OKX’s European card launch, MetaMask’s expansion in the US, and Visa’s partnership with Stripe-owned Bridge. The stablecoin market has seen significant growth, rising from $243.3 billion in May 2025 to approximately $322.5 billion, with Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC remaining the dominant issuers. Solayer, known for its infiniSVM network compatible with Solana, aims to facilitate high-throughput onchain applications through this new financial infrastructure.

1 reports · 1 sources

A new tool called Agent Fico has been developed to address the high rate of false positive fraud detections for AI shopping agents. Currently, platforms like Stripe flag approximately 18% of first-time agent purchases as fraudulent because their buying behavior resembles bots. Agent Fico functions as a credit score for AI agents, analyzing 127 distinct transaction patterns including payment velocity, refund rates, merchant diversity, and session consistency. The score updates in real-time and allows merchants to underwrite transactions based on risk levels; scores above 680 are approved automatically, while those below 580 require human confirmation. Integrated with MnemoPay, the system uses a tamper-evident chain to create an audit trail, enabling agents to carry their reputation across different sessions and platforms. Early pilots with three ecommerce platforms indicate that agents with scores above 700 experience 12% fewer transaction declines. This innovation aims to streamline ecommerce operations for AI agents by providing provable history for disputes and eligibility for better payment terms.

1 reports · 1 sources