As debates about a “crypto winter” persist, Stripe has taken Web3 technology beyond speculative hype in 2025, embedding it firmly into the real economy and igniting a new level of vitality.
On February 24, Stripe released its 2025 annual letter, announcing “total business transaction volume of $1.9 trillion, with 34% year-over-year growth.” More importantly, the letter details Stripe’s progress following the acquisitions of Bridge and Privy—these are not mere capital transactions but a quiet revolution. Stripe is transforming Web3 from a niche playground into foundational infrastructure for global payments and AI-driven commerce, subtly rewriting the rules of global finance.
The Fundamentals: $1.9 Trillion Powers 1.6% of Global GDP
To grasp Stripe’s ambitions for Web3, you must first understand its foundation. The core figures in Stripe’s annual letter underscore its dominant position in global payments and reinforce its Web3 strategy.
In 2025, businesses and merchants using Stripe processed $1.9 trillion in transactions—a 34% surge year-over-year. This staggering number equals 1.6% of global GDP, meaning that for every $100 generated worldwide, $1.60 flows through Stripe’s system. Stripe serves as an invisible financial artery, connecting the global real economy.
Stripe’s influence extends far beyond a simple payment tool. Its programmable financial services empower over 5 million businesses around the world, including nearly all leading AI companies, 90% of Dow Jones component firms, and 80% of the Nasdaq 100—covering the world’s most dynamic commercial and technology entities.
Stripe is quietly becoming the gateway for startups: today, 25% of newly registered companies in Delaware are established via Stripe Atlas, its rapid company formation service. That means one in four new companies is integrated into Stripe’s ecosystem from the start. Its online payment tool Link has surpassed 200 million users, making it one of the world’s most popular fast payment methods.
This strong foundation gives Stripe the confidence to invest in Web3. While most companies are scaling back their crypto strategies during the downturn, Stripe is doubling down. The progress with Bridge and Privy is central to this commitment.
Dispelling Prejudice: Stablecoin Summer Amid Crypto Winter
For many, stablecoins are seen as a “safe haven for speculators” or a “crypto accessory.” Stripe’s annual letter uses powerful data to dispel this bias: “It may be crypto winter, but it’s stablecoin summer.”
Despite Bitcoin’s price halving since October 2025 and a sluggish crypto market, stablecoin payment volumes have doubled, reaching $400 billion in 2025. Notably, 60% of this $400 billion comes from B2B payments—showing stablecoins are no longer just speculative tools, but essential for cross-border settlement and capital flow, entering the core of the real economy.
Driving this shift is Bridge, acquired by Stripe for $1.1 billion. Many wonder how Bridge has performed post-acquisition. The answer is in its transaction volume: after joining Stripe, Bridge has seen its volume grow more than fourfold, proving Stripe’s acquisition strategy is not simply about buying a company, but integrating a deployable technology stack.
Bridge: Transaction Volume Up Over Fourfold
Stripe’s integration of Bridge went far beyond a change in ownership. Stripe embedded Bridge deeply into its financial ecosystem, creating a comprehensive solution for fiat and crypto interoperability and achieving three key breakthroughs that directly address industry challenges.
First, Bridge became the technical core of Stripe’s stablecoin financial accounts. Enterprise users can now send and receive fiat and crypto funds seamlessly via Bridge’s technology, without extra third-party integrations or compliance worries—opening an easy path to crypto payments for businesses.
Second, Bridge breaks down the fiat-to-crypto barrier. In April 2025, Bridge partnered with Visa to launch a stablecoin payment card: users can spend directly from their stablecoin balances, with the system automatically converting stablecoins to local fiat. Merchants don’t need to interact with crypto technology or understand stablecoin mechanics—the process is identical to standard card payments. This model removes the biggest obstacle for stablecoin adoption in everyday transactions.
Crypto wallet Phantom has also launched a stablecoin card via Bridge, enabling stablecoins to become “real money” for everyday purchases, truly entering daily life.
Third, Bridge lowers the threshold for stablecoin issuance. Its new Open Issuance feature allows any company to quickly issue and manage its own stablecoin—no major tech investment or lengthy compliance integration required. With Stripe’s ecosystem and Bridge’s technology, businesses can have their own stablecoin, opening new possibilities for SMEs in cross-border financing and capital management.
Privy and the “Invisible Wallet”: Seamless Entry for 110 Million Users
If Bridge is the hub for stablecoin flow, Privy is Stripe’s key to unlocking the Web3 wallet layer.
Privy is no longer just a “crypto player-exclusive wallet.” Stripe has transformed it into a tool enterprises can directly reuse, radically lowering Web3’s barriers to entry.
Privy’s core strength is its robust API. Businesses only need to integrate Privy’s API to quickly deploy user-friendly Web3 wallets, without developing separate interfaces or investing heavily in crypto tech research. This simple step fundamentally changes the adoption logic: Web3 wallets are no longer niche toys for crypto enthusiasts—enterprises can easily integrate them.
By the end of 2025, Privy had supported over 110 million programmable wallets globally, serving businesses and users across sectors. Stripe sees Privy’s core value as democratizing Web3 infrastructure.
Payment-Dedicated L1 Tempo Set to Launch Mainnet
If Bridge and Privy are acquired puzzle pieces, Tempo is the “native child” co-incubated by Stripe and crypto VC Paradigm.
Stripe’s annual letter bluntly highlights the shortcomings of current blockchains in payment scenarios: throughput, reliability, cost predictability, and privacy. Stripe notes that as AI Agents begin to initiate transactions at scale, future blockchains must handle millions—even billions—of transactions per second. The current blockchain architecture cannot meet this demand.
Tempo is purpose-built for payments. Its key features include dedicated payment channels, sub-second confirmation, optional privacy, and stablecoin fee payments. Stripe reports that Visa, Nubank, and Shopify are already testing Tempo’s performance across global payments, embedded finance, and remittances. Tempo’s mainnet is set to launch soon.
Klarna’s story is especially striking. Its CEO, once a well-known crypto skeptic, reversed his stance after experiencing Tempo and made Klarna the first bank to issue stablecoins on Tempo’s testnet.
The Future Is Now: Rise of Agentic Commerce
The rise of “Agentic Commerce” is even more exciting. Stripe predicts that most internet transactions will soon be conducted by AI Agents. We’ve moved beyond the hype and entered the era of real-world application.
- Stripe and OpenAI have developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), supporting ChatGPT’s first built-in shopping experience.
- They’ve launched Shared Payment Tokens, enabling agents to initiate payments without exposing credentials.
- Machine Payments are also underway—developers can charge agents directly with just a few lines of code. Stripe will support USDC stablecoin payments on the Base chain via the x402 protocol, with plans to expand to more protocols, payment methods, currencies, and blockchains.
Stripe emphasizes that Tempo’s architecture is inherently suited to agentic commerce and micropayments in the AI era—this is Stripe’s strategic focus. As countless AI Agents autonomously collaborate, purchase services, and exchange data online, they need a high-throughput, low-cost, programmable settlement layer.
Stripe to Acquire PayPal? A High-Stakes Gamble Yet to Be Decided
On the same day Stripe released its annual letter, Bloomberg reported that Stripe is considering acquiring all or part of PayPal’s business.
The timing is delicate. PayPal is struggling, having lost nearly a third of its market value in 2025 and now sitting at about $43.5 billion. CNBC reports Stripe has issued a tender offer to employees and shareholders, valuing the company at $159 billion—a 74% surge from last year’s $91.5 billion. Stripe co-founder and president John Collison told CNBC the company has no plans to IPO, as this would distract from product and business growth.
If the deal goes through, Stripe would gain Venmo—a highly engaged consumer wallet—PayPal’s merchant relationships, and its checkout brand, despite recent slowing growth. More importantly, it would significantly strengthen Stripe’s consumer presence. Stripe dominates the merchant side, but is relatively weak in consumer wallets. However, the deal faces real challenges, including antitrust regulation, funding, and integration.
Stripe President John Collison’s response is telling: “PayPal has clearly had a tough few years, and the landscape has changed significantly with Apple Pay and Google Pay. I can’t comment on any acquisition speculation, but they are definitely in a difficult position.” This response neither denies nor confirms acquisition interest, but acknowledges PayPal’s struggles and the changing market landscape.
Summary
Stripe’s 2025 narrative is clear: stablecoins break down financial borders, Privy lowers crypto adoption barriers, Tempo prepares for trillions of AI Agent transactions, and agentic commerce connects AI with business.
Bridge’s fourfold growth, Privy’s hundreds of millions of wallets, Tempo’s testnet launch, and stablecoin penetration in B2B are quietly reshaping the global economic infrastructure.
We may soon witness the birth of a truly internet-native financial system. At that point, AI may buy goods for you with stablecoins, cross-border payments may run through a blockchain, and your wallet may be a programmable account embedded in various apps—not just a bank app. This isn’t science fiction—it’s the future Stripe is building.
As the letter says, the machine of survival of the fittest is accelerating. Stripe clearly doesn’t want to be a spectator—it wants to be the engine powering the machine.
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