Payment processing firm Stripe Inc. is reportedly weighing an acquisition of Paypal Holdings Inc. in what could become one of the payments sector’s most consequential transactions. According to a Bloomberg report, talks are preliminary, with no guarantee they will lead to a deal. Both companies declined to comment.

Paypal shares jumped 6.7% to close at $47.02 on Feb. 24, valuing the company at $43.3 billion. Once a trailblazer in online payments, Paypal has struggled to keep pace with rivals such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Its fourth-quarter earnings fell short of analyst expectations, highlighting slowing transaction volumes. Leadership turmoil has added to the uncertainty: Enrique Lores will take over as CEO on March 1, replacing Alex Chriss, who was ousted after less than two years at the helm. David Dorman will succeed Lores as board chair.

In contrast, Stripe is riding momentum. Founded by brothers Patrick and John Collison, the closely held firm announced earlier Tuesday that it had reached a $159 billion valuation in an employee tender offer. This is a jump from the $95 billion valuation it reached in 2021 after raising $600 million. By late 2023, Stripe officially surpassed $1 trillion in total payment volume, reaching the milestone significantly faster than rival PayPal did.

The company later began an aggressive platform-building, acquiring companies like Lemon Squeezy and Bridge to anchor its future in stablecoin payments. Remarking on Paypal’s struggles in a recent interview, Stripe President John Collison said:

“Paypal has had, obviously, a tough time over the past few years, and the landscape has changed quite a bit with Apple Pay and Google Pay and everything like that. I can’t talk about any … M&A hypotheticals, but they’ve definitely had a tough time.”

Meanwhile, a Stripe-Paypal tie-up is seen as reshaping the competitive landscape of digital payments, combining one of the industry’s fastest-growing players with a legacy giant under pressure to reinvent itself.

• Why is Stripe considering Paypal? Stripe is exploring PayPal to expand its U.S. payments footprint and compete with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
• How could this affect Asian markets? A deal could boost Stripe’s reach in fast‑growing Asian e‑commerce and fintech hubs.
• What does this mean for African fintech? Stripe’s entry via PayPal could accelerate mobile payments adoption across Africa.
• Will the acquisition definitely happen? Talks are early and uncertain, with no guarantee of a final deal.

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