Klarna partners with Coinbase to accept stablecoin funding from institutions

cointelegraphPublished on 2025-12-21Last updated on 2025-12-21

Abstract

Klarna, a Swedish fintech company, has partnered with Coinbase to enable institutional funding through USDC stablecoins. This new initiative allows Klarna to raise short-term capital from a new class of institutional investors using Coinbase's crypto services, complementing its traditional funding sources like deposits and commercial paper. The company's CFO highlighted the potential for diversification. This institutional effort is separate from Klarna's future consumer-facing crypto plans, which may include wallets and are targeted for 2026. Klarna also recently launched its own dollar-pegged stablecoin, KlarnaUSD, on the Tempo testnet, with a mainnet launch planned for 2026.

Klarna, a Swedish fintech company known for its “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) service, has partnered with crypto exchange Coinbase to add stablecoins to its institutional funding toolkit.

Under the arrangement, the global payments and digital banking firm plans to raise short-term funding from institutional investors denominated in USDC (USDC), using Coinbase’s crypto-native infrastructure, according to a Friday announcement.

“This is an exciting first step into a new way to raise funding,” Klarna chief financial officer Niclas Neglén said. “Stablecoin connects us to an entirely new class of institutional investors, and gives us the potential to diversify our funding sources in ways that simply weren't possible a few years ago,” he added.

The new funding channel will sit alongside Klarna’s existing sources, which include consumer deposits, long-term debt and short-dated commercial paper.

Related: Swedish fintech giant Klarna will ‘embrace crypto,’ CEO says

Klarna’s crypto push

Klarna said that the stablecoin funding initiative remains in development and is separate from its consumer- and merchant-facing crypto plans. Those efforts, which may include wallets or additional digital asset services, are expected to progress further in 2026.

However, the payments firm cautioned that the initiative is subject to regulatory, market and operational risks, noting that actual outcomes could differ from expectations.

Klarna said it selected Coinbase for the initiative due to its experience providing crypto infrastructure to large enterprises. The exchange currently supports more than 260 businesses globally, offering custody, settlement and blockchain-based financial services.

Related: Stripe’s stablecoin blockchain Tempo launches public testnet

Klarna launches dollar-backed stablecoin

Last month, Klarna launched a US dollar–pegged stablecoin, becoming the first digital bank to issue a token on Tempo, a new layer-1 blockchain developed by Stripe and Paradigm. The stablecoin, called KlarnaUSD, is currently live on Tempo’s testnet, with a mainnet launch planned for 2026, according to the company.

Built by Stripe-owned stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge, the token extends Klarna’s long-standing partnership with Stripe across its global payments network.

The GENIUS Act, passed in the United States in July, established clear rules for stablecoins and has helped fuel a wave of new issuances.

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