Payments giant Stripe acquires team from crypto wallet app Valora

cointelegraphОпубліковано о 2025-12-11Востаннє оновлено о 2025-12-11

Анотація

Payments giant Stripe has acquired the team behind crypto wallet app Valora, a day after launching the testnet for its stablecoin-focused blockchain project, Tempo. Valora CEO Jackie Bona stated the team will join Stripe to contribute expertise in web3 and user-first experiences. Valora, which spun out of Celo development group cLabs in 2021, offers a mobile wallet supporting stablecoins across multiple blockchains. The Valora app will continue operating under cLabs. This move accelerates Stripe's growing blockchain initiatives, particularly Tempo network, which has a $5 billion pre-launch valuation and emphasizes easy stablecoin creation.

Payments giant Stripe has acquired the team from crypto wallet firm Valora, just a day after launching its testnet for its stablecoin-focused blockchain project Tempo.

According to Valora CEO Jackie Bona, the acquisition will see the Valora team join Stripe and work on the firm’s blockchain initiatives.

Valora was founded in mid-2021 after spinning out of Celo development group cLabs and raising $20 million in Series A funding in the process.

The Valora app is a mobile wallet that supports stablecoins and other assets across Celo, Ethereum, Base, Optimism and Arbitrum. Apart from the wallet, the team also developed an open protocol launchpad for Web3 apps geared toward a mobile-native experience.

“Stripe shares our conviction that stablecoins and crypto can dramatically expand who gets to participate in the global economy,” said Bona, adding that “by bringing Valora’s team to Stripe, we’ll be able to contribute our expertise in web3 and user-first experiences to a platform with unparalleled reach.”

It is not explicitly stated what the Valora team will work on; however, Stripe will be tapping a team that has had a strong focus on global payments, digital wallets and user-friendly smartphone-based Web3 apps.

“Through this work, we’ve seen firsthand how access to stablecoins and crypto rails can expand economic opportunity. In the past few months, it became clear that we could accelerate this mission by joining Stripe, one of the world’s leading financial infrastructure platforms,” Bona said.

Related: The easiest and safest methods for gifting crypto at Christmas in 2025

The Valora app will continue to function, but its operations and future development will be handed over to cLabs.

Momentum building for Stripe and Tempo

After an on-again-off-again relationship with crypto, Stripe has been making strides in the blockchain space over the past couple of years. Momentum has been building particularly since first unveiling Tempo four months ago in partnership with crypto VC firm Paradigm, with the network already having a $5 billion pre-launch.

The latest move from Stripe comes just a day after Stripe and Paradigm’s layer-1 blockchain project Tempo launched its open testnet.

One of the key features highlighted during the testnet launch was the ease and simplicity of creating stablecoins directly in the browser, among other benefits.

Magazine: 11 critical moments in Ethereum’s history that made it the No.2 blockchain

Пов'язані матеріали

South Korean Exchanges 'Battle' Regulators, Challenging the Boundaries of Enforcement and Legislation

South Korea's cryptocurrency industry is engaged in a rare, direct confrontation with regulators. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the primary anti-money laundering (AML) watchdog, has recently imposed heavy penalties on major exchanges like Upbit and Bithumb for alleged violations involving unregistered overseas VASPs and AML procedures. However, exchanges are now actively challenging these actions in court and through industry associations. In a significant shift, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of Upbit's operator, Dunamu, overturning part of an FIU-ordered business suspension. The court found the FIU's penalty criteria and justification insufficiently clear. Similarly, the court suspended the enforcement of a six-month business suspension against Bithumb pending a final ruling, citing potential irreversible harm to the exchange. Beyond legal battles, the industry is contesting proposed legislative amendments. The Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA) strongly opposes a draft rule that would mandate Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) for all crypto transfers over 10 million KRW (~$6,800). DAXA argues this "poison pill" clause violates legal principles and would overwhelm the STR system, increasing reports from 63,000 to an estimated 5.45 million annually for major exchanges, thereby crippling effective AML monitoring. This conflict highlights a structural tension in South Korea's crypto governance: comprehensive digital asset laws are still developing, while regulators rely heavily on AML enforcement. The industry's move from passive compliance to active legal and legislative challenges signifies a new phase, pressing for clearer rules and more proportionate enforcement. While short-term disputes may intensify, this clash could ultimately lead to a more mature and sustainable regulatory framework for South Korea's vibrant crypto market.

marsbit5 хв тому

South Korean Exchanges 'Battle' Regulators, Challenging the Boundaries of Enforcement and Legislation

marsbit5 хв тому

Earnings Report, CLARITY Bill, and Warsh's Arrival: CRCL Faces Three Major Tests This Week

Circle (CRCL) faces three major tests this week that will significantly impact its stock price and valuation. First, on May 11, it will release its Q1 2026 earnings. Key metrics to watch are overall revenue and EPS, the proportion of revenue paid to distributors like Coinbase, and growth in non-interest income. The market also awaits Circle's stance on renegotiating its revenue-sharing contract with Coinbase, which expires in August. Second, on May 14, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee will vote on the CLARITY Act. This bill aims to establish a clear federal regulatory framework for digital assets. A recent compromise proposal would ban yield on static stablecoin reserves but allow rewards for active ones. Its passage, currently seen as likely by prediction markets, would be a major positive for the industry and Circle. Finally, on May 15, Kevin Warsh will succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair. Warsh's proposed policy of quantitative tightening combined with interest rate cuts could pose a short-term headwind for CRCL, as lower rates reduce Circle's primary revenue from USDC reserves. However, long-term prospects may improve as Warsh, a known crypto investor who opposes a Fed CBDC, is seen as potentially favorable to regulated private stablecoins like USDC.

marsbit11 хв тому

Earnings Report, CLARITY Bill, and Warsh's Arrival: CRCL Faces Three Major Tests This Week

marsbit11 хв тому

After 50x Storage Surge, Justin Sun Always Looks to the Next Decade

Sun Yuchen, known for his controversial stunts like a $30 million lunch with Warren Buffett (canceled due to a kidney stone) and eating a $6.2 million duct-taped banana, is often overshadowed by a significant fact: his decade-long track record of spotting major investment trends. In 2016, he famously advised young people to invest in Bitcoin, Nvidia, Tesla, and Tencent instead of buying property. A hypothetical $20,000 investment in Nvidia and Tesla from that list would now be worth over 50 million RMB. His latest major call was on November 6, 2025, predicting a "50x storage opportunity" tied to the AI boom, which materialized with Sandisk's stock surging nearly 50-fold by 2026. Looking ahead, Sun now focuses on the next frontier: Physical AI. He identifies four key areas: 1. **Embodied AI/Robotics**: He sees this reaching its "iPhone moment," with companies like UBTech and Galaxy General leading in commercialization. 2. **Drones**: Viewed as the first commercially viable form of Physical AI, revolutionizing sectors from warfare (e.g., AeroVironment's Switchblade) to logistics. 3. **Spatial Computing**: Beyond VR, it's about AI understanding physical space, a foundational technology for robotics and autonomous systems, exemplified by Apple's Vision Pro. 4. **Space Exploration**: After a 2025 suborbital flight with Blue Origin, Sun advocates for space as the ultimate frontier, discussing blockchain's potential role in space asset management and data transactions. His investment philosophy involves betting on entire, inevitable trends rather than single companies. For robotics, he sees Tesla (the body/manufacturer) and Nvidia (the brain/AI platform) as complementary plays. In defense drones, he highlights companies making tanks obsolete (AeroVironment) and those augmenting fighter jets (Kratos). For space, he participated in Blue Origin's flight and anticipates SpaceX's potential IPO to redefine the sector's valuation. Sun Yuchen's vision frames the next two decades not as a revolution in information flow (like the internet), but in the fundamental operation of the physical world through AI-powered robots, autonomous systems, and spatial intelligence, ultimately extending human and AI activity into space. While many still focus on conventional assets, he continues to look toward the next technological horizon.

marsbit1 год тому

After 50x Storage Surge, Justin Sun Always Looks to the Next Decade

marsbit1 год тому

The Billionaires Behind the Most Expensive Midterm Election in History

"The Most Expensive Midterm Elections and Their Billionaire Backers" This analysis details the unprecedented scale of spending in the 2026 midterm elections, highlighting the key billionaire donors shaping the political landscape. Jeff Yass, founder of Susquehanna International Group, has contributed over $81 million, ranking third among individual donors behind George Soros ($102.6M) and Elon Musk ($84.8M). Yass is a major donor to Trump's MAGA Inc. and supports school choice and various candidates. Overall, federal committees have raised over $4.7 billion this cycle, with political ad spending projected to reach $10.8 billion. Republican-aligned groups are significantly out-raising their Democratic counterparts. "Dark money" from undisclosed sources continues to grow. The core stakes involve control of Congress and policy direction for Trump's final term. Donors are also motivated by specific issues: Sergey Brin and Chris Larsen are funding opposition to a proposed California wealth tax and supporting crypto-friendly policies. Other top donors include OpenAI's Greg Brockman and his wife Anna ($50M total to MAGA Inc. and an AI-focused PAC), Richard Uihlein ($45.3M to conservative causes), venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz (each over $44M to crypto/AI PACs and MAGA Inc.), Miriam Adelson ($42.6M to GOP leadership PACs), Paul Singer ($33.9M), and Diane Hendricks ($25.8M to MAGA Inc.). The article notes that the peak fundraising period is still ahead, with major primaries approaching.

marsbit1 год тому

The Billionaires Behind the Most Expensive Midterm Election in History

marsbit1 год тому

The Largest IPO in History Is Approaching, Surpassing SpaceX, 28 Years of AI Self-Iteration, Countdown to Intelligence Explosion

"Anthropic Nears Trillion-Dollar IPO, Fueled by Explosive Growth and 2028 'Intelligence Explosion' Warning Anthropic is considering a deal valuing the AI company near $1 trillion, potentially leading to one of the largest IPOs ever and surpassing SpaceX. Its revenue has skyrocketed, with Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) reaching $45 billion in May 2026—a 500% increase in just five months. This vertical growth curve is attributed to its key products, Claude Code and Cowork, dominating AI coding and enterprise collaboration. Beyond commercial success, co-founder Jack Clark issued a pivotal warning in an interview: there is a greater than 50% chance that by the end of 2028, AI systems will achieve recursive self-improvement—the ability to autonomously build a 'better version' of themselves, initiating an 'intelligence explosion.' This prophecy underpins the company's astronomical valuation, as the market prices in the potential for transformative and disruptive AI. Further signaling its ambition, Anthropic formed a $1.5 billion joint venture with Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, aiming to disrupt traditional consulting firms like McKinsey by deploying Claude AI for complex strategic work. This move tests AI's capacity to replace high-level cognitive labor, a precursor to its predicted autonomous evolution. The narrative presents a dual future: unprecedented economic opportunity alongside significant risks like economic restructuring and security threats. Anthropic's meteoric rise and Clark's 2028 prediction frame the coming years as a countdown to a potential technological singularity."

marsbit1 год тому

The Largest IPO in History Is Approaching, Surpassing SpaceX, 28 Years of AI Self-Iteration, Countdown to Intelligence Explosion

marsbit1 год тому

Торгівля

Спот

Ф'ючерси