Stripe Layout Stablecoin Payment: Full-Stack Infrastructure Construction Revelation

As the regulatory environment becomes more favorable and infrastructure improves, stablecoins are gradually becoming a core element of the new generation of payment networks. The recent strategic moves of payment industry giant Stripe are noteworthy—ranging from restarting crypto payments to acquiring Bridge and Privy, Stripe is building a full-stack solution for stablecoins that encompasses both front-end wallets and back-end settlement. This is not only a technological upgrade but also reflects Stripe's strategic layout for the future of programmable money. This move sends an important signal: the large-scale adoption of stablecoins is likely to be first driven by traditional tech giants like Stripe, rather than emerging from the crypto-native sector.

Stripe is steadily building a comprehensive stablecoin infrastructure. Its latest acquisition of the popular wallet infrastructure provider Privy is another important move for the company to re-enter the crypto space, driven by the potential explosive growth of stablecoins.

As a payment platform, Stripe's clients include half of the Fortune 100 companies and 78% of the Forbes AI 50 projects. In 2023, Stripe processed a total payment amount of $1.4 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 38%. Its revenue growth rate is seven times that of the S&P 500 constituent companies, demonstrating a strong influence in mainstream business. This is precisely the ideal driver for the adoption of stablecoins.

The acquisition of Privy closely follows Stripe's largest Bridge acquisition in history. These two transactions clearly convey one message: Stripe is committed to mastering the entire technology stack of "stablecoin native payments" and "programmable money."

Privy has brought tools to Stripe that optimize the user experience in the encrypted world, especially in terms of wallet usage. Developers can embed crypto wallets into applications through Privy’s SDK, allowing users to quickly create wallets in familiar ways, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for crypto products. Currently, Privy serves over 1,000 teams and 75 million accounts, processing billions of dollars in transaction volume.

For Stripe, Privy complements the previously acquired Bridge. Privy simplifies complex wallet infrastructure into plug-and-play components, working together with the stablecoin solutions provided by Bridge to build a complete stablecoin payment toolkit. Stripe can now offer services across the entire crypto stack — the front end is powered by Privy’s wallet tools, while the back end relies on Bridge to support stablecoin clearing and transfers.

Bridge provides three core services: transaction orchestration, stablecoin issuance, and cross-border remittances. Its value has been demonstrated in real-world applications: a space company used Bridge to remit income from Argentina back to the United States; Nigerian users paid for international subscription services through Bridge; and small to medium-sized enterprises in the United States accepted global stablecoin payments with the help of Bridge. Bridge's current "stablecoin financial account" has covered 101 countries and has partnered with an international payment network to launch the world's first stablecoin credit card issuance product.

Stripe has had a connection with cryptocurrency for ten years, going through multiple attempts and retreats. Early on, related businesses were suspended due to price volatility, immature infrastructure, and unclear regulations. However, the current shift in the U.S. government's attitude towards crypto assets, especially stablecoins, has created an opportunity for Stripe to re-enter the field.

In 2024, Stripe will restart cryptocurrency payments, supporting the reception of USDC through multiple blockchain networks. Its collaboration with a certain cryptocurrency exchange also enables support for cryptocurrency payments across more networks, providing a direct exchange channel between fiat currency and crypto assets.

As Privy takes charge of wallet infrastructure and Bridge provides stablecoin backend services, Stripe has gained comprehensive control over the "programmable money" tech stack. In the past, the adoption of stablecoins was often limited due to insufficient infrastructure, and Stripe is systematically eliminating these barriers.

Stripe's influence extends far beyond the crypto sphere, deeply serving mainstream businesses, e-commerce platforms, and enterprise software ecosystems. By integrating stablecoins as "an additional payment method," Stripe is expected to significantly advance their adoption in a market where crypto remains niche.

Essentially, Stripe is not just acquiring infrastructure, but is personally building a "programmable currency underlying network" that can be compatible with fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies, and AI applications. After years of cautious experimentation, Stripe's full-scale investment this time is expected to accelerate the transformation process of stablecoins from the crypto-native field to the global mainstream financial system.