Stripe is expanding its stablecoin card programs to over 100 countries by the end of 2026, capitalizing on a surge in stablecoin card spending which reached $1.2 billion in September 2026. To lead this global push, Stripe has appointed Henri Stern, the co-founder and CEO of recently acquired wallet startup Privy, to oversee its unified crypto and stablecoin division. Stern will manage an open developer platform integrating Stripe's card network with Privy's wallets and Bridge's orchestration infrastructure.
Stripe's stablecoin card initiatives
- ▪Stripe's stablecoin card programs are currently utilized by partners including cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, fintech firm Ramp, and payments application Morse.
- ▪Stripe's stablecoin card offering combines its existing card issuing business, which has distributed over 400 million cards since 2018, with Bridge's stablecoin infrastructure.
- ▪Stripe plans to expand its stablecoin card programs to more than 100 countries by the end of 2026.
Bridge partnerships and expansion
- ▪Stripe acquired the stablecoin orchestration platform Bridge for $1.1 billion in 2024.
- ▪In March 2026, Visa announced an expanded partnership with Bridge to extend a global stablecoin-linked card program to over 100 countries.
Growth of the stablecoin market
- ▪Monthly spending on stablecoin card programs reached approximately $1.2 billion in September 2026, tripling in volume compared to September 2025, according to PaymentScan.
- ▪The total value of the digital dollar stablecoin market exceeds $300 billion, according to PaymentScan analytics.
Stripe's acquisition and integration of Privy
- ▪Privy's embedded wallet platform supports over 160 million accounts and processes billions in monthly volume for more than 2,000 developers and businesses.
- ▪On October 5, 2026, Henri Stern, co-founder and CEO of digital asset wallet infrastructure firm Privy, announced he will continue as Privy's CEO while leading Stripe's cryptocurrency and stablecoin initiatives.
- ▪Stripe acquired the crypto wallet infrastructure startup Privy in 2025, with the deal announced in mid-June and closed around July 2025.
Stripe's cryptocurrency strategy
- ▪Stripe is currently investigating tokenized bank deposits and decentralized finance applications to expand its digital asset capabilities.
- ▪Stripe aims to build an open, modular, and cohesive developer platform that remains completely stablecoin and blockchain agnostic.
Open Standard developments
- ▪Stripe is a founding investor in Open Standard, the developer of the Open USD stablecoin, which joined Stripe's financial infrastructure on September 30, 2026.
- ▪Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams recently transitioned to leading the stablecoin developer Open Standard on a full-time basis.
Debatable claims
- ▪Stripe is right to prioritize stablecoins over other digital assets
- ▪Routing stablecoins through traditional card networks defeats the purpose of blockchain payments
- ▪Stablecoins are a viable alternative to traditional fiat for everyday payments
- ▪Stripe's consolidation of crypto infrastructure threatens the decentralized ethos of Web3
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