Stripe is making big moves! It’s raising private funding with Advent and acquiring PayPal for $53 billion, calling for $60.5 per share

Stripe is making a move! In an exclusive report by Reuters, Stripe is teaming up with private equity giant Advent International to jointly bid for former payments leader PayPal at $60.50 per share, valuing the deal at more than $53 billion, a premium of about 28% to PayPal. Behind the offer is also around $50 billion in bank-backed financing support. The acquisition rumors that first surfaced back in February this year have now turned into a formal offer on paper. PayPal has not responded yet, but the stock surged by nearly 15% in pre-market trading at one point.
(Background recap: Economic Times: PayPal has not held acquisition talks with Stripe; “structural challenges still remain,” and PYPL’s rally was sharply halted)
(Background addition: The biggest acquisition in crypto history! Payments giant Stripe splurged $1.1 billion to buy the stablecoin platform Bridge)

Key summary

• Reuters exclusive on 7/15: Stripe, together with private equity Advent International, has offered $60.50 per share to acquire PayPal, valuing the company at more than $53 billion
• The bid represents a premium of about 28% to PayPal’s Tuesday closing price, backed by around $50 billion in bank financing, with both companies holding half the equity each
• Over the past year, PayPal’s market value has eroded by more than 40%, and it once fell to around $36 billion; after the news broke, the stock surged by nearly 15% in pre-market trading

In an exclusive report on July 15, Reuters said payments startup leader Stripe has pulled in private equity powerhouse Advent International to submit a joint acquisition proposal to former payments leader PayPal. Stripe is offering $60.50 per share, lifting PayPal’s overall valuation to more than $53 billion—about a 28% premium to PayPal’s Tuesday closing price. Behind the deal is also around $50 billion in bank-backed financing commitments.

A payments star that still hasn’t even gone public yet teams up with a private equity fund to swallow a long-established listed giant—just this combination alone was enough to make Wall Street sit up straight. According to the proposal, Stripe and Advent plan to each hold half of the equity and jointly own PayPal, while for the time being they are not planning to split up and sell PayPal’s businesses. This engagement actually began in early April, with a formal bid only submitted earlier in July. PayPal has not yet provided a response, and the buyers are hoping to push the negotiations forward in the coming weeks. Of course, whether a deal of this scale can truly be completed still has many variables.

How did a former giant end up being acquired?

The targeted PayPal hasn’t had an easy time these past few years. Growth has slowed, and the digital payments space has turned into a red ocean. Over the past 12 months, PayPal’s market value has fallen by more than 40%, and in 2026 it once dipped to only about $36 billion. In other words, this $53 billion offer is a premium number shareholders can hardly ignore—and no wonder that once the news hit, PayPal’s stock surged by nearly 15% in pre-market trading at one point.

In fact, this isn’t the first time rumors of an acquisition have surfaced. Back in February this year, the market had already reported that Stripe was interested in acquiring PayPal. At that time, PayPal stepped forward to clarify that “no negotiations” had been initiated and pointed out that “structural challenges still remain” between the two sides, and PYPL’s rally was immediately cut short. Six months later, this time the rumor has turned into a formal offer in black and white. Here are the key terms of the proposal:

• Buyer: Stripe and private equity Advent International place a joint bid; after the transaction, each will hold half the equity
• Offer: $60.50 per share, total valuation above $53 billion, about a 28% premium
• Financing: backed by around $50 billion in bank financing commitments
• Progress: initial contact in early April, formal offer in July; PayPal has not responded

At the root of this merger is a stablecoin battle

For BlockTempo readers, the real highlight of this deal is stablecoins. Stripe has gone all out over the past two years to build crypto payments. In 2024, it splurged $1.1 billion to acquire stablecoin infrastructure Bridge, and in 2025 it acquired crypto wallet provider Privy, while also developing its own Tempo chain. PayPal, on the other hand, has its own stablecoin PYUSD, which has already been expanded to 70 countries worldwide, and it has also tied itself to dedicated chains such as Stablechain.

On one side is Stripe, which is focused on building its own stablecoin empire from the ground up. On the other is PayPal, which already sits on a ready-to-use PYUSD user base. If the acquisition talks truly succeed, it would mean putting two stablecoin deployment plans into the same pocket—whose significance for the overall payments and stablecoin battle far exceeds just swapping out the boss.

Frequently asked questions

Is Stripe really planning to acquire PayPal?

According to Reuters, Stripe has teamed up with private equity Advent International to submit to PayPal a joint acquisition proposal of $60.50 per share, valuing the deal at more than $53 billion, a premium of about 28%. But PayPal has not responded yet, and the transaction is still in an early stage, with no guarantee that it will be finalized.

What does Stripe’s acquisition of PayPal have to do with stablecoins?

Both companies are heavily betting on stablecoins. In 2024, Stripe spent $1.1 billion to acquire stablecoin infrastructure Bridge and developed its own Tempo chain. PayPal has its own stablecoin PYUSD, which has expanded to 70 countries worldwide. If the acquisition goes through, it means integrating two stablecoin deployment plans.