MoonPay acquires Helio for $175 million to expand cryptocurrency payments infrastructure

Cryptocurrency payments platform MoonPay has acquired blockchain payment processor Helio for $175 million, marking the beginning of what could be a series of… Strategic mergers In the digital assets space under the crypto-friendly Trump administration, FOX Business has learned.

The acquisition is privately held MoonPay’s largest to date and will expand its payments infrastructure by integrating Helio technology, which enables cryptocurrency transactions on some platforms. E-commerce Platforms like Shopify and Discord.

News of the deal was not reported.

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“By joining forces with MoonPay, we are excited to accelerate our mission and unleash the potential of cryptocurrencies by replacing slow and expensive merchant payments with fast, affordable, and decentralized solutions,” said Stijn Bomin, CEO and Co-Founder of Helio. Private company.

Last year, MoonPay signed partnerships with traditional payments giants PayPal and Venmo, allowing this Users to buy cryptocurrency Through these platforms.

The acquisition and partnerships underscore the growing influence of so-called decentralized finance (DeFi), which proponents believe could revolutionize traditional payment methods such as banks and credit cards by using blockchain — the underlying technology for digital assets — to settle transactions faster and cheaper.

“This acquisition is an important step in advancing our vision for the future of payments,” said Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO and co-founder of MoonPay. “Helio’s technology and expertise enhance our ability to deliver efficient, secure and scalable solutions for cryptocurrency trading, merchant infrastructure and marketplaces. By integrating MoonPay and Helio, we now offer the most comprehensive cross-chain payments product.”

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Industry observers say the deal is a harbinger of more to come. The trajectory of cryptocurrencies is expected to accelerate under these conditions President-elect Donald Trump After four years of stagnation under the Biden administration, which unleashed an industry-wide regulatory crackdown on the sector. The result has been American cryptocurrency companies moving offshore, preferring to do business in places like Europe and Asia where less stringent regulations have enabled their businesses to grow.

In exchange for votes and campaign donations, Trump promised to reduce regulations and make the United States the only country “The crypto capital of the planet.” His pro-business and innovation agenda is expected to spur renewed corporate M&A activity, particularly in media and banking, but may also extend to the $3.5 trillion cryptocurrency industry.