**Stripe Acquires Stablecoin Platform Bridge for $1.1 Billion**

Big news in the fintech world! Payment processing giant Stripe has reportedly acquired stablecoin platform Bridge in a massive $1.1 billion deal. According to TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington, the deal had been in the works since mid-October and was finalized on October 20.

This acquisition marks Stripe's largest to date, adding to its impressive $70 billion valuation as of July. Neither Stripe nor Bridge has commented on the deal yet.

Stripe recently started supporting global stablecoin payments and integrated Circle USD (USDC) into its main payments interface. Bridge, founded by ex-Coinbase execs Zach Abrams and Sean Yu, aims to rival SWIFT and credit cards with its stablecoin-based network. The firm has raised $58 million from top investors like Sequoia and Ribbit this year.

Stay tuned for more updates on this game-changing acquisition!