Stripe and Advent International have submitted a joint proposal to acquire PayPal for more than $53 billion. The offer values PayPal at $60.50 per share, giving shareholders a premium of about 28% compared with PayPal’s closing share price on July 14. The proposal is supported by nearly $50 billion in committed bank financing, according to people familiar with the matter.
The proposed acquisition would bring together Stripe’s payment technology and PayPal’s large global payments network. While Stripe has become a major platform for online businesses and developers, PayPal has built a strong presence among consumers and merchants through services such as Venmo and Braintree.
The offer comes as PayPal continues to navigate a challenging period. The company has faced slower growth, increasing competition, and major changes in the digital payments market. Rival services, including Apple Pay and Google Wallet, have gained popularity, creating additional pressure on traditional payment companies.
PayPal’s market value has fallen significantly from its peak of nearly $360 billion in July 2021. Before the takeover offer emerged, the company’s market capitalization had declined to around $42 billion.
This is not the first time Stripe’s interest in PayPal has been reported. Earlier this year, reports suggested that Stripe was exploring a possible acquisition of all or parts of PayPal. At the time, PayPal said it was not engaged in active discussions with Stripe or any other company regarding a potential sale.
If completed, the transaction would become one of the largest deals in the fintech industry. The combined company would bring together Stripe’s payment infrastructure, which supports online businesses worldwide, with PayPal’s extensive consumer and merchant ecosystem. PayPal currently processes around $1.8 trillion in annual payment volume.
Both companies are also expanding into newer areas of digital finance. Stripe has been investing in stablecoin payments and blockchain-based financial infrastructure, while PayPal has continued developing its PYUSD stablecoin to support faster and more affordable digital transactions.
The deal could face regulatory scrutiny because of the size and influence of the combined payments business. Authorities have previously raised concerns about competition in the online payments sector, including warnings from the Federal Trade Commission about possible anti-competitive practices.
Stripe, Advent International, and PayPal have not publicly commented on the proposal. The next steps will depend on PayPal’s response and whether the company decides to move forward with discussions, seek other offers, or reject the bid.
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