PayPal Told Stripe Its $53B Was Too Low and Visa Launched a Competing Stablecoin Platform 4 Days Earlier

• PayPal Stripe acquisition talks continue as the board rejected the $53B offer as too low on July 20, pushing for $70 per share with Q2 earnings on July 28 as its next leverage point
• Stripe is not bidding for PayPal’s shares but for PYUSD’s 70-market stablecoin footprint and 439 million accounts
• Visa launched a competing stablecoin platform four days before the rejection and the window for Stripe to own the consumer layer is closing faster than the calendar suggests.

PayPal’s board has rejected a $53B takeover offer initiated by Stripe and Advent, calling the $60.50 per share bid inadequate and pushing for a higher price. The board has hired Goldman Sachs and Evercore to evaluate strategic options including a potential sale or remaining independent. The PayPal Stripe deal encompasses more than PayPal’s 439M user base but is bidding on the PYUSD stablecoin, a network that those accounts actively represent.

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Why Stripe Won’t Walk Away From PayPal’s 439 Million Accounts and PYUSD’s 70-Market Stablecoin Network

The PayPal Stripe acquisition remains active, with the board pushing for closer to $70 per share after rejecting Stripe and Advent’s $60.50 offer. Stripe was aiming to secure not just PayPal’s user base but the PYUSD stablecoin network, and analysts broadly expect the consortium to return with a higher offer rather than walk away. The board has hired Goldman Sachs and Evercore to lead the search for strategic options. If this acquisition closes, it would mark Stripe’s entry into stablecoin payments and AI commerce networks at consumer scale.

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Visa’s New Stablecoin Platform Emerges As Capable Competitor 

Visa has also confirmed its stablecoin platform launch, increasing the market competition. Visa released this official statement on the topic:

“Stablecoins are opening up a new layer of programmable money, but for most institutions the hard part isn’t the concept; it’s the operational reality. With the Visa Stablecoin Platform, we’re giving our clients a single place to mint, move, and manage stablecoin operations with the controls, security, and network reach they already expect from Visa. It’s how we help them turn interest in stablecoin payments into real products and real payment flows,” said Jack Forestell, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Visa. 

This development adds competitive pressure on Stripe. If Stripe does not secure a large consumer stablecoin footprint soon, Visa’s institutional network could become the dominant alternative. As stablecoin payments grow across commercial channels, the urgency to acquire an established network like PYUSD increases. Analysts still expect Stripe to return with a higher offer.

PayPal stock was up 0.56% on the day of the rejection, and there are reports claiming the board is seeking a higher price have kept PayPal stock in focus, with investors watching for a renewed acquisition offer.

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