A significant acquisition has been announced as MoonPay has acquired Meso, representing a pivotal step in its ambition to establish a global payments network. This network aims to seamlessly connect banks, card networks, stablecoins, and blockchains within a cohesive regulatory framework.
As part of the agreement, Meso’s co-founders, Ali Aghareza and Ben Mills, will join MoonPay. Aghareza, who serves as Meso’s chief technology officer, will maintain that position at MoonPay. He has a notable history in the payments landscape as a member of the original engineering team at Braintree, a company later acquired by PayPal, where he eventually took on the lead engineering role.
Mills, who also boasts a background with Braintree, will step into the role of senior vice president of product at MoonPay, where he will oversee the company’s global product organization. His experience includes leading product initiatives for Venmo at PayPal and holding leadership positions at Thinkful and Chegg, the latter of which adopted Thinkful in 2019.
Ivan Soto-Wright, co-founder and CEO of MoonPay, stated that this acquisition marks a transformative moment for the company. He emphasized MoonPay’s commitment to creating trusted pathways that have welcomed millions into the world of cryptocurrency. Soto-Wright articulated a vision of building a comprehensive network that facilitates money movement across various markets and financial instruments. He highlighted Aghareza and Mills’ extensive experience at Braintree, Venmo, and PayPal as essential to realizing this vision.
The acquisition of Meso is the latest in a series of strategic acquisitions made by MoonPay in 2025. Earlier this year, the company acquired Helio, a cryptocurrency payment processor that supports Solana and other blockchain technologies. In March, it further expanded its capabilities by acquiring Iron, a firm specializing in application programming interfaces for enterprises, markets, merchants, FinTechs, and payment processors.
In broader cryptocurrency news, insights were shared by Liat Shetret, the vice president of global policy and regulation at blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. She discussed the recent collaboration between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regarding regulatory oversight. Shetret described this moment as “almost a healing moment,” offering a chance to restore confidence in the cryptocurrency industry and among innovators in the U.S.
She noted a trend where U.S.-based crypto businesses previously sought out regulatory environments in jurisdictions outside the U.S., such as Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, in search of clearer regulations. However, she indicated a shift, expressing optimism about the renewed potential for innovation within the United States as regulatory clarity begins to take form.
