In a significant move aimed at enhancing its global presence, MoonPay has announced the acquisition of crypto payments startup Meso. This strategic acquisition is designed to bolster MoonPay’s vision of establishing a comprehensive worldwide payments network that will integrate banks, card systems, stablecoins, and blockchains within regulatory guidelines. By doing so, MoonPay seeks to solidify its position as a prominent player in both the U.S. and European markets.
As part of the acquisition, Meso’s Co-Founders, Ali Aghareza and Ben Mills, will join MoonPay’s leadership team. Aghareza is set to take on the role of Chief Technology Officer, while Mills assumes the position of Senior Vice President of Product. Their backgrounds, which include expertise from notable companies such as Braintree, PayPal, and Venmo, are expected to significantly enhance MoonPay’s technological infrastructure and product offerings. CEO and Co-Founder, Soto-Wright, expressed optimism regarding this transition, noting, “Their experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow globally.”
This acquisition represents the fourth strategic buy-in for MoonPay in 2025, following earlier transactions involving Helio, a payments processor; Iron, a stablecoin firm; and Decent.xyz, an on-chain payment tool. Each of these acquisitions has played a pivotal role in diversifying MoonPay’s range of services, enabling the company to support a variety of payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile transactions. Soto-Wright highlighted the overarching goal of the organization, stating, “We want to make it easy to pay with anything, from dollars to Bitcoin.”
Through Meso’s integration, MoonPay plans to enhance its banking support in the U.S. and upgrade its developer tools, ultimately improving the overall user experience in crypto payments. Established in 2019, MoonPay reached a valuation of $3.4 billion after raising $555 million in funding during 2021. Despite facing challenges such as recent layoffs, the company has remained profitable and continues its trajectory of growth. Reports indicate that MoonPay is in discussions for a new funding round, which could further increase its valuation in the future.
As MoonPay continues to solidify its foundation in the crypto and Web3 payment ecosystems, this latest acquisition reinforces its commitment to creating seamless transaction experiences across global markets.
