Crypto payments firm MoonPay has acquired Meso Network in a strategic move aimed at bolstering its global financial infrastructure and competing with industry titans like Visa and Circle. This acquisition is integral to MoonPay’s mission of unifying traditional banking systems, card networks, stablecoins, and blockchain rails within a cohesive regulatory framework.
The acquisition, announced recently, is expected to significantly enhance MoonPay’s support capabilities for U.S. banking rails, including ACH and real-time payments. The company also aims to improve its developer integration tools, promoting easier access for developers across various platforms. MoonPay’s CEO, Ivan Soto-Wright, stressed the company’s commitment to making payments universally accessible, regardless of whether they are conducted in fiat or cryptocurrency. He stated, “We’re building the connective layer that lets money flow across any format, in any market.”
Key figures from Meso, co-founders Ali Aghareza and Ben Mills, will join MoonPay as Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Product, respectively. Both co-founders bring extensive experience in fintech, having previously held positions at PayPal’s Braintree and Venmo. Their involvement is anticipated to expedite MoonPay’s product expansion and enhance its service offerings for both developers and end-users in the financial ecosystem.
While the financial details of the deal have not been disclosed, this acquisition marks MoonPay’s fourth in 2025, adding to its previous deals with Helio, Iron, and Decent.xyz. Each of these acquisitions has been aimed at constructing a unified payments infrastructure.
In addition to enhancing its payment capabilities, MoonPay aspires to enable crypto transactions on e-commerce platforms, offer virtual bank accounts, and ultimately facilitate payments in various formats—including dollars, euros, or Bitcoin. Despite the challenges the company faced earlier this year, including a 10% workforce reduction due to rising operational costs, MoonPay reported profitability in 2024 and anticipates 2025 to be its strongest year yet in terms of earnings and cash flow.
The company is also reportedly in discussions for a new funding round that may elevate its valuation beyond the $3.4 billion mark established during its Series A funding in 2021.
The move aligns with a broader trend observed in the payments industry, where many companies are increasingly integrating cryptocurrency into their offerings. Earlier in the year, crypto payments platform Mesh launched an integration with Apple Pay, enabling merchants to accept crypto payments seamlessly. Additionally, global payments giant Stripe has announced its development of a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin tailored for businesses operating outside conventional markets, signaling a significant shift towards the acceptance of digital assets.
The discourse surrounding Bitcoin as a viable payment tool continues to grow, bolstered by influential figures like Jack Dorsey and David Marcus advocating for its utility beyond being merely a store of value. Alongside this, companies such as PayPal have jumped into the fray by releasing their own stablecoins, further driving the acceptance of digital currencies in mainstream financial transactions.
MoonPay’s strategic acquisition of Meso exemplifies the company’s dedication to leading the charge in the evolving landscape of crypto and traditional finance convergence.
