Bridge and Privy Signal Stablecoin Mainstream
Kevin Kang, co-founder of Reap, on stablecoin-native business models in fintech
Stripe moving from crypto checkout into the infrastructure layer is a signal that stablecoins are becoming part of the mainstream payments stack, not a side experiment. Bridge gives Stripe the rails to move and hold dollar stablecoins, while Privy gives it the wallet layer that lets apps onboard users without asking them to manage keys. For Reap, that expands the pool of potential partners building on stablecoin-native workflows, especially in cross-border fintech and embedded finance.
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Bridge matters because it sits close to Reap's core problem, moving money across borders. Stripe announced the Bridge acquisition in October 2024 and completed it on February 4, 2025, then launched stablecoin financial accounts in 101 countries, showing it wants stablecoins inside its main product surface, not as a lab project.
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Privy matters for a different reason. It solves wallet creation and login, the messy user experience piece that keeps crypto products niche. When Stripe adds wallet infrastructure next to payment rails, it makes it easier for fintechs and apps to build stablecoin products that feel like normal software, which is exactly the kind of ecosystem expansion that helps an infrastructure player like Reap.
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Reap is positioned one layer lower and more geographically targeted. It focuses on money in motion for fintechs building in markets where Stripe or Airwallex can be harder to use directly, using stablecoins behind cards, payouts, and treasury flows. Stripe's entry validates the category, but it does not erase the need for specialized providers serving harder corridors and stablecoin-native ledgers.
The next phase is a fuller stablecoin stack, rails, wallets, accounts, cards, and programmable payouts bundled into one developer workflow. As large platforms normalize those building blocks, more regional fintechs and software companies will launch stablecoin features, and the winners will be the providers that become the default money movement layer underneath them.