MoonPay, a renowned provider of crypto infrastructure, has advanced significantly by investing $175 million in Helio, a blockchain-based payment network based on Solana. This strategic acquisition intends to strengthen MoonPay’s payment infrastructure, providing merchants and marketplaces with more efficient cryptocurrency transaction solutions.
Helio’s platform accepts major digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and USD Coin, letting companies accept cryptocurrency payments smoothly. Helio has a transaction history of over $1.5 billion and connections with platforms such as Discord, Shopify, and WooCommerce, making it a versatile tool for over 6,000 businesses.
Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO and co-founder of MoonPay, stressed the acquisition’s significance, calling it a watershed moment in the company’s vision for future payment solutions. “Helio’s expertise and technology enable us to deliver secure, scalable, and decentralized payment solutions that replace slow, costly methods,” he told me.
Helio’s CEO, Stijn Paumen, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, pointing out how it can expedite the acceptance of cryptocurrency payments and make transactions faster and more economical. Helio has touched millions of clients via its merchant network over the last three years, cementing its position as a market leader in cryptocurrency payment solutions.
This acquisition also builds on MoonPay’s recent regulatory compliance efforts. The EU’s Markets in Cryptoassets (MiCA) framework granted the company permission to operate as a licensed cryptocurrency business in the Netherlands. Soto-Wright regarded this breakthrough as critical for the cryptocurrency business, emphasizing its potential to improve global economic integration.
The move is consistent with MoonPay’s overall aim of innovating in decentralized finance and reflects a growing trend of crypto-related mergers and acquisitions. MoonPay’s integration of Helio into its ecosystem positions it to provide a comprehensive range of services, accelerating the expansion of crypto commerce and decentralized financial systems.