MoonPay, one of the largest crypto onramps, has announced the acquisition of Helio, a Solana-focused payment processor, for $175 million. The acquisition will see Helio retain its brand identity and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of MoonPay, with its employees becoming shareholders. No layoffs have been disclosed as part of the deal.
Helio's Technology and Merchant Reach
Helio currently supports over 6,000 merchants and processes payments for millions of customers. It integrates Solana Pay with platforms such as Discord and Shopify. Stijn Paumen, CEO and co-founder of Helio, stated: 'By joining forces with MoonPay, we can accelerate our mission to replace slow, costly merchant payments with fast, affordable, and decentralized solutions.'
Strategic Rationale from MoonPay
Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO and co-founder of MoonPay, emphasized that Helio's technology strengthens MoonPay's ability to deliver efficient, secure, and scalable solutions for crypto commerce, trading infrastructure, and marketplaces. He noted that currently less than 10% of crypto holders actively use their assets for payments, presenting a huge opportunity to unlock the spending power of millions.
Market Context and Future Outlook
The acquisition comes just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on January 20. Markets anticipate pro-crypto policies from the new administration, including potential reductions in payment fees and broader adoption of crypto payments. Traditional payment and credit card fees are under increasing scrutiny, which could drive demand for crypto-based payment solutions. MoonPay's acquisition of Helio positions the company to capture the anticipated surge in crypto payment adoption.
Analysts see this move as part of MoonPay's broader strategy to build a comprehensive crypto financial infrastructure, extending its reach from onramp services to merchant payment processing. Helio's Solana expertise will help MoonPay improve transaction speed and cost-efficiency, attracting mainstream merchants to accept cryptocurrencies.