MoonPay Acquires Helio for $175 Million to Expand Crypto Payments

Crypto payments platform MoonPay has acquired Helio, a blockchain payment processor, for $175 million, marking a significant move to bolster its offerings in the Web3 ecosystem.

Helio announced the deal in a blog post on Jan. 13. Since its 2022 launch, the platform has attracted over 6,000 merchants and facilitated more than $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency transactions, according to the post. Helio offers a suite of tools for payment processing, subscription management, and API integrations.

With this acquisition, MoonPay aims to expand its footprint in Web3 payments, which have seen rapid adoption in decentralized applications and digital commerce. Helio’s infrastructure will allow MoonPay to streamline crypto payments and develop new tools for creators and businesses operating on the blockchain.

"Joining forces with MoonPay, we’re excited to accelerate our mission and unlock crypto’s potential by replacing slow, costly merchant payments with fast, affordable, and decentralized solutions," said Stijn Paumen, CEO and co-founder of Helio.

"This acquisition is an important step in advancing our vision for the future of payments," Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO and co-founder of MoonPay, echoed. "Helio’s technology and expertise strengthen our ability to deliver efficient, secure, and scalable solutions for crypto commerce, trading infrastructure, and marketplaces.”

MoonPay, an on- and off-ramp service enabling customers to purchase crypto assets using various traditional payment methods, recently received approval to operate as a licensed crypto business in the Netherlands under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations.