Capital One has agreed to acquire fintech firm Brex in a deal valued at $5.15 billion, marking one of the largest fintech transactions in recent years and signaling the bank’s growing interest in stablecoin-based payments.
Key Takeaways:
- Capital One will acquire Brex for $5.15 billion, gaining its payments technology and stablecoin infrastructure.
- The deal strengthens Capital One’s push into business payments as competition from fintech firms intensifies.
- Growing regulatory clarity and market growth are driving banks to explore stablecoins for mainstream payments.
The US banking giant said on Thursday that the transaction will be structured as a combination of cash and stock and is expected to close in mid-2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
As part of the deal, Capital One will absorb Brex’s payments technology, including its stablecoin infrastructure.
Capital One Says Brex Deal Accelerates Push Into Business Payments
“Since our founding, we set out to build a payments company at the frontier of the technology revolution,” Capital One founder and CEO Richard Fairbank said in a statement.
He added that the acquisition would accelerate the bank’s push into business payments, an area where competition from fintech firms has intensified.
Brex, best known for its corporate cards and spend management tools, has increasingly positioned itself at the intersection of traditional finance and crypto.
In October, the company announced plans to become the first global corporate card provider to support native stablecoin payments, beginning with USDC.
That move placed Brex among a small but growing group of fintech firms experimenting with blockchain-based settlement for everyday business transactions.
Brex co-founder and CEO Pedro Franceschi said he would continue to lead the company following the acquisition.
Writing on X, Franceschi said the deal would allow both firms to move faster and invest more deeply, bringing expanded financial tools to businesses that remain underserved by traditional banks.
The acquisition comes as stablecoins draw renewed attention across Wall Street.
Following the passage of comprehensive US stablecoin legislation last year, major financial institutions have begun exploring how tokenized dollars could fit into payments, treasury management, and cross-border transfers.
According to CoinGecko, the total market capitalization of stablecoins has climbed 18.6% since the GENIUS Act was passed in July 2025, reaching a record $314 billion.
That growth has sharpened interest from banks seeking to modernize payment rails while staying within regulatory boundaries.
Stablecoin Transactions Hit $33 Trillion in 2025 as USDC Leads Usage
Global stablecoin transaction value reached $33 trillion in 2025, marking a 72% increase from the previous year, according to Bloomberg data compiled by Artemis Analytics.
USDC emerged as the most-used stablecoin by transaction volume, processing $18.3 trillion, while Tether’s USDT handled $13.3 trillion, despite maintaining its lead by market capitalization at $187 billion.
The surge in activity followed the passage of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, the first comprehensive U.S. regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.
Industry participants say the legislation has provided legal certainty that encouraged broader institutional and global adoption.
As reported, stablecoin usage on fintech platform Revolut also accelerated sharply in 2025, with payment volumes estimated to have climbed 156% year over year to roughly $10.5 billion, as digital dollars gain ground in everyday payments.
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