MoonPay acquires Helio in $175M deal to expand crypto payment services

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MoonPay, a company that facilitates the conversion of traditional money into cryptocurrencies, recently purchased Helio, a payment processor operating on the Solana blockchain, for approximately $175 million. This move aims to enhance MoonPay’s existing payment systems.

Helio, recognized for its cryptocurrency payment system, empowers businesses to receive payments using various digital currencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and USD Coins (USDC), in addition to traditional US dollars.

As stated in a recent announcement, this acquisition integrates Helio’s technology into MoonPay’s system, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of cryptocurrency transactions for both merchants and digital marketplaces, thus expanding MoonPay’s infrastructure.

Seven days prior to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20th, the agreement was finalized. This deal is anticipated to increase MoonPay’s transaction and marketplace activity.

Acquisition implications

Helio is extensively utilized across e-commerce, digital items, and recurring subscriptions, serving more than 6,000 businesses, and boasting a transactional record surpassing 1.5 billion dollars.

Through existing integrations with well-known platforms such as Discord, Shopify, and WooCommerce, Helio offers a seamless payment solution for businesses, developers, and customers. With its recent acquisition by MoonPay, Helio can now expand its offerings to provide an even more comprehensive payment solution.

According to Stijn Paumen, the co-founder and CEO of Helio, the company was established with a mission to simplify crypto transactions. Over the past three years, they have managed to serve millions of customers through partnering with various merchants.

After the acquisition, Paumen stated that MoonPay could now offer “speedy, budget-friendly, and decentralized payment options instead of the slow, expensive ones provided by merchants.

MoonPay MiCA approval

According to an announcement dated December 30, 2024, MoonPay has received approval to conduct its crypto business legally within the Netherlands, thanks to the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) legislation.

According to the announcement made by MoonPay, they have received a license from the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (DAFM), under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework.

ivan soto-wright, moonpay’s co-founder and ceo, described this as a “key milestone towards cementing the cryptocurrency sector’s position within the international economic landscape.

An anticipated acquisition

As a forward-thinking crypto investor in the year 2024, I was thrilled when MoonPay unveiled its innovative new payment solution – the MoonPay Balance. This game-changing tool allowed me to effortlessly store and manage my fiat balances within the MoonPay ecosystem. More than that, it served as a seamless bridge for engaging with decentralized finance interactions, streamlining my overall investment experience.

It’s said that by December 2024, MoonPay was apparently contemplating a takeover of Helio Pay at around $150 million, which is $25 million lower than the current agreement.

Acquiring Helio broadened MoonPay’s range of merchant services, strengthening its current clientele of approximately 20 million users across more than 160 nations as of December.

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2025-01-13 17:29