Stripe has acquired Bridge for $1.1 billion, marking its largest acquisition to date as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the stablecoin market. With this acquisition, Stripe gains the ability to process stablecoin payments, which are tied to real-world assets such as the U.S. Dollar. By incorporating Bridge's technology, Stripe aims to enhance its global money transfer operations, potentially cutting costs and improving transaction efficiency. The decision to venture into stablecoins was fueled by a meeting with Wally Adeyemo, leading to the acquisition and a renewed emphasis on cryptocurrency payments.