Stablecoin issuer Paxos to acquire wallet startup Fordefi for more than $100 million

Core Insights - Paxos is expanding its presence in the DeFi sector by acquiring Fordefi, a startup focused on digital asset storage, for over $100 million [1][3] - The acquisition reflects growing demand from Paxos' clients for access to DeFi services, which were previously considered risky by larger companies [3][4] - Paxos has established itself as a significant player in the stablecoin market, issuing PayPal's stablecoin with a market capitalization exceeding $3.6 billion [2] Company Developments - The acquisition of Fordefi, which specializes in crypto wallets for DeFi, indicates a strategic move to enhance Paxos' offerings in response to client demand [3][6] - Fordefi, founded in 2021, has around 40 employees and serves approximately 300 clients, with a valuation of $83 million from its last fundraising round [6] - This marks Paxos' second acquisition in the past year, following the purchase of Membrane Finance, which helped the company comply with the EU's MiCA regulations [7] Industry Trends - The DeFi sector, while considered risky, is attracting interest from large corporations, as evidenced by Coinbase's recent feature allowing customers to borrow from DeFi networks [5] - Financial institutions are beginning to tokenize money-market funds, signaling a potential increase in institutional participation in decentralized finance [5]