Bakkt to acquire stablecoin payments firm DTR

Core Insights - Bakkt Holdings has agreed to acquire Distributed Technologies Research (DTR) in an all-stock transaction to enhance its programmable payments strategy [1] Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition involves Bakkt issuing Class A common shares equal to 31.5% of the "Bakkt Share Number," which translates to approximately 9.1 million shares for DTR's existing shareholders [2] - The final number of shares to be issued will be determined based on a methodology in the cooperation agreement and may change before the deal closes [3] - The acquisition aims to integrate DTR's stablecoin settlement infrastructure into Bakkt, accelerating the rollout of stablecoin services and reducing reliance on external providers [4] Group 2: Strategic Implications - The CEO of Bakkt, Akshay Naheta, emphasized that the acquisition will transform the company into a unified global financial infrastructure platform, enhancing capabilities for merchants, financial institutions, and end users [3][4] - The deal has been approved by a special committee of Bakkt's board and is subject to regulatory clearances and shareholder approval, with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) agreeing to vote in favor of the transaction [5] Group 3: Corporate Changes - Bakkt will change its corporate name to "Bakkt, Inc." effective from 22 January 2026, while continuing to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BKKT" [5][6] - An investor day is planned for 17 March 2026 at the New York Stock Exchange, with further details to be provided later [6]