Capital One’s $5.15B Brex Acquisition to Integrate USDC Payments, Signaling Major Fintech-Banking Convergence
Capital One Financial Corp. has agreed to acquire fintech pioneer Brex Inc. in a $5.15 billion stock-and-cash deal, marking one of the largest banking-fintech mergers this year. The acquisition positions Capital One to challenge legacy payment processors with Brex's AI-driven corporate finance tools.
Brex will operate as a standalone unit under CEO Pedro Franceschi, with plans to integrate USDC stablecoin payments post-close. The deal's 50/50 cash-stock structure reflects cautious Optimism amid regulatory scrutiny of bank-fintech tie-ups.
For Capital One, the MOVE accelerates its push into software-defined business banking. Brex's expense management platform—used by startups like DoorDash and Airbnb—complements Capital One's commercial lending operations.