Paxos to Acquire Finnish E-Money Institution Membrane Finance

NEW YORK – November 19, 2024 - Paxos, the leading regulated blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, today announced it has agreed to acquire Membrane Finance (Membrane), an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) based and licensed in Finland. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. Upon completion of the acquisition, Paxos will be a fully licensed EMI in Finland and the EU.

Paxos issues trusted USD-backed stablecoins. These digital assets are available to retail and institutional users in various markets around the world. This acquisition will allow Paxos to expand its globally regulated platform to serve European customers in a safe and compliant way. Specifically, Paxos intends to make its portfolio of assets and tokenization solutions compliant with Markets in Crypto Asset (MiCA) regulations.

Walter Hessert, Head of Strategy at Paxos, commented, “Stablecoins offer a global solution to challenges that countless people and companies feel when it comes to money movement and payments. Stablecoins are becoming increasingly more prevalent throughout the market as more use cases emerge for everyday users. The Paxos platform offers the safest, most compliant stablecoins and stablecoin infrastructure globally. With Membrane, we expect to extend our reach to EU customers looking to benefit from stablecoins.”

Juha Viitala, CEO at Membrane, commented, “We’re excited about Membrane’s acquisition by Paxos, an organization widely recognized for its global leadership in regulatory compliance in the stablecoin space. This partnership is built on a shared belief in the transformative potential of tokenization. It’s a significant step forward in regulated stablecoins, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the development of a more inclusive and efficient global financial system.”

About Paxos

Paxos is the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure and tokenization platform. Its products are the foundation for a new, open financial system that can operate faster and more efficiently. Today, trillions of dollars are locked in inefficient, outdated financial plumbing that is inaccessible to millions of people. Paxos is replatforming the financial system to enable assets to instantaneously move anywhere in the world, at any time, in a trustworthy way.

Paxos partners with leading global enterprises to tokenize, custody and trade assets. Its blockchain solutions are used by leaders like PayPal, Interactive Brokers, Mastercard, Mercado Libre and Nubank. Paxos is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYDFS and is the issuer of numerous regulated digital assets including PayPal USD (PYUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP) and Pax Gold (PAXG). Its affiliate company Paxos International issues the yield-bearing regulated stablecoin Lift Dollar (USDL). Paxos Singapore is the issuer of Global Dollar (USDG), a USD-backed stablecoin that powers the Global Dollar Network and is compliant with the MAS upcoming stablecoin framework. Prudentially regulated by the NYDFS in the US, the MAS in Singapore and FSRA in Abu Dhabi Global Market, Paxos is a top-funded fintech company with more than $540 million raised from leading investors including Oak HC/FT, Declaration Partners, Founders Fund, Mithril Capital and PayPal Ventures.

Contact: press@paxos.com