GuShiio.com Swedish fintech giant Klarna is about to integrate Crypto assets into its services, signaling a strategic transformation for the global buy-first-pay-later (BNPL) leader.
Swedish fintech giant Klarna is about to integrate Crypto assets into its services, signaling a strategic transformation for the global buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) leader.
It is reported that the company plans to launch an initial public offering (1PO) in the United States later this year.
On February 8, CEO Sebastian Siematkowski confirmed the company’s plans to enter the Crypto asset market.
According to him, the company may be one of the last large fintech companies to take the move, but it is a milestone in itself.
He said,”Klarna and I will embrace Crypto assets and there are more moves to come. All Crypto fans, tell me what we should do with it? We have 85 million users, 100 billion transaction volume, and more than 500,000 merchants worldwide. About 30% of transactions are debit cards rather than credit cards, totaling more than 1 million cards.”
Although the company is willing to explore various Crypto asset integration strategies, Siematkowski also welcomes industry feedback to improve Klarna’s approach. However, he denied the possibility of providing BNPL services for Crypto asset purchases.
In response, community members suggested that the company could use stablecoins to provide users with more flexibility in settling digital transactions.
Industry stakeholders compared the company to PayPal, which launched its own stablecoin, and suggested Klarna could take a similar approach. Others suggest integrating existing stablecoins to improve transaction efficiency.
Nikhil Chandhok, chief product and technology officer at stablecoin issuer Circle, said,”You can use stablecoin to settle with merchants, probably faster than it is now.”
In addition, community members suggested blockchain networks and DeFi protocols (including Aave, Solana and XRPL) as potential infrastructure partners.
Siematkowski acknowledged the legitimacy of the recommendations and noted that regulatory compliance remains a top priority.
He also highlighted that the fintech industry’s perception of Crypto assets is changing, and he acknowledged that compliance with regulations is now seen as a competitive advantage. This view is in sharp contrast to the dominance of skepticism in previous years.
Siematkowski said,”Regardless, what’s interesting is that many people emphasize fully compliant advice as a key advantage. This is a big change compared to a few years ago.”
At the same time, Klarna is reportedly preparing to conduct a 1PO in the United States, with a target valuation of up to $15 billion. If successful, it will become one of the largest listings this year.
Since its establishment in 2005, Klarna has expanded rapidly, serving more than 85 million users and 500,000 merchants. According to statistics, it is currently the world’s largest BNPL service provider.
