PayPal is back in play. The online-payments pioneer has resumed negotiations to sell itself to a consortium led by Stripe and private-equity firm Advent International, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday — a month after rejecting a takeover proposal worth more than $53 billion.

The July offer — $60.50 per share, a premium of roughly 28% over the stock's price at the time — was dismissed by PayPal's board as inadequate, and several analysts openly called it a lowball bid. But discussions have continued, and the Journal said a deal 'could come together in the coming weeks,' while cautioning that there are no guarantees.

The renewed talks come with PayPal near historic lows. A company once valued at $280 billion, with shares above $300 in 2021, was worth only about $40 billion when the July offer arrived — a fall of roughly 85%. On Friday, shares climbed 1.8% to $61.66 on the news, putting PayPal's market value near $54 billion.

For Stripe, the acquisition would be transformative. The two are the most recognizable names in online payments, and a combined company would command an enormous share of the market for digital commerce infrastructure. Stripe is simultaneously finalizing its purchase of AI gateway OpenRouter for more than $7 billion — a reminder that the payments giant is assembling an ever-wider stack of services.

Neither company has commented officially; Stripe told TechCrunch it does not comment on 'rumors or speculation.' A deal on this scale would rank among the largest fintech acquisitions ever, but analysts caution that the final price — and antitrust scrutiny — remain open questions.

Sources