Connor Fitzgerald, the architect behind Stripe's stablecoin card program, has left the company. His exit comes amid ongoing expansion of Stripe’s regulated stablecoin payment services worldwide.

Fitzgerald joined Stripe shortly after its acquisition of Bridge, focusing on creating sponsor bank partnerships and integrating payment networks for global card issuance. In his own words, he helped build the stablecoin card program from the ground up, establishing a system that hadn’t existed before.

The efforts required navigating complex regulations and forming banking partnerships across multiple jurisdictions. This groundwork allowed Stripe to launch stablecoin products across more than 100 markets, scaling annual payment volumes into the tens of millions.

During Fitzgerald’s time, Stripe rolled out the first stablecoin settlement flow in the US and greatly expanded collaborations with payment networks supporting stablecoin cards.

Stripe acquired Bridge for about $1.1 billion to bolster its blockchain payment capabilities. The deal unlocked infrastructure for cross-border settlements and helped Stripe broaden its crypto payment offerings.

Recently, Bridge earned Markets in Crypto-Assets authorization and an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg. These licenses enable Bridge to serve all 27 EU member states with regulated stablecoin services under one framework. Businesses can now issue euro-backed stablecoins and generate virtual IBANs smoothly across Europe.

The regulatory approval also simplifies international euro transfers for fintech firms, allowing funds to move between subsidiaries via stablecoins instead of traditional banking corridors. This innovation may reshape how enterprises manage cross-border payments in the region.

Meanwhile, a partnership with Visa aims to extend stablecoin card services to over 100 countries, complementing Stripe’s global payment ambitions.

Despite losing a key leader, Stripe continues advancing its stablecoin strategy, reflecting growing institutional interest in blockchain-based payments methods.