SEBASTIAN SIEMIATKOWSKI
FINANCIAL STRATEGY
Stripe and Klarna deepen payments partnership KlarnaUSD runs on Open Issuance, the stablecoin platform built by Bridge after Stripe acquired the company. The system lets Klarna issue dollardenominated tokens that hold a fixed exchange rate with US currency. The full mainnet launch is scheduled for 2026, after Klarna completes its current testing phase. Tempo gives Klarna early access to its infrastructure, which means the buy-now-pay-later provider can test transaction speeds, costs and security without exposing the system to live consumer transactions. This testnet phase will determine how KlarnaUSD performs before Klarna opens it up to merchants and customers. Klarna and Stripe have worked together since 2021, when they struck a deal to handle payment processing across Klarna’ s markets. That relationship has deepened over time, bringing Klarna’ s instalment payment services to merchants in 25 countries through Stripe’ s infrastructure. Merchants using Stripe can now offer Klarna’ s payment options without building separate integrations and the two companies handle payment processing across all 26 of Klarna’ s operating markets. The stablecoin project extends this partnership into blockchain territory, with Klarna choosing Stripe’ s platform over other options as its entry point into cryptocurrency markets.
SEBASTIAN SIEMIATKOWSKI
TITLE: CO-FOUNDER AND CEO COMPANY: KLARNA
INDUSTRY: FINTECH / FINANCIAL SERVICES
LOCATION: SWEDEN
Sebastian is a Swedish entrepreneur who co-founded Klarna in 2005 at age 23 after meeting Co-Founder Niklas Adalberth while working at Burger King, transforming the company into Europe’ s largest buy-now-pay-later provider.
74 July 2026