"Last week marked the end of an incredible journey," wrote Connor Fitzgerald on X, reflecting on his final days at Stripe and its stablecoin infrastructure arm Bridge. He joined shortly after Stripe acquired Bridge, stepping into a role that required building a stablecoin card program with a genuine sponsor bank from scratch. Over his tenure, Fitzgerald helped take the initiative from zero to operations spanning over 100 markets worldwide.
Fitzgerald’s work was centered on establishing essential partnerships with banks and card networks a task that involved navigating complex regulatory and operational challenges unique to each region. This foundation allowed Stripe’s stablecoin card program to launch smoothly and scale globally, introducing the first stablecoin settlement methods in the US and rapidly growing annual payment volumes into the tens of millions of dollars. His efforts reflected a broader movement by Stripe to expand their regulated stablecoin payment infrastructure.
As head of partnerships, Fitzgerald worked closely with financial giants like Visa, fostering collaborations that enabled stablecoin-backed card issuances for fintech companies and wallet providers. His departure coincides with Stripe’s continued push into blockchain-based payment solutions following its $1.1 billion acquisition of Bridge. This acquisition boosted Stripe’s capacity to build innovative stablecoin payment products and enhance regulated infrastructure for global payments.
Fitzgerald expressed gratitude for his time at Stripe, highlighting the talented fintech professionals he worked alongside and the insight into how Stripe operates at scale. His exit marks a transition phase for Stripe’s stablecoin initiatives, which remain a critical part of its strategy to reshape digital payments through blockchain technology.
