Stripe stablecoin lead Connor Fitzgerald departs after global expansion

Fitzgerald joined Bridge shortly after Stripe finalized its $1.1 billion acquisition of the stablecoin platform. Tasked with building the program from the ground up, he navigated the complex regulatory landscape required to establish the first stablecoin card offerings backed by a sponsor bank. Under his guidance, the initiative grew from a nascent project into a system capable of managing tens of millions of dollars in annualized payment volume.

During his time at the helm, Fitzgerald facilitated critical alliances with major financial networks, including Visa, to support card issuance for fintech platforms and wallet providers. His work involved managing market-by-market regulatory requirements while simultaneously scaling the technical infrastructure necessary for global operations. Following his departure, Fitzgerald signaled that his future professional focus would remain in the blockchain sector, noting his belief that the next generation of global banking will be built natively onchain.

Stripe continues to integrate Bridge’s technology into its broader financial ecosystem, recently securing MiCA authorization and an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg. These regulatory gains allow the company to offer euro-backed stablecoin services across the European Union. As Stripe pushes forward with these efforts, it remains active in high-level industry maneuvers, including reported discussions regarding potential interest in PayPal, as the company seeks to further solidify its position in the evolving digital payments landscape.