Buy now, pay later giant Klarna is working towards cryptocurrency integration ahead of an anticipated IPO in April this year.
The news was previewed by Klarna chief Sebastian Siemiatowksi in a post on X, where he also asked for ideas about how best to use it:
The move comes amid a boom in the cryptocurrency industry in the wake of Donald Trump's elevation to the White House. The frenzy generated by Trump's second coming saw bitcoin surge above the $100,000 high water mark, with Standard Chartered foreasting a $500,000 price tag within the next three years.
Siemiatowksi says he has been inundated with suggestions following his initial post, with many in the industry urging a compliance-first approach. While some suggested simply adding Bitcoin to the balance sheet, others wanted to see crypto as a payment option, enabling merchants to accept payments through Klarna’s platform, and enhancing the Klarna mobile app with a built-in crypto wallet feature.