Klarna's Strategic Entry into Stablecoins and the Future of Cross-Border Payments

Klarna's entry into stablecoins is a masterstroke of timing and infrastructure. In November 2025, the company announced KlarnaUSD, its first stablecoin, built on Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain developed by Stripe and Paradigm according to BusinessWire. Tempo's design prioritizes high throughput and low fees, making it ideal for cross-border settlements. KlarnaUSD is also issued via Bridge, a Stripe subsidiary that handles compliance and reserve management according to BeInCrypto, allowing Klarna to sidestep the operational complexity of managing a stablecoin program independently.

This partnership is critical. Stripe's Open Issuance platform ensures KlarnaUSD is fully collateralized and compliant with regulatory frameworks, while Paradigm's expertise in blockchain infrastructure provides the technical backbone. By leveraging these partners, Klarna avoids the pitfalls that have plagued other stablecoin projects, such as governance issues or liquidity risks.

KlarnaUSD's competitive edge lies in its ability to address three pain points of traditional cross-border payments: speed, cost, and complexity.