Stripe Hits Record $159B Valuation 💳

Happy Wednesday! Stripe hit a $159 billion valuation while processing nearly 2% of global GDP. Now, the firm is building a framework for AI agents to manage commerce.

This move toward agentic checkouts allows software to buy goods without human help. Is your brand ready to sell to autonomous machines?

In today’s MarketMaze focus:

+Handpicked recent news you need to know

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- Artur Stańczuk, MarketMaze Founder

The Maze: Stripe reached a record $159 billion valuation following a massive year where its annual payment volume surged 34% to $1.9 trillion. The fintech giant now processes roughly 1.6% of the entire global GDP according to its 2025 update.

Why it matters: Stripe is moving beyond simple payment processing to build the foundational infrastructure for AI-driven trade and programmable money. This shift allows brands to capture revenue from autonomous agents rather than just human shoppers.

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The Maze: Mercado Libre recorded a 45% revenue jump in the fourth quarter as the Latin American giant aggressively integrates artificial intelligence across its entire commerce ecosystem to drive efficiency.

Why it matters: Mercado Libre proves that AI provides a high-margin lever for scaling operations and driving conversion. This shift forces competitors to automate or risk losing the efficiency war in emerging markets.

61% of marketers say this is the biggest marketing shift in decades.

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The Maze: Anthropic makes embedding Claude directly into Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Slack easy for enterprise users. The system allows executing complex tasks while maintaining context across different applications.

Why it matters: Integrating AI into the native operational layer allows analyzing GMV trends or marketing spend directly within existing spreadsheets. This reduces the friction between insight and action.

The Maze: High intent commands a premium. ChatGPT ads price above most digital channels because they sit inside decision making, not scrolling. Early pricing signals CPMs well above social norms. Measurement remains limited, pushing early adoption toward brand budgets. Trust is the real constraint since intrusive ads break the helper relationship.

Why it matters: This is upstream influence, not last click. Ecommerce brands that understand intent led media will shape this channel early.

The Maze: $33.2B revenue but slowing momentum. PayPal grew to 33.2B in 2025, yet YoY growth cooled to 4.3%, down from 8.2% in 2023 and 6.8% in 2024. The business is scaling, but the slope is flattening as competition intensifies.

Why it matters: Payments is infrastructure. When growth slows, leverage shrinks. Ecommerce platforms tied to checkout must innovate or risk becoming utilities.

🇪🇺 The European Union suspended its trade agreement with the U.S., seeking clarity after President Trump signed a global tariff order that bypassed previous court rulings.

🇺🇸 Texas filed a lawsuit against Shein, alleging the fast-fashion giant knowingly sold products with toxic chemicals and compromised Texan consumer data.

🇺🇸 Goimagine announced it will shut down in March, citing an inability to scale buyer traffic in an eCommerce market dominated by global tech giants.

🇺🇸 Google was sued in a class-action lawsuit for allegedly violating national security by transmitting user browsing data to Chinese-affiliated partners like ByteDance and Temu.

🇺🇸 Home Depot is pivoting its focus toward professional B2B clients, who now account for nearly 50% of revenue as the residential DIY market faces a slowdown.

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