BNPL is Not Enough, So Klarna Launches a Coin: KlarnaUSD Stablecoin

Klarna Group plc KLAR has introduced KlarnaUSD, its very first stablecoin, a digital token pegged to the U.S. dollar. This marks its serious entry into the crypto payments space. Built on Tempo, a blockchain co-developed by Stripe and Paradigm, KlarnaUSD is currently live on the testnet and is expected to launch on Tempo’s mainnet in 2026.

Klarna is using Open Issuance by Bridge, a Stripe-owned infrastructure, to mint and handle this stablecoin. This move is important because it lays the foundation for Klarna to lower the costs of cross-border payments. By using its own stablecoin, KLAR can bypass expensive legacy systems. Cross-border payments generate around $120 billion transaction fees per annum. With 114 million users and $112 billion in annual gross merchandise volume, Klarna believes it has the scale to reshape payments worldwide.

Financially, this could be a game-changer for Klarna. If KlarnaUSD catches on, the company stands to cut operational costs significantly, improve cash flow, and create a new revenue stream through crypto rails. It also diversifies Klarna’s business beyond its buy now, pay later (BNPL) model into the broader, fast-growing world of tokenized payments, just as stablecoin usage globally is already estimated to exceed $27 trillion annually. With the passage of the GENIUS Act in July, more such moves are expected in digital assets space.

Bigger peer PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL has already incorporated stablecoins into their operations to stay competitive in the evolving digital payment landscape. It has launched its own stablecoin, PYUSD or PayPal USD, built on the Ethereum blockchain, enabling users to buy, sell and transfer the token directly within its platform and on some external wallets.

The move by Klarna will further differentiate it from its growing rival, Affirm Holdings, Inc. AFRM, who has gobbled up a chunk of the domestic BNPL market. Affirm expects its fiscal 2026 gross merchandise volume to be more than $47.5 billion.

Price Performance & Zacks Rank

Shares of KLAR have declined 26.9% in the past month, underperforming the industry’s decline of 8.6%. it currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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