Payments giant Stripe is about to drop over $7 billion to become a gateway to AI token sales

Payments biz Stripe has reportedly finalized an agreement to acquire OpenRouter for at least $7 billion, signaling a shift in focus for the AI industry. OpenRouter provides a way for customers to integrate multiple AI models into their workflow and infrastructure and is, by Ramp's measure, the most popular of the gateway companies that have sprung up to simplify model integration. By acquiring the AI gateway service, Stripe would become a mediator of AI token sales, fitting its core business while gaining access to valuable data about AI model usage. Stripe declined to comment, citing a policy of not addressing rumors or speculation. Prior to Bloomberg's report about the agreement, the Wall Street Journal said acquisition talks were...

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