Block

One of the largest US-based fintech companies, with a multi-product ecosystem spanning merchant payments, consumer finance, BNPL, and music streaming

Block, Inc. is a diversified technology and financial services company founded by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, rebranded from Square, Inc. on December 10, 2021. The company operates a portfolio of distinct business units: Square, which provides point-of-sale hardware, payment processing, and commerce tools for merchants of all sizes; Cash App, a consumer-facing peer-to-peer payments and financial services platform with tens of millions of active users; Afterpay, a buy-now-pay-later service acquired in 2022; and TIDAL, the artist-owned music streaming platform. Block also has a bitcoin-focused unit, formerly known as TBD, focused on decentralized financial infrastructure. From a marketing and advertising perspective, Block is a significant player primarily as a major advertiser and as a platform that enables small and medium-sized businesses to run their own commerce and marketing operations. Square's ecosystem includes tools for email marketing, loyalty programs, and customer engagement that help merchants attract and retain customers. Cash App has invested heavily in consumer brand marketing, including high-profile Super Bowl advertising campaigns, making Block a notable spender in the media landscape. Block is publicly traded on the NYSE and competes across multiple verticals including payments (PayPal, Stripe, Toast), buy-now-pay-later (Klarna, Affirm), and consumer finance (Chime, Venmo). With billions in annual revenue and a global footprint spanning the US, Australia, the UK, and beyond, Block occupies a significant position in the fintech ecosystem while also serving as a meaningful marketing services provider to the SMB segment.