I'm going to ignore all of this article except for:
"The first step was Canada, where Stripe has just gone live. It’s actively working on Western Europe too."
This isn't even true is it? There's no mention of this on their site/blog. Nothing on Google. Their Twitter feed even recently replied to someone saying it isn't in Canada.
Live means that it's publicly available as a finished product, doesn't it? Private beta is not "live". That's like saying a stage show has opened when they're doing a dress rehearsal.
"The first step was Canada, where Stripe has just gone live. It’s actively working on Western Europe too."
This isn't even true is it? There's no mention of this on their site/blog. Nothing on Google. Their Twitter feed even recently replied to someone saying it isn't in Canada.