Perplexity’s $34.5B Bid for Chrome Amid Antitrust Review

Perplexity, an $18 billion AI search startup, has proposed a $34.5 billion acquisition of Google Chrome amid a US antitrust lawsuit challenging Google’s dominance in search. Backed by leading VCs, Perplexity argues that independent ownership would better serve the public interest and pledges 100 months of Chromium support, a $3 billion product upgrade investment and retention of Google as the default search engine—while allowing user customization. The plan includes integrating its Comet AI browser features to rival Google’s search and leverage browser entry points for Web3 and crypto trading tools. Chrome’s 3.5 billion users and over 60% market share make it a critical platform for crypto wallets, dApps and token discovery, so changes in default settings or extension policies could impact market access. Judge Amit Mehta, who ruled last year that Google unlawfully monopolized search, is now weighing remedies; although experts rate a forced sale unlikely, Mehta noted divestiture could be the “cleaner” solution. Any shift in Chrome’s ownership or default settings could reshape browser-based crypto trading infrastructure and affect long-term market dynamics.