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Block, Inc.

One of the world's largest fintech companies, Block runs two big ecosystems: Square, which helps small businesses take card payments with its little white card reader, and Cash App, a popular money app, plus brands like Afterpay and TIDAL. It was founded in 2009 when glassblower Jim McKelvey lost a sale because he couldn't accept credit cards, so he and Twitter's Jack Dorsey built a square-shaped reader. Fun fact: the company was briefly called "Squirrel" before settling on Square, and later renamed itself Block after blockchain.