Fintech startup Stripe has set a 12-month deadline for itself to go public, either through a direct listing, or pursuing a transaction on the private market, such as a fundraising event and a tender offer, according to sources familiar with the matter. The news, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as a surprise considering the rather dry public market activity in the tech world.

Stripe declined to comment on the record about the deadline or current revenue.

The payments giant was founded in 2010, so the fact that it’s exploring avenues for exit is not entirely surprising. Most recently publicly valued at $95 billion, Stripe has not been immune to the global downturn, however. In November, it laid off 14% of its staff, or around 1,120 people. And the company has slashed its internal valuation more than once over the past year. Earlier this month, TechCrunch reported th