Cross-border payments & remittances

Argentina's stablecoin economy: how USDT became a shadow dollar

Argentina has the world's most intense stablecoin economy relative to its size. With inflation that exceeded 200% in 2023, capital controls on physical dollars, and a parallel FX market built into daily life, USDT and USDC filled the gap that the peso could not.

The best corridors for stablecoin payments in 2026

Stablecoin infrastructure is unevenly distributed. The US–Mexico corridor is the most mature, with Bitso handling over 10% of total corridor volume. US–Philippines, US–Nigeria, and US–India have strong on-ramp coverage but varying off-ramp depth. European cross-border flows benefit from MiCA-compliant issuers. Emerging corridors in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are developing fast.

How much does it cost to send $1,000 internationally?

Sending $1,000 internationally costs anywhere from under $5 to over $70 depending on the corridor, method, and provider. Here are worked examples for three major corridors with verified fee data.

Digital dollarization: what happens when emerging markets adopt USD stablecoins

When residents of an emerging economy save and transact in USD stablecoins rather than local currency, their central bank loses control of monetary policy — a dynamic economists call digital dollarization. Here is what it means, why it happens, and what countries are doing about it.

The Latin American remittance market — and why stablecoins are winning it

Latin America received an estimated $174 billion in remittances in 2025, mostly from the United States. Traditional money transfer operators charge 5–6% on average. Stablecoin rails are cutting that to under 2% on active corridors — and settling in seconds instead of hours.

Why Latin America leads the world in stablecoin adoption

Latin America accounts for 7.7% of its own GDP in stablecoin flows — the highest ratio of any region — driven by inflation, currency controls, and a $174 billion annual remittance market.

How to send money internationally with stablecoins

Sending money internationally with stablecoins takes four steps — on-ramp, hold, send, off-ramp — and can settle in under a second for a fraction of what a bank wire or money-transfer operator charges.

Stablecoins in Southeast Asia: adoption, regulation, and what's next

Southeast Asia is the fastest-growing crypto region globally, with APAC posting 69% year-over-year growth in on-chain value in 2025. The Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand are emerging as distinct stablecoin markets with different regulatory postures and use cases.

Stablecoin remittances: a guide for families sending money home

Sending money internationally via stablecoins typically costs under 1% of the transfer amount and settles in minutes. Traditional wire transfers and agent networks charge 5–7% on average and can take 1–5 days. This guide covers how stablecoin remittances work, which corridors have the best coverage, what the receiver needs, and what to watch out for.

Stablecoin settlement times by chain: a 2026 comparison

Settlement time varies by orders of magnitude across stablecoin chains — from 15 minutes on Ethereum mainnet to under one second on Solana and Tempo. Here is what finality actually means and why it matters for business payments.

Stablecoin vs wire transfer: cost, speed, and when to use each

Wire transfers are the backbone of international banking but cost $25–$50 and take 1–5 days. Stablecoin transfers settle in seconds for a fraction of a cent. Here is a corridor-by-corridor breakdown of what each actually costs.

How stablecoins are disrupting the remittance industry

The global remittance market moves over $800 billion a year at an average cost of 6.36% — well above the UN's 3% target. Stablecoin rails are compressing that cost to under 1% in mature corridors, and reshaping who controls the infrastructure.

SWIFT vs stablecoins: why B2B cross-border payments are changing

SWIFT moves trillions of dollars a day but takes 1–5 business days and routes through multiple correspondent banks. Stablecoin rails settle the same payment in seconds for a fraction of a cent. Here is what the shift means for businesses.