Western Union plans to launch a dollar-backed stablecoin on Solana, opening a new channel for its global customers to move money with lower fees and faster settlement.
The company, which built the first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861, is recasting its network for a digital era where transactions clear in seconds and run around the clock.
In a statement on Tuesday, Western Union said its US Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) will be issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026.
Western Union said users will access the asset through partner exchanges, then send value internationally without exposure to local currency swings and banking bottlenecks.
Western Union Bets on Blockchain to Cut Costs in Global Remittances
Executives framed the move as a return to the firm’s roots of connecting people through technology, only with new rails.
Devin McGranahan, Western Union’s president and chief executive, indicated that shifting into digital assets is the next chapter in a 175-year effort to make money movement simpler and more reliable.
Solana gives the project high throughput and low fees, which are critical in remittances where cents matter. By settling on a public chain, Western Union aims to shorten the gap between a customer’s send instruction and a recipient’s usable funds, while improving transparency for compliance and reconciliation.
If adoption builds, the firm could accelerate stablecoin usage across mainstream payments. Stablecoins already command a market valued in the hundreds of billions, yet much of that volume sits inside trading venues. A Western Union pipeline would put tokenized dollars to work in everyday transfers, bill pay, and cross-border commerce.
Global Payments Firms Race to Shorten Settlement Cycles With On-Chain Dollars
Anchorage Digital Bank will serve as issuer, bringing a federally chartered framework to custody and reserve management.
Policy developments have encouraged issuers to hold reserves in cash and short-term Treasuries, which supports price stability and redemption.
Competition is intensifying. PayPal introduced a dollar stablecoin with Paxos in 2023 and folded it into its remittance app. MoneyGram launched a wallet to receive and hold USDC. Bank-led networks are testing stablecoin payouts for international transfers, seeking to compress settlement cycles and reduce correspondent banking dependencies.
Wallet Partnerships Will Let Non-Customers Convert Tokens Into Local Currency
Western Union is also building a digital asset network with wallet providers so non-customers can convert tokens into local currency through its retail footprint. That approach aims to bridge on-chain value with cash-out access in markets where bank penetration is low and cash remains dominant.
The company has been piloting blockchain in its own treasury to move funds faster and sidestep legacy cut-offs. Today’s cross-border wires can take days and impose working-capital drag. A tokenized dollar that redeems into bank money on demand could streamline liquidity management across time zones.
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