Remittance firms are using crypto to bypass parts of traditional settlement infrastructure, but this does not mean SWIFT is disappearing. Some of the world’s largest remittance providers are accelerating their digital asset strategies as they look for faster settlement alternatives to traditional banking rails. Western Union’s new stablecoin USDPT is the latest example of the growing overlap between traditional payments firms and crypto infrastructure. The money transfer company launched its Solana-based stablecoin on Monday in the Philippines and Bolivia, with plans to expand into additional markets throughout 2026. Western Union CEO Devin McGranahan said in the company’s Q1 earnings call that the stablecoin will be used as an alternative settlement layer to the decades-old SWIFT network. Read more
Societe Generale-Forge said its EUR CoinVertible stablecoin is the first MiCA-compliant digital asset that is “natively compatible” with SWIFT’s interoperability capabilities. Global bank messaging network SWIFT has tested Societe Generale’s euro-pegged stablecoin as part of a collaboration aimed at improving interoperability between traditional financial systems and blockchain-based assets. Societe Generale’s digital asset subsidiary, SG-Forge, on Thursday announced it successfully completed the exchange and settlement of tokenized bonds in both fiat and digital currencies. The collaboration involved transactions in SG-Forge’s stablecoin EUR CoinVertible (EURCV), which the bank initially launched on Ethereum in 2023. Read more
Ripple is done fighting the SEC, meaning it can focus on its original goal: challenging SWIFT, the world’s money transfer system. Ripple has finally finished its legal battle against the US Securities and Exchange Commission, bringing legal clarity to its underlying coin, XRP (XRP). Now observers are asking whether XRP can finally focus on providing a viable alternative to SWIFT. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) has been the backbone of international money transfers since its founding in 1973. However, for several years, critics have said that the system is outdated. Many in the blockchain industry, including Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, argue that blockchain technology provides higher throughput and better transparency, making it a superior alternative to SWIFT. Read more