Western Union, Stripe and Marqeta add stablecoin rails to 3 payment products
Western Union plans USDPT payouts in 200-plus countries and territories, Stripe's stablecoin cards cover 30-plus countries, and Marqeta adds Coinbase settlement on Base, the companies said.
- Western Union said on Oct. 21 it picked Noah to settle payouts in USDPT, a stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank.
- Stripe said on Oct. 19 its stablecoin cards work in more than 30 countries, with 100-plus planned for 2027.
- Allium counted $482 billion of stablecoin payments in the first nine months of 2026, up 45%, according to CoinDesk.
Three payment companies announced stablecoin products in the week of Oct. 16-22, led by Western Union's Oct. 21 selection of Noah to settle payouts in USDPT across more than 200 countries and territories, the company said.
Western Union moves remittance payouts onto a bank-issued stablecoin
Western Union (NYSE: WU) said in its Oct. 21 release that it selected Noah to provide the on-chain banking network for Receiver Redirect, which would settle transfers in more than 60 currencies across more than 200 countries and territories.
Recipients would collect USDPT, a dollar stablecoin that Anchorage Digital Bank issues on Solana, into a Stablecard wallet, according to the company. The release gives no launch date.
Noah will supply the treasury and licensing to pre-fund, convert and disburse USDPT, the release said.
The company said senders can use its half-million-plus agent locations and that it serves more than 150 million customers. Equity Ledger did not independently verify those company figures.
"Customers increasingly want greater flexibility in how they receive, hold and use money," Malcolm Clarke, Western Union's global head of digital assets, said in the release.
The wallet lets recipients hold USDPT indefinitely instead of cashing out, according to the release.
Stripe and Plasma add five fiat currencies to stablecoin cards in 30-plus countries
Stripe and Plasma announced multi-currency stablecoin cards on Oct. 19, with balances in USD, EUR, BRL, MXN and COP plus eligible stablecoins including OUSD, according to The Paypers.
Coverage stood at more than 30 countries on Oct. 19, with 100-plus planned for 2027, the report said. Automatic selection of the balance at each purchase is a next step with no timeline.
Plasma chief executive Paul Faecks said the cards let users "spend like locals wherever they are," according to The Paypers.
Henri Stern, head of Stripe Crypto, said the Plasma work aims to bring to spending the flexibility that stablecoins already give people in holding and moving money, according to the same report.
OUSD went live on Sept. 30, according to Yahoo Finance. Bridge, a Stripe unit, issues it, and Stripe, Mastercard-owned BVNK and Visa's platform handle minting and redemption.
Marqeta and Coinbase tie card issuing to settlement on Base
Marqeta and Coinbase announced on Oct. 16 that Marqeta's enterprise customers can offer stablecoin-backed cards, with Coinbase handling custody, conversion to fiat at the point of spend and settlement on Base, according to Yahoo Finance.
Marqeta operates in more than 40 countries. Financial terms and the date for broader availability were not disclosed, the report said.
Visa and Mastercard launched products on Oct. 15, a day before the window opened
Mastercard and BVNK launched Global Money Platform on Oct. 15, with Nuvei, Marqeta, Ontop, Beem and Almond FinTech as launch integrators, according to Mastercard's release. Mastercard acquired BVNK in August 2026.
The platform combines accounts that hold fiat and stablecoins, conversion, stablecoin-linked cards and local bank payouts through Mastercard Move, the release said. It lists agentic commerce and tokenized deposits as future support.
Visa Direct made USDC prefunding commercial with Inyo Global, whose payouts reach more than 180 countries, according to The Block.
In an early October trial with Lloyds, Visa settled $750,000 in seven days, The Block reported.
Allium counts $482 billion of stablecoin payments in nine months
Allium's Q3 report counted $482 billion of stablecoin payments in January-September 2026, up 45% from a year earlier, and more than 1 billion payments, up 71%, according to CoinDesk's Oct. 18 report.
The report puts supply at about $305 billion on Sept. 30. The payment count is Allium's own classification, and none of the announcements in the week of Oct. 16-22 disclosed volumes.
Dates that decide whether these launches reach customers
No launch date was disclosed for Receiver Redirect or the Marqeta cards. The dated items so far:
- Jan. 18, 2027: the GENIUS Act and the OCC's final rule take effect, according to the OCC.
- 2027: Stripe plans stablecoin card coverage in 100-plus countries, according to The Paypers.
- 2027: Mastercard expects Move coverage of 40-plus currencies across 200-plus countries and territories, according to its Oct. 15 release.
The week in numbers
| Company | Move | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Union | Receiver Redirect payouts in USDPT via Noah (Oct. 21) | 200+ countries and territories | Western Union release |
| Stripe and Plasma | Multi-currency stablecoin cards (Oct. 19) | 30+ countries | The Paypers |
| Marqeta and Coinbase | Stablecoin-backed cards settled on Base (Oct. 16) | Marqeta operates in 40+ countries | Yahoo Finance |
| Visa Direct and Inyo Global | USDC prefunding for payouts (Oct. 15) | Inyo payouts reach 180+ countries | The Block |
| Mastercard and BVNK | Global Money Platform (Oct. 15) | BVNK moves money in 130+ countries | Mastercard release |
As of Oct. 23, 2026. Moves are company announcements dated Oct. 15-21; coverage figures are company-supplied and not independently verified.
How we reported this: we opened the Western Union and Mastercard releases, the OCC release and four press reports. Volume figures are Allium's, as reported by CoinDesk. No company disclosed payment volume for its new product.