Western Union plans to introduce a “stable card” aimed at protecting users in high-inflation economies as part of its broader stablecoin and digital-asset strategy. CFO Matthew Cagwin said at the UBS Global Technology and AI conference that the move builds on the company’s investor-day announcement that it is expanding beyond traditional cross-border payments into a multi-pillar digital asset roadmap.
Cagwin cited Argentina, where annual inflation recently reached 250–300%, noting remittances can lose a large portion of their value in a month. He described the stable card as a useful addition to Western Union’s existing prepaid card offering, helping preserve value for recipients in such markets.
The company also intends to issue its own coin. Cagwin argued Western Union’s footprint across roughly 200 countries gives it an advantage in emerging markets where remittances comprise a significant share of GDP. Issuing a coin would allow Western Union to control economics, compliance, and distribution and to scale the offering.
A central element of the strategy is the Digital Asset Network (DAN), which will connect Western Union to four on-ramp and off-ramp providers. DAN is expected to go live in the first half of 2025.
Western Union has chosen the Solana blockchain for its stablecoin settlement system, centered on the US Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) and developed with Anchorage Digital Bank. USDPT is slated to launch in the first half of 2026, with distribution through partner exchanges.
The company has also filed a trademark for “WUUSD,” signaling plans for a suite of crypto services including a wallet, trading features, and stablecoin payment processing. The trademark filing has been accepted but has not yet been assigned to an examiner.
