Stablecoin-funded remittances continue to offer substantial cost savings over traditional money transfers, particularly in emerging markets, according to a third-quarter report from Borderless.xyz, a stablecoin payments network.
Sending a $200 remittance through stablecoin-funded payment rails costs a median of 1%, or $2, compared with 6.36%, or $12.72, for traditional remittances based on World Bank data. This represents roughly 84% in cost savings, though the comparison uses Borderless's third-quarter 2026 pricing and World Bank figures from the same period in 2025.
Regional Cost Comparisons
The savings vary by region. In Sub-Saharan Africa, stablecoin-funded remittances cost 2.9% compared with 8.46% for traditional transfers. In Latin America, the costs are 1.25% and 5.64%, respectively.
Business Payments Show Similar Benefits
Business payments made through stablecoins demonstrate comparable advantages. A $10,000 stablecoin-funded transfer to the eurozone costs as little as $26 when routed through the lowest-cost provider, compared with $52 across all corridors at the median provider. Traditional international bank wires for the same amount cost between $135 and $150, including transfer fees and an assumed 1% foreign-exchange margin.
Settlement Speed and Reliability
Beyond cost, stablecoin-funded payments can reach recipients' local bank accounts in minutes, depending on the payment network used. In Brazil, payouts through the PIX network settled in a median of two minutes, while Mexico's SPEI network took three minutes. Colombia's PSE network also recorded a median settlement time of two minutes. Traditional SWIFT transfers typically settle the next business day, with the slowest 10% taking three business days.
Payment completion rates varied considerably across networks. Mexico's SPEI network successfully completed 98.6% of payouts, followed by Brazil's PIX at 97.8%. Colombia's PSE network completed 79%, while Costa Rica's SINPE recorded a completion rate of 73%.
Growing Transaction Activity
The findings emerge as stablecoin transaction activity continues to grow. Standard Chartered recently highlighted rising transaction volumes despite relatively flat growth in the overall stablecoin market capitalization this year. The bank expects the stablecoin market to reach $2 trillion by 2030, two years later than its previous forecast.
