MoneyGram Joins Stripe’s Tempo as Validator, Integrating Stablecoin Cross-Border Settlement

Stellar is a blockchain network designed for cross-border payments and digital-asset transfers, with validators jointly confirming transactions and maintaining ledger consistency. The addition of MoneyGram, Figure Markets and Range as Tier 1 Validators moves established financial-technology companies beyond simply using blockchain infrastructure and into a direct role supporting network operations. Their participation could broaden Stellar’s validator base, reduce concentration risk and strengthen confidence in the network among institutional users.

MoneyGram, Figure Markets and Range have formally joined Stellar as Tier 1 Validators, expanding the group of institutions responsible for validating activity on the network. The announcement did not include an investment or transaction value, and the available report did not specify the validators’ activation date. The key development is the three companies’ direct participation in transaction validation, which Stellar says will enhance decentralization, network resilience and security while deepening links between mainstream financial services and blockchain infrastructure.

MoneyGram is modernizing the infrastructure behind its global remittance network with blockchain technology, seeking to make cross-border transfers faster and less expensive without forcing customers to navigate crypto products. Chief Executive Anthony Soohoo said the technology works best when it fades into the background, improving settlement and the user experience while preserving the familiar process of sending and receiving money.

Soohoo said MoneyGram is expanding its work with blockchain networks including Stellar and Solana as it builds out digital payment capabilities. The company also plans to use its MGUSD stablecoin to broaden its financial product lineup, extending its blockchain strategy beyond remittance rails. The approach is designed to deliver lower-cost, quicker transfers while keeping the underlying technology largely invisible to users.

MoneyGram has linked cash remittances to onchain stablecoin rails through a partnership with Stellar since 2021. Its services span more than 200 countries and territories and about 500,000 locations. On June 2, 2026, it also launched MGUSD, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, on Stellar, aiming to lower cross-border settlement costs and connect 60 million active users.

On June 22, 2026, MoneyGram announced that it had become an active Solana validator and joined the Solana Developer Platform as an infrastructure partner, directly participating in transaction validation and network security. The company did not disclose how much it had invested or staked in SOL. The move extends its multichain strategy after it became a Tempo anchor remittance validator on May 20. MGUSD is issued by Bridge, a Stripe subsidiary.

MoneyGram has operated in cross-border remittances for more than 80 years, serving more than 60 million active customers through nearly 500,000 locations across about 200 countries. Pegged to the U.S. dollar, MGUSD builds on MoneyGram’s partnership of about five years with Stellar. It allows users to hold dollar-denominated balances in the app while connecting them with cash deposits, withdrawals and local-currency conversion, strengthening the company’s position in digital remittances.

MoneyGram announced MGUSD at Money20/20 Europe on June 2, 2026, initially launching it in the U.S. market. A timeline for global expansion has not been disclosed. The stablecoin is issued by Stripe-owned Bridge, with M0 providing minting and burning technology and Fireblocks supporting the wallet. It is deployed on Stellar and integrated into the self-custodial wallet in the MoneyGram App.

MoneyGram and the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) began their partnership in October 2021 and launched a USDC cash-in and cash-out service in June 2022. The service connects the Stellar blockchain with MoneyGram’s physical locations to reduce the cost of cross-border remittances. The two parties have not disclosed how much they invested in the partnership.

Marking the partnership’s fifth anniversary, MoneyGram and SDF announced in July 2026 that they would expand stablecoin use across Latin America, enabling local users to exchange cash and USDC through MoneyGram’s network. The announcement did not specify the number of additional countries, transaction volumes or fees, but focuses on expanding access to cross-border payments and digital dollars.

Stripe and crypto venture capital firm Paradigm unveiled Tempo in September 2025 as a Layer 1 blockchain designed specifically for stablecoins and global payments, with the aim of reducing delays in traditional bank-based cross-border settlement. Stripe said stablecoin payment volume doubled to about $400 billion in 2025, with business-to-business transactions accounting for roughly 60%, underscoring the importance of round-the-clock, programmable settlement.

Tempo completed about three and a half months of testing and launched its mainnet on March 18, 2026. It also introduced the open-source Machine Payments Protocol, jointly developed with Stripe, which enables AI agents to pay automatically for data, computing and software services. The initial payments directory integrates more than 100 providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Shopify, Alchemy and Dune Analytics.