Western Union, the 175-year-old global payments giant, revealed plans to launch its own U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin called U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) on the Solana blockchain, with a target rollout in the first half of 2026.
This marks a significant pivot for the company, which serves over 100 million customers and operates 600,000+ agent locations worldwide, into the digital asset space to modernize remittances and reduce costs.
USDPT will be issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, the first federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S., leveraging its regulated custody and issuance infrastructure.
Solana was chosen for its high-speed, low-cost transactions—settling in seconds for sub-cent fees—making it ideal for small-value cross-border transfers.
Digital Asset Network: Alongside the stablecoin, Western Union is building an “innovative Digital Asset Network” to bridge fiat and crypto worlds. This will connect crypto wallets to its retail outlets, enabling seamless cash-ins and cash-outs globally.
It addresses the “last mile” challenge in crypto adoption by providing real-world utility for digital dollars. Expected availability in early 2026, USDPT will integrate into Western Union’s payment network and be accessible via partner exchanges.
The move aligns with the GENIUS Act, signed into law earlier in 2025, which established the first federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S. This ensures compliance across markets, including Europe’s MiCA regime.
Strategic RationaleWestern Union CEO Devin McGranahan highlighted the initiative as a way to “own the economics linked to stablecoins” and evolve the company’s digital offerings, where wallets and account-based payouts already account for over 50% of transactions.
The company has been testing stablecoins for treasury operations to speed up settlements and cut reliance on traditional banking rails. McGranahan noted in July 2025 that stablecoins represent an “opportunity” for faster, more inclusive cross-border payments, especially amid surging digital adoption.
This builds on industry trends: Rivals like MoneyGram using USDC on Stellar and PayPal PYUSD, now at $2.7B market cap have already integrated stablecoins. Visa and Stripe also support multiple stablecoins for fiat conversions.
Solana’s appeal is evident—it’s now the choice for stablecoins from PayPal, Fiserv (FIUSD), and now Western Union—positioning it as a go-to for high-volume, low-friction payments. Western Union (NYSE: WU) shares rose 6.5% on announcement day, signaling investor optimism for new revenue from digital assets, though they’re down ~10% year-to-date.
Solana (SOL) traded around $194, down ~2% that day amid broader market dips, but the news underscores growing institutional traction. Stablecoins overall exceed $300B in market cap.
The announcement trended on X, with users like Solana Foundation’s Sheraz Shere celebrating it as validation for Solana’s payments ecosystem. Posts highlighted its potential to boost liquidity and crypto adoption, with some tying it to broader Web3 infrastructure projects.
Morning recaps from crypto influencers like @Tyler_Did_It called it a top story, linking it to ETF inflows and DeFi growth. This launch could reshape remittances—a $800B+ industry—by tokenizing transfers to avoid currency volatility and enable near-instant settlements.
For Solana, it reinforces its role in real-world finance, potentially driving more volume alongside meme coins and DeFi apps. Analysts see it accelerating stablecoin mainstreaming, especially in cash-heavy regions like Asia and Latin America, but challenges remain in varying global regulations.
BNB Foundation Completes 33rd Quarterly Burn: $1.66 Billion in Tokens Destroyed
The BNB Foundation announced the completion of its 33rd quarterly token burn on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC). This deflationary event permanently removed 1,441,281.413 BNB from circulation, valued at approximately $1.66 billion at current market prices (implying a BNB price of around $1,152 per token at the time of valuation).
The tokens were sent to a “blackhole” address (0x000…dEaD), making recovery impossible and ensuring true scarcity. The total circulating supply now stands at 137,738,379.26 BNB, down from previous levels. This moves the ecosystem closer to its long-term target of 100 million BNB, a goal designed to enhance token value through sustained deflation.
Quarterly Auto-Burn: Calculated algorithmically based on BSC block production and a fixed reference price from the ICO era ($0.1171). This burn was driven by network activity and adjusted for recent upgrades like Lorentz and Maxwell, which improved block efficiency.
In parallel, over 276,000 BNB have been burned via transaction fees since implementation, adding ongoing pressure. All transactions are verifiable on BscScan, with the burn executed directly on-chain for auditability.
BNB saw a 3.2% gain immediately post-burn, narrowing the gap with XRP for the #4 spot in market cap rankings. Broader market context includes Bitcoin at ~$115,565 (+3.5%) and Ethereum at ~$4,235 (+7.3%), with the Fear & Greed Index at a neutral 42.
The announcement sparked bullish chatter, with users highlighting increased scarcity and long-term value accrual. For instance Influencers noted the burn as a “deflationary shock” fueling momentum. Posts emphasized verification and the $1.66B equivalent, with one calling it “extremely bullish long-term.”
Token burns like this are core to BNB’s tokenomics, creating a feedback loop: higher network usage and price lead to larger burns, which in turn support price appreciation. This event underscores BNB Chain’s maturity, with consistent quarterly execution signaling reliability to investors.
Analysts speculate future burns could scale with activity, potentially accelerating the path to 100M supply. BNB burn is a deflationary process that permanently removes BNB tokens from circulation, reducing total supply over time. Its goal: increase scarcity ? drive long-term value.
There are two active burn systems working together: Quarterly Auto-Burn (Main Event) Once per quarter (every ~3 months). Formula: Burn Amount = (Blocks Produced in Quarter × Average Gas Price) ÷ BNB Price Reference
Total BSC blocks in the quarter. Average gas used per block. Fixed at $0.1171 (BNB’s original ICO price). It ties burn size to network activity (more transactions = more gas = bigger burn), while using a low fixed price to amplify the burn impact as BNB price rises.
BNB burns are automatic, transparent, and tied to real usage — one of the most aggressive deflationary models in crypto.
