MoneyGram Launches Digital Card Powered by Stellar in Colombia

MoneyGram debuts a new digital card in Colombia using Stellar infrastructure, enabling users to spend stable-dollar balances directly via mobile wallets.

The card has initially launched in Colombia, with the company planning to expand into other markets in the coming months.

From Remittances to Everyday Payments

This new product extends MoneyGram’s traditional business model beyond simply sending and receiving money. Customers can apply for the card directly through the app and manage their balances and expenses from the same platform.

The digital card can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for contactless payments and online purchases. Additionally, users can transfer funds to themselves and receive local currency at any physical MoneyGram location.

By doing so, the company integrates three functions that previously required separate services: international transfers, dollar-denominated value storage, and direct spending of received funds.

Rain, Crossmint, and Stellar Drive the Infrastructure

MoneyGram developed the card in collaboration with Rain, which provides the card payment infrastructure. Crossmint supplies the digital wallet technology, while transactions are processed on the Stellar network.

This model builds upon the company’s existing strategy. MoneyGram already partners with Crossmint for international transfers, where funds sent in dollars from the U.S. can be converted into USDC and received in a digital wallet in Colombia. This infrastructure utilizes USDC on the Stellar blockchain.

However, in today’s announcement, MoneyGram describes the new card’s balance as a “stable-dollar balance” without explicitly naming USDC as the asset backing the card product itself.

This distinction is significant because the card targets users who do not necessarily need to interact directly with blockchains, private keys, or crypto exchanges.

Colombia as the Pioneer Market

The MoneyGram Card became available in Colombia on September 10, and the company intends to introduce it to additional international markets in the months ahead.

Specific countries and the timeline for the next phase have not yet been disclosed.

The choice of Colombia follows MoneyGram’s earlier entry into the country with stablecoin transfers. The company already allows recipients there to hold funds in USDC and exchange them for Colombian pesos when needed through a network of over 6,000 locations.

This model could be particularly attractive in markets where consumers receive regular international remittances and prefer to keep a portion of their funds in a dollar-pegged asset rather than converting them immediately into local currency.

Physical Card Expected by Late 2026

While the MoneyGram Card is initially digital, the company plans to offer a physical version later in 2026. This physical card will enable ATM withdrawals and purchases at merchants where digital cards are not yet widely accepted.

The potential market is vast. MoneyGram reports over 60 million active customers, a presence in more than 200 countries and territories, and nearly 500,000 physical locations.

This network allows the company to combine blockchain settlement with physical cash infrastructure, which remains vital in countries where remittance recipients still rely heavily on cash.

Stablecoin Cards: A Growing Payment Frontier

MoneyGram is entering a rapidly expanding segment. Spending through stablecoin-linked cards reached a record $1 billion in July, and RedotPay predicts that annual volumes could hit $50 billion by 2028. Latin America is currently among the regions with the strongest adoption of such products.

For MoneyGram, this represents an opportunity to keep funds within its own ecosystem even after an international transfer is completed. Instead of a customer simply receiving money and leaving the platform, the new card turns that balance into a tool for payments, savings, and cash access.

This shift moves the company closer to a global digital payment platform model rather than just a remittance operator, as stablecoins gradually transition from crypto trading to everyday financial services.