Western Union’s (WU) CEO isn’t losing sleep over stablecoins. In fact, he’s welcoming them. Devin McGranahan, chief executive of the international remittance giant, told Bloomberg on Monday that stablecoins are an “opportunity, not a threat.” His view bucks the assumption that crypto disrupts legacy finance. Instead, McGranahan sees potential partnership, not competition.
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Western Union Bets on Integration, Not Isolation
“Anything that enables our customers to send money faster and cheaper across borders is good for us,” McGranahan said. That includes stablecoins, which allow users to transfer dollar-equivalent value instantly through blockchain rails. Rather than resisting that shift, Western Union wants in. The real hurdle, he says, is converting stablecoins into usable currency, particularly in harder-to-access regions.
“Last I checked, you couldn’t spend stablecoin if you wanted to buy a Coca Cola,” McGranahan told Bloomberg. That gap in real-world usability is where Western Union sees a role. Acting as an on-ramp and off-ramp for stablecoins could position the firm to serve new customers who treat stablecoins as a store of value, especially in emerging markets.
Regulation Brings Clarity, Not Fear
McGranahan’s remarks came shortly after the U.S. passed its first major crypto legislation, the GENIUS Act. The law establishes a regulatory framework for stablecoins, defining how banks and non-banks can issue them under oversight from the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Far from seeing regulation as a threat, Western Union appears to welcome the clarity.
Stablecoins are now the backbone of the crypto payments narrative. They offer speed, low fees, and dollar stability. But the final mile, turning digital dollars into something people can actually spend, is still missing. Western Union wants to be the company that solves that.
Western Union Sees a Real Use Case
For years, headlines painted stablecoins as direct challengers to legacy remittance services. But Western Union is taking a different tack. Rather than defending old infrastructure, the company sees a chance to modernize it. If stablecoins help reduce friction in cross-border payments, Western Union wants to be the rails that bridge the gap.
In McGranahan’s view, it’s not about crypto versus cash. It’s about giving people more ways to move value, on their terms.
Is Western Union Stock a Good Buy?
According to TipRanks, Western Union currently holds a “Hold” rating based on 14 Wall Street analysts over the past three months. Out of those 14, one analyst recommends Buy, nine suggest Hold, and four rate it a Sell. The average 12-month WU price target is $10.70, which implies a 32.10% upside from the current price of $8.10.
