Coinbase and Thunes Join Forces on Payouts, but 140-Country Access Isn’t Confirmed
Coinbase and Thunes say they are linking Coinbase’s digital-asset services with Thunes’ payments network to support cross-border payouts. Thunes’ network spans more than 140 countries, but the companies have not said where Coinbase users will be able to use the service or how transfers will work.
- Thunes says its wider network reaches more than 140 countries and 90 currencies.
- The partnership aims to power payouts for Coinbase users.
- No specific stablecoin, payment route, launch date, or fee schedule has been disclosed.
What the partnership is meant to do
Thunes says Coinbase is integrating its global network to power payouts for Coinbase users. The companies describe the collaboration as a way to connect digital assets with traditional financial infrastructure and support cross-border payments.
Thunes Deputy CEO Chloé Mayenobe describes the company as a bridge between traditional finance, mobile wallets, and digital assets. Coinbase Head of Infrastructure Products Alec Lovett points to Thunes’ “last-mile connectivity, ” the links that help deliver a payment to its destination, as a way to support payouts across more countries and currencies. Thunes North America head Kyle Rosen also says Coinbase is integrating the network to power payouts for its users.
These comments describe what the companies want to achieve, not how transfers will work. The announcement doesn’t say who initiates a payment, where the recipient’s funds land, which payout methods will be available, or when the integration will launch. It also doesn’t confirm that the service is already operating.
What “140 countries” means, and what it doesn’t
Thunes says its Direct Global Network supports real-time payments in more than 140 countries and more than 90 currencies. That describes Thunes’ broader network, not a confirmed list of places where Coinbase users can send payouts.
The announcement doesn’t specify which Coinbase services will be available in each market, which currencies will be supported, or whether access will roll out in stages. Thunes’ network-wide figures also don’t mean every payment corridor is available in real time. A network can reach a market without offering every product or payment route there.
For now, the 140-country figure describes Thunes’ reported network reach. It doesn’t prove that Coinbase will be available in all those markets.
Stablecoin rationale, mechanics unconfirmed
A stablecoin is a crypto asset designed to hold a relatively steady value, often by tracking a currency such as the US dollar. The companies mention stablecoins and digital assets as part of their broader payments rationale, but the announcement doesn’t name a stablecoin or blockchain or explain how either would be used in a transfer.
The companies also haven’t said where funds would be converted into local currency or whether recipients would get the money in a bank account, mobile wallet, card, or another way. Without those details, it’s hard to assess the full payment route or what customers would need to do.
Stablecoins can make digital value easier to move, but they aren’t automatically cheap or risk-free. Costs can include conversion, cash-out, intermediary, and compliance-related fees. Stablecoins also carry risks tied to their issuers and redemption arrangements, and their market prices can drift from their intended peg.
Why payment companies are watching stablecoins
Cross-border transfers can involve several providers, currency conversions, and fees. Stablecoins offer another way to move digital value, but any savings in cost or time depend on the whole journey from sender to recipient, not just the blockchain transaction.
In its report Stablecoins and the New Payments Landscape, published August 5, 2024, Coinbase said stablecoins settled more than $10.8 trillion in transactions during 2023. That figure measures settlement activity, not consumer payments or unique transfers. After excluding activity Coinbase classified as “inorganic, ” including bots or automated transactions, the company cited $2.3 trillion in activity that included payments and cross-border remittances, up 17% year over year.
Coinbase cited a World Bank figure that puts the average cost of sending $200 in remittances globally at 6.35%, and estimated annual fees at $54 billion. The report also estimated stablecoin remittance costs at 0.5% to 3.0% of the transfer amount. These are broad market figures and estimates, not measured costs or savings for the Coinbase, Thunes partnership. The companies haven’t published pricing or performance data for the partnership.
Key questions about Coinbase and Thunes
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Can Coinbase users send payouts to 140 countries?
That hasn’t been confirmed. The figure describes Thunes’ wider network, and no Coinbase-specific country list has been provided.
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Which stablecoins and payout methods are involved?
The announcement names no specific stablecoin, blockchain, or recipient payout method.
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When will the service launch, and what will it cost?
No launch date, fees, exchange rates, or settlement-time commitments have been specified.
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Will the partnership make transfers cheaper or faster?
That’s an intended benefit, but the companies haven’t published data on the service’s actual cost or speed.
A network connection, with the customer details still to come
Connecting a crypto platform to an established payments network could make digital-asset payouts more practical, especially where conventional transfers are costly or cumbersome. The value for customers will depend on the details: supported destinations, conversion rates, fees, payout options, and reliability.
Thunes’ reported reach gives the partnership a potentially broad foundation. But that alone doesn’t show where Coinbase users can send or receive funds, or whether the service will make payments faster or cheaper in practice. Those answers depend on the rollout and terms the companies disclose.
