Blab Crypto
MoneyGram Joins Solana as Validator, Expanding Its Blockchain Footprint
MoneyGram International, Inc. announced on June 22 2026 that it has become an active validator on the Solana blockchain and has joined the Solana Developer Platform (SDP). The Dallas‑based payments firm will stake Solana’s native token, SOL, and process blocks at the protocol level.
The announcement comes after a decade of incremental blockchain experimentation. Over the past five years, MoneyGram has partnered with exchanges such as Kraken, invested in stablecoin infrastructure, and launched its own U.S. dollar‑pegged stablecoin, MGUSD, on the Stellar network. CEO Anthony Soohoo said the new partnership “represents the latest step in integrating blockchain into MoneyGram’s payment infrastructure.” He added that the firm believes “the future of global money movement will be built on open, interoperable stablecoin rails that anyone, anywhere can access.”
Solana Foundation product lead Catherine Gu highlighted MoneyGram’s scale. She noted that the 85‑year‑old company serves more than 60 million active customers through nearly 500 000 retail locations and billions of digital endpoints. By joining the SDP, MoneyGram can extend its network on‑chain, making money movement seamless for customers regardless of the form of money they use.
The SDP, launched earlier in 2026, is designed to help enterprises and financial institutions build blockchain‑based products on Solana. The platform offers an API‑ready toolkit that includes modules for asset issuance and payments, with support for stablecoins and on‑ and off‑ramp services. Mastercard, Worldpay and Western Union were among the first partners to join the platform.
At the time of writing, Solana’s native asset, SOL, was trading at $72.66. The cryptocurrency, which ranks seventh by market cap, had fallen more than 2 % in the past 24 hours and nearly 3.5 % in the past week.
MoneyGram’s validator status adds to its presence on other blockchains. The firm already operates official validators on Tempo and the Midnight Network. By staking SOL, MoneyGram contributes to the security and consensus of the Solana network.
The company’s broader blockchain strategy includes the development of stablecoin rails. MoneyGram has previously launched its own U.S. dollar‑pegged stablecoin, MGUSD, on the Stellar network, and has partnered with Fireblocks to introduce stablecoin‑based settlement across its global payments network.
Industry analysts view MoneyGram’s entry into Solana as part of a broader trend of traditional payment providers integrating blockchain technology to improve speed, reduce costs and offer new services. Solana’s high‑throughput architecture and low transaction fees make it an attractive platform for large‑volume payment flows.
Regulatory considerations remain a factor. Solana has faced scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023, and stablecoins are increasingly subject to regulatory oversight worldwide. MoneyGram’s statement emphasizes compliance, regulatory clarity and operational scale as key components of its blockchain integration.
The partnership also signals Solana’s continued focus on enterprise adoption. By bringing a global payments giant onto its validator network and developer platform, Solana expands its ecosystem of institutional participants.
MoneyGram’s validator role is expected to begin immediately, with the firm staking SOL and processing blocks as part of the network’s proof‑of‑stake consensus. The company has not disclosed the amount of SOL it will stake.
In summary, MoneyGram’s entry into the Solana ecosystem marks a significant step for both the payments firm and the blockchain platform. The validator status and SDP membership position MoneyGram to leverage Solana’s infrastructure for stablecoin and cross‑border payment services, while Solana gains a large, globally distributed partner that can help drive enterprise adoption of its network.
The next few months will see MoneyGram deploying its blockchain‑enabled services to its customer base, while Solana monitors the performance and impact of its new validator on network throughput and security.
The announcement comes after a decade of incremental blockchain experimentation. Over the past five years, MoneyGram has partnered with exchanges such as Kraken, invested in stablecoin infrastructure, and launched its own U.S. dollar‑pegged stablecoin, MGUSD, on the Stellar network. CEO Anthony Soohoo said the new partnership “represents the latest step in integrating blockchain into MoneyGram’s payment infrastructure.” He added that the firm believes “the future of global money movement will be built on open, interoperable stablecoin rails that anyone, anywhere can access.”
Solana Foundation product lead Catherine Gu highlighted MoneyGram’s scale. She noted that the 85‑year‑old company serves more than 60 million active customers through nearly 500 000 retail locations and billions of digital endpoints. By joining the SDP, MoneyGram can extend its network on‑chain, making money movement seamless for customers regardless of the form of money they use.
The SDP, launched earlier in 2026, is designed to help enterprises and financial institutions build blockchain‑based products on Solana. The platform offers an API‑ready toolkit that includes modules for asset issuance and payments, with support for stablecoins and on‑ and off‑ramp services. Mastercard, Worldpay and Western Union were among the first partners to join the platform.
At the time of writing, Solana’s native asset, SOL, was trading at $72.66. The cryptocurrency, which ranks seventh by market cap, had fallen more than 2 % in the past 24 hours and nearly 3.5 % in the past week.
MoneyGram’s validator status adds to its presence on other blockchains. The firm already operates official validators on Tempo and the Midnight Network. By staking SOL, MoneyGram contributes to the security and consensus of the Solana network.
The company’s broader blockchain strategy includes the development of stablecoin rails. MoneyGram has previously launched its own U.S. dollar‑pegged stablecoin, MGUSD, on the Stellar network, and has partnered with Fireblocks to introduce stablecoin‑based settlement across its global payments network.
Industry analysts view MoneyGram’s entry into Solana as part of a broader trend of traditional payment providers integrating blockchain technology to improve speed, reduce costs and offer new services. Solana’s high‑throughput architecture and low transaction fees make it an attractive platform for large‑volume payment flows.
Regulatory considerations remain a factor. Solana has faced scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023, and stablecoins are increasingly subject to regulatory oversight worldwide. MoneyGram’s statement emphasizes compliance, regulatory clarity and operational scale as key components of its blockchain integration.
The partnership also signals Solana’s continued focus on enterprise adoption. By bringing a global payments giant onto its validator network and developer platform, Solana expands its ecosystem of institutional participants.
MoneyGram’s validator role is expected to begin immediately, with the firm staking SOL and processing blocks as part of the network’s proof‑of‑stake consensus. The company has not disclosed the amount of SOL it will stake.
In summary, MoneyGram’s entry into the Solana ecosystem marks a significant step for both the payments firm and the blockchain platform. The validator status and SDP membership position MoneyGram to leverage Solana’s infrastructure for stablecoin and cross‑border payment services, while Solana gains a large, globally distributed partner that can help drive enterprise adoption of its network.
The next few months will see MoneyGram deploying its blockchain‑enabled services to its customer base, while Solana monitors the performance and impact of its new validator on network throughput and security.
