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# Movantis Stellar Integration: USDC Payouts to El Salvador
- URL: https://stablecoininsider.org/movantis-stellar/
- Published: 2026-10-29T07:23:12.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-29T10:02:12.000Z
- Description: Movantis, which moves over US$60 billion a year across the Americas, will settle US to El Salvador transfers in USDC on Stellar. Stablecoin Insider separates what was announced from what was not, models the prefunding a 24/7 leg could free, and flags the 1% cash remittance tax it leaves untouched.
- Author: Alexandra
- Tags: Fintech, Stablecoins, USDC, Stellar, LATAM

The Movantis Stellar integration starts with the one corridor where a dollar stablecoin needs no currency conversion at the far end. On 28 October 2026, at Stellar's Meridian conference in Lisbon, Movantis said it will settle US to El Salvador transfers in USDC on the Stellar network ([Movantis release](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

Movantis is not a startup testing a rail. Its network moves more than US$60 billion a year across more than 200 million transactions and over 90,000 payout locations ([Stellar Development Foundation](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)).

El Salvador uses the US dollar. So the stablecoin leg ends in the same currency it started in.

This analysis sets out what Movantis and Stellar actually committed to, what they left out, why El Salvador goes first, what a 24/7 settlement leg could free up in prefunding, and the one remittance cost it does not change.

### Key Takeaways

- Movantis will use USDC on Stellar as the settlement leg for US to El Salvador flows, announced 28 October 2026 ([PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).
- No launch date, pricing, volume target or named payout partner was disclosed in the release ([Basis Desk](https://basisdesk.news/news/movantis-integrates-stellar-usdc-payments-el-salvador)).
- El Salvador received a record US$9,987.91 million in remittances in 2025, about 24% of GDP ([EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665)).
- January to September 2026 inflows reached US$7,619.92 million, up 3.5% year over year ([Infobae, BCR data](https://www.infobae.com/el-salvador/2026/10/26/las-remesas-en-el-salvador-superaron-los-usd-7600-millones-hasta-septiembre-de-2026/)).
- A 1% US tax on cash-funded remittances has applied since 1 January 2026, whatever rail settles them ([IRS](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-proposed-regulations-on-the-new-remittance-transfer-tax-established-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill)).

## What the Movantis Stellar announcement actually says

The release adds Stellar "as an additional digital settlement rail" inside Movantis's architecture. Stellar speeds up the settlement leg, while Movantis supplies the regulated local entities, liquidity, fiat conversion and last-mile payout ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

The first planned use case is value moving from the United States to El Salvador, with Movantis's regulated subsidiaries settling in USDC on Stellar and local partners handling conversion and payout ([SDF release](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)). The word "planned" matters. Nothing in the text says the corridor is live.

The flow is also meant to run in reverse. Businesses already on Stellar will be able to reach recipients in Latin America through Movantis, settling in stablecoins and paying out locally ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

| Item                                | Announced?      | Detail                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Settlement asset and network        | Yes             | USDC on the Stellar network ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html))                           |
| First corridor                      | Yes, as planned | United States to El Salvador ([SDF](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure))                                                             |
| Reverse flow for Stellar businesses | Yes             | Payouts into Latin America through Movantis ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html))           |
| Launch date                         | No              | No rollout timeline given ([Basis Desk](https://basisdesk.news/news/movantis-integrates-stellar-usdc-payments-el-salvador))                                                                                                 |
| Fees or pricing to senders          | No              | Not in the release ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html))                                    |
| Named El Salvador payout partners   | No              | Described only as local partners ([SDF](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure))                                                         |
| Later corridors                     | Intent only     | Europe, Asia and wider Latin America flows "expected" ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)) |

⚠️

What is not known yet: the go-live date, which El Salvador banks, wallets or agents pay out the dollars, what senders will be charged, and how much of Movantis's corridor volume will move to the Stellar leg. Treat the announcement as a committed rail choice, not a live product.

## Why El Salvador is the first Movantis Stellar corridor

The release gives the reason directly: as a dollarized economy, value settles in USDC and is paid out in US dollars, "with no additional currency exposure along the way" ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)). In most corridors, the stablecoin leg ends in a currency swap. Here it does not.

The corridor is also large and concentrated. El Salvador took in US$9,987.91 million in family remittances in 2025, up 17.7% from US$8,479.70 million in 2024, and remittances equal about 24% of GDP ([EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665)). Most of it comes from the United States, home to more than two million Salvadorans (same source).

Growth has slowed in 2026\. September inflows were US$831.64 million, down 3.68% from August's US$863.43 million and up only 1.45% on September 2025 ([Dinero, BCR data](https://dinero.com.sv/economia/remesas-familiares-bajaron-us31-79-millones-en-septiembre-indico-el-bcr/)). Year to date, the total is US$7,619.92 million, up 3.5% ([Infobae](https://www.infobae.com/el-salvador/2026/10/26/las-remesas-en-el-salvador-superaron-los-usd-7600-millones-hasta-septiembre-de-2026/)).

That matters for the business case. When volume growth flattens, operators compete on cost and liquidity, not on new senders.

| Period                     | Remittances to El Salvador | Change                | Source                                                                                                                                                        |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Full year 2024             | US$8,479.70M               | n/a                   | [EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665) |
| Full year 2025             | US$9,987.91M               | +17.7%                | [EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665) |
| December 2025 (peak month) | US$961.12M                 | highest month of 2025 | [EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665) |
| September 2026             | US$831.64M                 | +1.45% vs Sep 2025    | [Dinero, BCR](https://dinero.com.sv/economia/remesas-familiares-bajaron-us31-79-millones-en-septiembre-indico-el-bcr/)                                        |
| January to September 2026  | US$7,619.92M               | +3.5% year over year  | [Infobae, BCR](https://www.infobae.com/el-salvador/2026/10/26/las-remesas-en-el-salvador-superaron-los-usd-7600-millones-hasta-septiembre-de-2026/)           |

## How the USDC settlement leg would work

Movantis describes three layers. The sender and recipient keep using dollars and familiar apps, Stellar carries the settlement leg, and Movantis's licensed entities and partners handle liquidity and payout ([SDF release](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)). The blockchain layer "stays behind the scenes".

- Collection: a US customer pays a remittance company or fintech that already connects to Movantis ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).
- Settlement: Movantis's regulated subsidiaries move the value as USDC on Stellar, which runs 24/7 including weekends and holidays ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).
- Payout: local partners in El Salvador convert USDC to dollars and pay into accounts, wallets or cash locations ([Basis Desk](https://basisdesk.news/news/movantis-integrates-stellar-usdc-payments-el-salvador)).

Network cost is close to zero. Stellar's minimum inclusion fee is 100 stroops, or 0.00001 XLM, per operation ([Stellar developer docs](https://developers.stellar.org/docs/learn/fundamentals/fees-resource-limits-metering)). At an XLM price of about US$0.17 on 28 October ([Basis Desk](https://basisdesk.news/news/movantis-integrates-stellar-usdc-payments-el-salvador)), that is well under one hundredth of a cent. The real costs sit in conversion, compliance and payout, not in the chain.

## Stellar is Movantis's second stablecoin route in 2026

Movantis already joined the Circle Payments Network in April 2026\. It acts there as an originating financial institution in the US and a beneficiary institution in several Latin American countries, with off-ramps in more than 10 of them ([Movantis CPN release](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-joins-circle-payments-network-to-expand-real-time-global-value-movement-across-latin-america-and-beyond-302739849.html)).

So Stellar is not Movantis's first step into stablecoins. It is a second, network-level option for one corridor, sold under what the company calls Institutional Stablecoin Settlement: one integration to collect, convert, settle and pay out across Latin America in fiat or stablecoin ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

| Rail                           | Since                     | Role for Movantis                                                                      | Source                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Bank and local payment systems | 20+ years                 | Core collection, FX and payout across the Americas                                     | [SDF](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)                                                     |
| Circle Payments Network (USDC) | 13 April 2026             | Bidirectional USDC settlement, US OFI and LatAm BFI, off-ramps in 10+ countries        | [Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-joins-circle-payments-network-to-expand-real-time-global-value-movement-across-latin-america-and-beyond-302739849.html) |
| USDC on Stellar                | 28 October 2026 (planned) | Settlement leg for US to El Salvador first, then reverse flows from Stellar businesses | [Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)                  |

Stellar also has a track record in this exact market. TokenPost noted that MoneyGram's US app already offers a Stellar-linked USDC balance service in Colombia and El Salvador ([TokenPost](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/42907)). Stablecoin Insider covered MoneyGram's wider Stellar push in its [MGUSD launch analysis](https://stablecoininsider.org/moneygram-launches-mgusd-stablecoin-on-stellar-to-bring-digital-dollars-to-60-million-customers/), and the bank side in [U.S. Bank's USBDC Stellar pilot](https://stablecoininsider.org/us-bank-usbdc-stellar-cross-border-pilot/).

Movantis's corridor knowledge is not new to readers here either. It was a partner on Stablecoin Insider's LATAM stablecoin economy report, alongside Mandioca, Pomelo, Rise and VelaFi ([Stablecoin Insider](https://stablecoininsider.org/new-stablecoin-insider-report-the-latam-stablecoin-economy-2026/)).

[The LATAM Stablecoin Economy 2026: Infrastructure, Players and the Institutional OpportunityStablecoin Insider's report on who builds stablecoin payment rails across Latin America and where institutional demand sits.![](https://stablecoininsider.org/favicon.ico)Stablecoin Insider](https://stablecoininsider.org/new-stablecoin-insider-report-the-latam-stablecoin-economy-2026/)

## What a 24/7 settlement leg could free up: a worked example

The release makes one money claim: settling around the clock "can reduce the capital remittance companies and businesses need to keep prefunded in the corridor" ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)). Stablecoin Insider put rough numbers on that, using public corridor data and stated assumptions.

Start with September 2026 inflows of US$831.64 million ([Dinero, BCR data](https://dinero.com.sv/economia/remesas-familiares-bajaron-us31-79-millones-en-septiembre-indico-el-bcr/)). Assume a hypothetical operator with a 5% share of the corridor. That is about US$41.58 million a month, or about US$1.39 million of payouts a day over 30 days.

| Scenario (hypothetical 5% operator)                      | Days of payouts prefunded | Capital parked in El Salvador                                                                                                                                                                       |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bank wires only: Friday afternoon to Monday morning gap  | 2.5                       | about US$3.47M                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 24/7 USDC leg: intraday buffer only                      | 0.5                       | about US$0.69M                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Difference                                               | 2.0                       | about US$2.77M freed                                                                                                                                                                                |
| December peak month at the same share (US$961.12M total) | 2.0 days less             | about US$3.20M freed ([Dec 2025 data, EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665)) |

These are Stablecoin Insider's illustrative assumptions, not Movantis figures. The point is the shape: the saving scales with how many days a bank-only corridor sits idle, and the gap is widest around weekends and holidays, exactly when the release says Stellar keeps running ([SDF release](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)).

There is a catch. The freed capital only appears if the local payout partner can turn USDC into dollars on a Saturday. That depends on partners Movantis has not named.

Stablecoin Insider ran a similar weekend-gap model for pesos in its [Circle ACI Colombia analysis](https://stablecoininsider.org/circle-aci-usdc-colombia/). El Salvador is the easier case, because no USDC to local currency quote is needed at all.

## The 1% cash remittance tax does not change

Since 1 January 2026, a 1% federal excise tax applies to US remittances when the sender pays with cash, a money order, a cashier's check or a similar physical instrument; the provider must collect it ([IRS](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-proposed-regulations-on-the-new-remittance-transfer-tax-established-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill)).

The trigger is how the sender pays the provider, not how the provider settles. Transfers funded from a bank account or a US-issued debit or credit card are outside the tax ([26 U.S.C. 4475](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/4475)). So a US$300 cash-funded transfer still carries US$3.00 of tax, whether the back end runs on a wire or on USDC on Stellar.

For a corridor where many senders still walk into agent locations with cash, that is a cost the stablecoin leg cannot remove. Only moving senders to account or card funding does.

## Who should pay attention

- Remittance companies and wallets already on Movantis: the release says they can reach the corridor through the integration they already use ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).
- Businesses building on Stellar: they gain a route to Latin American payouts without their own local licences ([SDF](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)).
- Treasury teams paying US dollar suppliers or staff in El Salvador: the corridor needs no FX, so speed and payout reach are the variables ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).
- Compliance leads: Movantis says all services run through locally regulated entities or authorized partners, so check which entity you contract with ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

If you are comparing providers for corridors that do need FX, the trade-offs are different. The button below goes to Stablecoin Insider's FX platform comparison.

[Compare stablecoin FX platforms for cross-border payments](https://stablecoininsider.org/best-stablecoin-fx-platforms-for-cross-border-payments-in-2026/)

💡

Stablecoin Insider's take: El Salvador is the right first corridor and also the easiest one, so it proves less than it seems. A dollarized market removes the FX step that makes most stablecoin corridors hard. The real test is whether Movantis names payout partners that redeem USDC for dollars on weekends, and whether it brings the same Stellar leg to a currency corridor such as Mexico or Guatemala. Until then, the Movantis Stellar integration is a sensible liquidity tool for one corridor, not proof that stablecoin settlement beats bank rails across Latin America.

---

## FAQ

#### What did Movantis and Stellar announce?

Movantis added the Stellar network as a settlement rail, starting with USDC settlement for transfers from the United States to El Salvador ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

#### Is the Movantis Stellar corridor live?

Not yet confirmed. The release calls El Salvador the first planned use case and gives no launch date ([Basis Desk](https://basisdesk.news/news/movantis-integrates-stellar-usdc-payments-el-salvador)).

#### Do recipients in El Salvador receive USDC?

No. USDC is only the settlement leg; local partners pay out US dollars, and senders and recipients keep using familiar payment experiences ([SDF](https://stellar.org/press/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure)).

#### Why start with El Salvador?

Because it is dollarized, so USDC settles and pays out in dollars with no extra currency exposure ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)). It is also a large corridor, with US$9,987.91 million of remittances in 2025 ([EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665)).

#### Does using USDC avoid the 1% US remittance tax?

No. The tax depends on whether the sender pays the provider in cash or a similar physical instrument, not on the settlement rail ([IRS](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-proposed-regulations-on-the-new-remittance-transfer-tax-established-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill)).

#### How is this different from Movantis joining the Circle Payments Network?

CPN, joined in April 2026, gives Movantis bidirectional USDC settlement with off-ramps in more than 10 Latin American countries ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-joins-circle-payments-network-to-expand-real-time-global-value-movement-across-latin-america-and-beyond-302739849.html)). The Stellar integration adds a separate network-level rail, starting with one corridor ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

## What to watch next

Three signals will show whether the Movantis Stellar corridor is real volume: a go-live date, the names of El Salvador payout partners, and a second corridor that needs FX. Movantis already says it expects Europe, Asia and wider Latin American flows on the same architecture ([Movantis](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movantis-integrates-with-the-stellar-network-to-expand-its-cross-border-payments-infrastructure-302922300.html)).

The next data point on demand is El Salvador's October remittance release from the Banco Central de Reserva, after September's US$831.64 million ([Dinero, BCR data](https://dinero.com.sv/economia/remesas-familiares-bajaron-us31-79-millones-en-septiembre-indico-el-bcr/)). The December peak, US$961.12 million in 2025 ([EFE via SWI](https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-remesas-de-el-salvador-suman-9%2e987-millones-de-d%c3%b3lares-en-2025%2c-un-17-%25-m%c3%a1s-que-2024/90846665)), is when a weekend-proof settlement leg would matter most.

This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Company announcements, corridor plans and remittance statistics can change, and the Stablecoin Insider scenarios in this article are simplified illustrations with stated assumptions, not forecasts. No material herein should be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or solicitation to buy or sell.