Coinbase and Thunes Partner to Bring Stablecoin Payouts to 140 Countries' Local Banks and Wallets
Published October 20, 2026, 12:50 AM PKT. Based on the joint Thunes and Coinbase announcement issued October 19, 2026 via PRNewswire at Money20/20 USA in Las Vegas (primary source material), CoinEdition's October 19, 2026 report on the announcement (secondary source), CryptoTimes' October 19, 2026 report on the announcement (secondary source), and cryptodaily's October 2026 report on the expanded Marqeta and Coinbase stablecoin card partnership (secondary source). MABOnChain has not previously covered Thunes.
Coinbase and Thunes announced a strategic collaboration on October 19, 2026 at Money20/20 USA in Las Vegas, linking the exchange's stablecoin infrastructure with the payments company's global fiat payout rails. Under the agreement, Coinbase will power Thunes' stablecoin infrastructure across its network, while Thunes will plug Coinbase into its Direct Global Network for last-mile fiat payouts, the companies said in the announcement.
"Stablecoins meet local clearing systems": the 140-country rails
Coinbase will integrate Thunes' Direct Global Network into its platform, creating direct payout access to local clearing systems and alternative payment methods across more than 140 countries and more than 90 currencies, according to the announcement. Thunes said its network connects to more than 12 billion mobile wallets, stablecoin wallets and bank accounts worldwide, plus 15 billion cards through more than 220 payment methods, naming GCash, M-Pesa, Airtel, MTN, Orange, JazzCash, Easypaisa, AliPay and WeChat Pay HK.
The named use cases are enterprise supplier payments, global gig worker payouts and instant international remittances. Thunes pitched the tie-up as the way to reach hard-to-reach regions with limited banking infrastructure. Members of its Direct Global Network already include gig economy platforms Uber and Deliveroo and super-apps Grab and WeChat, according to the announcement. Thunes is headquartered in Singapore and lists offices in 14 locations, including New York, San Francisco, London, Paris and Dubai.
What the executives said
Chloé Mayenobe, deputy CEO at Thunes, said: "Digital assets have become a core part of our financial ecosystem, but connecting digital currencies to fiat and local domestic financial systems remains essential for real-world utility. Thunes serves as the crucial bridge connecting traditional finance, mobile wallets, and digital assets. Together with Coinbase, we are enabling seamless fully compliant cross-border payouts, anywhere in the world."
Alec Lovett, head of infrastructure products at Coinbase, said: "Digital assets and stablecoins are transforming how value moves worldwide, and at Coinbase we are focused on unlocking their full potential. Last-mile connectivity is a key part of this, and working alongside Thunes allows us to deliver an end-to-end payment experience that offers faster, friction-free payouts across more countries and currencies than ever before."
Kyle Rosen, head of North America at Thunes, said the collaboration reflects the momentum Thunes is building as "the cross-border infrastructure of choice for leading US businesses across financial services, payments, fintech, and digital assets."
The fine print: no timeline, no terms
The announcement disclosed no financial terms, no launch date and no list of supported stablecoins. It also has not been confirmed whether individual Coinbase customers will get access to the service, CoinEdition reported on October 19. Coinbase shares traded at $170.32 on October 19, down 1.64% on the day, CryptoTimes reported, citing Yahoo Finance data. The deal follows the same stablecoin-payments race that produced Mastercard and BVNK's Global Money Platform, announced October 15, which also stitches stablecoin and fiat rails onto one API for banks and payment companies.
Same-day signal: Coinbase and Marqeta expand stablecoin cards
The Thunes deal was not Coinbase's only stablecoin payments move on October 19. Marqeta announced an expanded relationship with Coinbase for enterprise stablecoin-backed card programs, with Coinbase handling custody and fiat conversion, the Base network providing on-chain settlement, and Marqeta handling card issuance and payment processing, cryptodaily reported. As with the Thunes deal, no supported stablecoins, financial terms or specific timetable were disclosed, and the arrangement is aimed at enterprise card programs rather than a consumer launch.
This article is news reporting and is not investment advice.
Sources
- Thunes and Coinbase joint announcement, issued October 19, 2026 via PRNewswire at Money20/20 USA, primary source: strategic collaboration structure (Coinbase powers Thunes' stablecoin infrastructure, Thunes powers Coinbase's global fiat reach); Direct Global Network reach of more than 140 countries, more than 90 currencies, more than 12 billion mobile wallets, stablecoin wallets and bank accounts, 15 billion cards, 220 payment methods; use cases of enterprise supplier payments, gig worker payouts and remittances; quotes from Chloé Mayenobe, Alec Lovett and Kyle Rosen; no financial terms, timeline, supported stablecoins or consumer availability disclosed
- CoinEdition, October 19, 2026, secondary source: partnership announced October 19 at Money20/20 USA in Las Vegas; Coinbase stablecoin infrastructure combined with Thunes' network across more than 50 payment licenses and clearing systems; individual Coinbase customer access not confirmed;
- CryptoTimes, October 19, 2026, secondary source: partnership targets supplier payments, gig workers and remittances; Coinbase shares at $170.32 on October 19, down 1.64%, per Yahoo Finance data
- cryptodaily, October 2026, secondary source: Marqeta and Coinbase expanded stablecoin-backed card partnership announced October 19; Coinbase provides custody and conversion, Base provides on-chain settlement, Marqeta handles issuance and processing; no supported stablecoins, financial terms or timetable disclosed; enterprise arrangement, not a consumer card
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