MoneyGram CEO Anthony Soohoo told the audience at CoinDesk's Consensus 2025 conference that blockchain technology works best when customers don't realize it's being used. The comment came during a fireside chat where Soohoo outlined how the company's blockchain strategy has evolved from early experimentation into a broader effort to modernize its global payments infrastructure.
From remittances to identity
MoneyGram has been experimenting with blockchain since 2018. Its partnership with the Stellar Development Foundation has already put the Stellar blockchain to work for cross-border payments. But Soohoo said the company is now looking beyond remittances. He pointed to identity verification and compliance as two areas where blockchain could make a real difference.
Cost and speed
Soohoo said blockchain can help reduce costs and increase speed for remittances — the core of MoneyGram's business. The company's approach has been to integrate the technology quietly, so the end user doesn't have to think about it. That's the point: the infrastructure works in the background, and the customer just sees a faster, cheaper transfer.
MoneyGram continues to explore blockchain for identity and compliance, areas where the technology could reduce friction in cross-border payments. No timeline was given, but Soohoo's comments suggest the company sees blockchain as a long-term piece of its infrastructure — not a marketing gimmick.
