Western Union File WUUSD Trademark After Solana Stablecoin Announcements

The remittance giant, Western Union, has filed a trademark application for a “WUUSD” stablecoin just a day after announcing plans to launch a stablecoin on the Solana network. The latest filing suggests that the company could be planning to offer a broader digital-asset strategy beyond the USDPT stablecoin announced earlier this week.

The filing, which met the minimum requirements of the Patent and Trademark Office, has been accepted, but the office has yet to be examined for approval. According to the filing, WUUSD could be used for a crypto wallet, crypto trading, stablecoin payment processing, and other things.

Western Union Goes Deeper Into Stablecoins With WUUSD Filing

Western Union, known globally for its extensive network of money transfer and payment services, has filed an application with the Patent and Trademark Office for a “WUUSD” stablecoin. This filing comes just days after the remittance giant announced via an investor call that it will launch a USDPT stablecoin on Solana.

For months, Western Union has been making moves into the $300+ billion stablecoin market, and the latest filing represents a clear intention to establish a presence in the digital asset space. Following the acceptance of the filing, Western Union is now “awaiting examination” for its WUUSD stablecoin.

Dual Stablecoin Strategy From Western Union?

The filing has raised questions in the crypto space about how Western Union aims to operate two stablecoins. This would not be new to the crypto space, as stablecoin issuers like Tether and Circle have issued several stable assets pegged to different currencies. 

While Western Union has not provided clarity on the operation of each stablecoin, the filing details the possibility of WUUSD being used for stablecoin exchange and trading services, alongside “stablecoin payment processing.”

This hints that Western Union could use the WUUSD stablecoin for a wider range of digital asset services, including “for spending and trading cryptocurrency.” The filing also lists crypto exchange, trading, and payment processing services, as well as “financial brokerage services for cryptocurrency trading,” as part of the services that could be offered through WUUSD.

The filing also mentions crypto lending services as part of what WUUSD could be used for. It includes the possibility of “namely, conducting a securities and derivatives exchange,” which could be a significant step away from Western Union’s typical send and receive services.

William Blair analysts have described the move from Western Union as “a clear opportunity rather than a threat” for the remittance industry. They explained that the use of stablecoins for settlement rails could significantly reduce transaction costs, increase capital efficiency, and provide stability for users in inflation-prone or FX-volatile economies.

Rapid Growth of Stablecoins

Since the US passed the GENIUS Act in July to offer greater clarity on stablecoins, there has been a surge in interest around these assets. Payment and banking service providers have been entering the space to offer services, as they believe stablecoins could be the future of global payments.

Along with Western Union’s growing interest, Visa has also added support for stablecoins this week as it plans to take advantage of a rapidly growing market. Standard Chartered has predicted that by 2028, stablecoins could pull $1 trillion from emerging market banks.