Acquisition of Interimex by Western Union Could Have Far-Reaching Consequences for the Global Payments Industry
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XRP Army Sees This $500M Western Union Acquisition as Big News for XRP. Here’s Why
By Zaccheaus Ogunjobi
August 11, 2025
The cryptocurrency community is abuzz with the news that Western Union has signed a definitive agreement to acquire International Money Express (Intermex) in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $500 million. This massive acquisition could have significant implications for Ripple’s XRP and its potential use case as a bridge asset in cross-border transactions.
To recap, Intermex publicly joined Ripple’s ecosystem back in February 2020 to test RippleNet’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) payment solution, which utilizes XRP as a bridge asset. The partnership was aimed at providing faster, cheaper cross-border transactions without the need for pre-funded accounts.
For XRP enthusiasts, the connection between Intermex and Ripple is crucial. A global remittance leader has just acquired a company with a proven history of experimenting with XRP-powered settlement technology. Intermex’s dominance in the U.S.-Latin America remittance corridor, one of the most active and costly in the world, aligns perfectly with Ripple’s core use case.
Adding to the excitement is Western Union’s recent interest in digital payments innovation. The company has been exploring blockchain-based settlement methods and even stablecoin integrations as part of its long-term strategy. This fresh opportunity could see technology once tested by Intermex scaled across Western Union’s vast network, potentially amplifying XRP’s role in real-world transactions.
As we analyze this massive acquisition, history tempers some of the enthusiasm. After announcing its Ripple partnership, Intermex clarified that ODL would not be deployed in its core markets, such as Mexico, its largest remittance corridor. Similarly, past industry experiments, like MoneyGram’s ODL integration, demonstrate that trials do not always translate to sustained adoption.
While Western Union has yet to publicly commit to XRP or RippleNet at scale, the acquisition could still have significant long-term implications for the cryptocurrency.
Source: timestabloid.com
