Palo Alto, California, August 7, 2026, Chainwire

A new partnership between global on-chain payments network Movement, New Jersey-based Mexico remittance provider El Vecino, and on-chain wallet company RISE will power a digital-dollar service that allows customers to hold their own money and send it home in seconds through WhatsApp.

The launch is designed to let Mexican families send money from the United States instantly across the world’s largest remittance corridor without requiring a bank account or an app download. Using El Vecino’s 19 years of experience in U.S.-to-Mexico physical remittances, RISE’s wallet capabilities and LATAM network, and Movement’s regulated, sub-second payment rails, the partnership enables stablecoin-settled transfers to Mexico with near-instant settlement.

Instead of visiting a physical location to initiate every cash transfer, El Vecino customers can now begin the process through WhatsApp, Mexico’s most widely used messaging platform. Funds settle in seconds before recipients cash out through Mexico’s OXXO and Circle K retail networks or receive funds directly through the country’s SPEI banking system.

El Vecino currently processes approximately 25,000 transactions per month, representing $70 million annually in remittances, international and domestic bill payments, check cashing, and other services. About 85% of its transactions are sent to Mexico.

The WhatsApp service will first be trialed among El Vecino’s 20,000 users before being rolled out through RISE’s network to an estimated 800,000 users in a second phase. Future phases will extend beyond Mexico to other LATAM markets, including Guatemala and El Salvador, both of which also rank among the top remittance-receiving countries in the region relative to GDP.

RISE founder Richard Mas will appear live from the New York Stock Exchange on Pulso Del Mercado, one of the region’s influential news segments, to discuss the partnership on Tuesday, August 11, at 11:30 a.m. EST.

The launch comes amid rising demand for accessible cross-border payment options across the U.S.-Mexico corridor, the world’s largest remittance route, which saw more than $62 billion pass through in 2024, according to the source cited in the announcement. The company said the new service is intended to streamline a process that has traditionally relied on cash handling and multi-day settlement times. World Bank data has consistently shown that the average global remittance fee hovers around 6 percent, meaning billions of dollars are absorbed by intermediaries each year rather than reaching recipient families.

Torab Torabi, CEO of Movement, said:

“For too long, Mexicans have often struggled to send hard-earned money back home. Partnering with El Vecino and RISE will address this imbalance while proving the versatility and reliability of stablecoins as a settlement mechanism. In doing so, we’re also proud to be demonstrating that regulated blockchain infrastructure can modernize one of the world’s busiest remittance corridors.”

Mike Burns, founder of El Vecino, said:

“El Vecino has been built on the trust brought by face-to-face interaction. Families rely on us because they know we’ll help them support their loved ones back home. The partnership with RISE and Movement allows us to bring that built trust to a remote digital vehicle that provides the same safeguards and surety that money sent will reach home. Technology should make life easier, and that’s exactly what this collaboration achieves.”

Richard Mas, founder of RISE, said:

“Every year, tens of billions of dollars cross from the United States into Mexico, most of it earned far from home by people the banking system overlooked. El Vecino spent 19 years earning trust at the counter, one household at a time, and we are proud to join Movement in giving those customers access to new, safe and compliant digital solutions.”

Movement said the WhatsApp service replaces the traditional chain of correspondent banks with blockchain-based settlement while remaining fully compliant with regulations. The model eliminates the need for pre-funded liquidity and reduces settlement from days to seconds without the hidden costs often associated with legacy cross-border payment rails.

The company said its globally licensed payment infrastructure spans the United States, Canada and Europe, and will provide El Vecino with compliant fiat on- and off-ramps that have historically been difficult for community remittance providers to access.

Movement, El Vecino and RISE said the collaboration shows how established community operators can adopt institutional-grade blockchain payment infrastructure without the complexity of building and managing such systems themselves. By combining El Vecino’s local relationships with Movement’s regulated settlement network, the companies said the model could potentially be replicated by remittance providers serving immigrant communities worldwide.

About Movement

Movement provides access to globally licensed and regulated blockchain payment infrastructure that enables businesses to move money across borders using compliant stablecoin settlement rails. Its payment network offers licensed access across the United States, Canada and Europe, helping financial institutions and payment providers deliver fast, low-cost international transfers without relying on traditional correspondent banking networks.

About El Vecino

El Vecino is a community financial services provider serving Mexican communities across New Jersey. It processes more than $70 million in annual remittance volume for over 20,000 customers and offers money transfer and financial services designed to help families maintain strong economic connections across the U.S.-Mexico border. Learn more at

About RISE

RISE is a self-custody digital dollar wallet that lets customers hold and transfer USD-backed digital dollars while maintaining direct control of their funds. As an alternative to slow, high-cost and often inaccessible banking rails, RISE customers can open a dollar account inside WhatsApp, hold balances in USD-backed digital dollars that resist local inflation, and send money across borders in seconds for a flat fee. Learn more at

Press Contact:

Rebecca Jones
[email protected]
Head of Communications
Move Industries
[email protected]