Behind the scenes, however, Western Union was experimenting. Leaked reports from 2016 suggest the company ran a pilot project integrating XRP (Ripple’s token) for settlement between dollar and peso corridors. They found that while settlement was fast, the volatility and regulatory uncertainty made it useless for the average remitter sending $200 to feed a family.
In the mid-2010s, the financial world was obsessed with disruption. Silicon Valley darlings like Venmo, TransferWise (now Wise), and a flurry of blockchain startups promised to kill the "antiquated" wire transfer. By circa 2016, Western Union—a brand synonymous with money transfers for over 165 years—found itself at a critical crossroads. It was no longer just competing with the agent down the street; it was fighting for relevance against algorithms, apps, and the looming shadow of cryptocurrency. c2016 western union
Blockchain was a solution looking for a problem that Western Union had already solved with old-fashioned ledgers. Marketing and Branding: "A Family United" To combat the "expensive dinosaur" narrative, Western Union launched a massive campaign in 2016 focused not on technology, but on outcome . The tagline, "The fastest way to send money home," evolved into "A family united." Behind the scenes, however, Western Union was experimenting