Singapore-based fintech company Nium is expanding its use of Ripple-powered cross-border payments to improve remittances between the Philippines and Mexico. The integration leverages blockchain-based infrastructure to reduce costs, shorten settlement times, and lower the need for pre-funded accounts.
Nium has integrated Ripple Payments into selected corridors as part of its broader effort to modernize international money transfers. The route between the Philippines and Mexico is among the active remittance channels where faster settlement and lower liquidity requirements are important for payment providers, businesses, and individual senders. Traditional cross-border payment systems often require companies to hold funds in destination markets before transactions are completed, which can tie up capital, raise operating costs, and slow the movement of money. Nium stated that its use of Ripple infrastructure helps reduce those requirements while allowing transactions to move more efficiently across borders.
Nium Chief Executive Prajit Nanu said the company’s use of Ripple in the Philippines and Mexico corridors has reduced pre-funding requirements while enabling faster remittances at lower cost. The change allows the company to manage liquidity more efficiently instead of keeping large balances locked in multiple markets. Pre-funding has long been one of the main cost pressures in remittance services, as payment companies often need to maintain balances in local accounts to ensure payouts can be completed. This creates capital strain, especially when operating across high-volume corridors with different currencies and settlement systems.
Ripple Payments offers an alternative settlement route by using blockchain-based rails to move value between markets. For Nium, the integration supports faster processing and reduces reliance on legacy banking arrangements that may take days to complete transactions. The company began processing transactions in real time within weeks of joining RippleNet, helping reduce delays and giving users quicker access to transferred funds.
Nium’s integration with RippleNet also expands its access to a wider network of financial institutions and payment providers, opening additional corridors linking Southeast Asia with North and South America. The payment network supports Nium’s activity in markets such as Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia, while also helping the company extend services into emerging regions. The Philippines remains one of the world’s largest remittance markets, with millions of workers sending money to families from abroad. Mexico is also a major remittance destination, supported by strong cross-border transfer activity.
Nium’s use of Ripple infrastructure is part of a wider move among fintech companies to use blockchain for payment settlement rather than treating digital assets only as trading instruments. The focus is on payment speed, liquidity management, and operational efficiency. Other financial companies are also using Ripple technology for cross-border services: Travelex Bank has used Ripple Payments to support near-instant settlement and reduce transaction costs, while Intesa Sanpaolo has explored digital asset custody through Ripple infrastructure.
