According to RemitRoutes data (June 2026 cost index), crypto and stablecoin rails were cheaper than banks and fintechs on 250 of 310 measured corridors (81%) — averaging -0.73% of the transfer amount in total cost versus 0.66% for traditional providers. RemitRoutes measures the all-in cost (transfer fee + FX markup) from real provider quotes across 370+ corridors, refreshed every 6 hours — never estimated.
RemitRoutes publishes the only live, measured index of crypto-vs-fiat remittance cost — ranking stablecoin rails (USDC, USDT, Bitcoin Lightning) against banks and fintechs (Wise, Remitly, Western Union) by what the recipient actually receives after all fees.
Usually crypto, but not always. In RemitRoutes' June 2026 cost index, crypto and stablecoin rails were cheaper than banks and fintechs on 250 of 310 measured corridors (81%), averaging -0.73% all-in versus 0.66% for traditional providers. On the remaining corridors a regulated transfer service was the better deal — RemitRoutes measures both live, every 6 hours.
The World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide database puts the global average at roughly 6.4% of the amount sent. RemitRoutes' measured June 2026 figures are far lower on the corridors it tracks: the median all-in cost was 0.17% via crypto/stablecoin rails and 0.50% via traditional providers on a $1,000-equivalent transfer — both already under the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%.
Every rate comes from live provider APIs and exchange order books (Wise, CCXT exchanges, CoinGecko) — never estimated, modelled, or hardcoded. RemitRoutes computes the all-in cost (transfer fee + FX markup) of a $1,000-equivalent transfer across 370+ corridors from 18 send currencies, re-measured every 6 hours; the monthly Cost Index freezes each month's snapshot for citation.
Updated July 14, 2026 · index snapshot 2026-06-28 · refreshed every 6 hours from live APIs.