The real all-in cost of the stablecoin sandwich (on-ramp + blockchain + off-ramp) compared to Wise and traditional providers, Aug 17, 2026. Crypto and stablecoin rails were cheaper than banks and fintechs on 259 of 391 measured corridors (66%). Crypto rails averaged -1.23% all-in versus 0.57% for traditional providers.
All-in cost for $1,000 sent: on-ramp fee + blockchain network fee + off-ramp FX spread. Negative = recipient receives more than mid-market.
| Corridor | Sandwich cost | Wise cost | Rail | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD → Mexico (MXN) | 0.15% | 1.53% | Solana | +1.38 pp crypto saves |
| USD → Nigeria (NGN) | -3.21% | -1.97% | Stellar | +1.24 pp crypto saves |
| USD → Kenya (KES) | -4.00% | 1.84% | Solana | +5.84 pp crypto saves |
| USD → South Africa (ZAR) | 0.01% | 2.12% | Stellar | +2.11 pp crypto saves |
| USD → India (INR) | -3.06% | 1.22% | Stellar | +4.28 pp crypto saves |
| USD → Philippines (PHP) | 0.05% | 1.20% | Stellar | +1.15 pp crypto saves |
| GBP → India (INR) | -2.79% | 0.49% | Stellar | +3.28 pp crypto saves |
| EUR → India (INR) | -2.79% | 0.75% | Stellar | +3.54 pp crypto saves |
| Corridor | Crypto cost | Traditional cost | Crypto saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR → PLN Poland | -8.59% | 1.25% | +9.84 pp |
| SEK → PLN Poland | -8.88% | 0.59% | +9.47 pp |
| KRW → PLN Poland | -8.82% | 0.50% | +9.32 pp |
| GBP → PLN Poland | -8.59% | 0.69% | +9.29 pp |
| USD → PLN Poland | -8.88% | 0.38% | +9.26 pp |
| HKD → PLN Poland | -8.75% | 0.48% | +9.23 pp |
| DKK → PLN Poland | -8.88% | 0.33% | +9.21 pp |
| NOK → PLN Poland | -8.88% | 0.29% | +9.17 pp |
| SGD → PLN Poland | -8.59% | 0.55% | +9.14 pp |
| SGD → GHS Ghana | -7.80% | 1.09% | +8.89 pp |
| Corridor | Crypto cost | Traditional cost | Traditional saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPY → UAH Ukraine | 3.44% | 0.55% | -2.88 pp |
| SAR → COP Colombia | 2.69% | 0.50% | -2.19 pp |
| BHD → COP Colombia | 2.28% | 0.50% | -1.78 pp |
| AED → COP Colombia | 2.01% | 0.25% | -1.76 pp |
| CAD → COP Colombia | 2.04% | 0.30% | -1.74 pp |
| NZD → MYR Malaysia | 2.06% | 0.32% | -1.74 pp |
| NZD → COP Colombia | 2.28% | 0.61% | -1.67 pp |
| EUR → COP Colombia | 2.04% | 0.39% | -1.65 pp |
| MYR → COP Colombia | 2.33% | 0.69% | -1.64 pp |
| GBP → COP Colombia | 2.04% | 0.42% | -1.62 pp |
Yes, on 66% of the 391 corridors RemitRoutes measures as of Aug 17, 2026. Across all corridors, the average crypto/stablecoin cost was -1.23% versus 0.57% for traditional providers including Wise.
As of Aug 17, 2026, the stablecoin sandwich (on-ramp + Solana + off-ramp via Binance P2P) costs 0.15% all-in on the USD → Mexico (MXN) corridor for a $1,000 transfer. Wise charges 1.53% on the same corridor. Data from RemitRoutes, updated every 6 hours.
As of Aug 17, 2026, the stablecoin sandwich (on-ramp + Stellar + off-ramp via Quidax) costs -3.21% all-in on the USD → Nigeria (NGN) corridor for a $1,000 transfer. Wise charges -1.97% on the same corridor. Data from RemitRoutes, updated every 6 hours.
As of Aug 17, 2026, the stablecoin sandwich (on-ramp + Solana + off-ramp via Binance P2P) costs -4.00% all-in on the USD → Kenya (KES) corridor for a $1,000 transfer. Wise charges 1.84% on the same corridor. Data from RemitRoutes, updated every 6 hours.
As of Aug 17, 2026, the stablecoin sandwich (on-ramp + Stellar + off-ramp via VALR) costs 0.01% all-in on the USD → South Africa (ZAR) corridor for a $1,000 transfer. Wise charges 2.12% on the same corridor. Data from RemitRoutes, updated every 6 hours.
As of Aug 17, 2026, the stablecoin sandwich (on-ramp + Stellar + off-ramp via Coinbase) costs -3.06% all-in on the USD → India (INR) corridor for a $1,000 transfer. Wise charges 1.22% on the same corridor. Data from RemitRoutes, updated every 6 hours.
As of Aug 17, 2026, the corridors with the largest crypto advantage over traditional providers are listed in the table above. Crypto rails are most competitive on long-tail corridors where traditional fintechs have lower transaction volume and thinner liquidity pools.
The stablecoin sandwich is a cross-border payment method where dollars are converted to a stablecoin (like USDC) on the sending side (on-ramp), moved instantly across a blockchain network (e.g. Stellar, Solana, Tron), then converted to local currency at the destination (off-ramp). RemitRoutes measures the all-in cost of all three steps to give a true like-for-like comparison with Wise and other fintechs.
All-in cost = on-ramp fee + blockchain network fee + off-ramp FX spread, measured from live provider data updated every 6 hours. Each weekly report is a frozen snapshot (data captured 2026-08-20). All corridors · all weekly reports · monthly cost index · methodology.