TrustLinq Partners with Thunes to Enable Stablecoin-to-Bank Transfers Across 190 Countries

TrustLinq has integrated the Thunes Direct Global Network into its settlement infrastructure, significantly expanding its cross-border payout capabilities. For fintech professionals, this move represents a critical bridge between decentralized finance and traditional banking, allowing stablecoin transactions to be settled as local currency bank transfers across 190 countries and 80 currencies.

What was announced

TrustLinq has confirmed a major expansion of its global settlement reach through a technical integration with Thunes. The partnership allows TrustLinq to utilize the Thunes Direct Global Network, effectively scaling its payout infrastructure to support more than 80 local currencies. This integration is designed to facilitate seamless transitions between digital assets and fiat currency, specifically targeting the friction points inherent in international B2B and P2P payments.

The platform functions as a Swiss-based payment infrastructure provider that connects self-custodial wallets directly to traditional third-party bank accounts. Under this new arrangement, a client can initiate a payment using stablecoins from their own private wallet. The recipient—which could be a landlord, a global supplier, or a service provider—receives the funds as a standard bank transfer in their native currency. By leveraging Thunes’ direct access to local payment systems, these transfers are processed via local rails, ensuring they move at local speeds rather than the delayed timelines often associated with international SWIFT transfers.

A key technical advantage of this setup is the removal of manual "off-ramping" processes. Users are no longer required to move assets to a centralized exchange or maintain their own traditional bank account to fulfill payment obligations to fiat-based entities. The integration covers a vast geography, encompassing over 190 countries, making it one of the more expansive bridges currently available between the Web3 ecosystem and global retail banking.

"TrustLinq operates as a Swiss payment infrastructure provider that bridges the gap between self-custodial wallets and traditional third-party bank transfers. The platform allows clients to send stablecoins directly from their own wallets, while the recipient—such as a supplier, service provider, or landlord—receives a standard bank transfer in their local currency."

TrustLinq

The companies involved

Thunes is a prominent player in the global cross-border payments space, specializing in connecting diverse payment methods—including mobile wallets, bank accounts, and cards—across a unified network. The company focuses on solving the "last mile" problem in international money movement, providing the underlying rails that allow businesses and financial institutions to send payments to emerging and developed markets with high transparency and lower costs. Thunes has established itself as a critical infrastructure layer for marketplaces and fintechs looking to bypass the complexities of correspondent banking.

TrustLinq, operating via its web presence at trustlinq.com, is a Swiss-based infrastructure provider focused on the intersection of digital assets and traditional finance. By positioning itself in Switzerland, a jurisdiction known for its clear regulatory framework regarding blockchain and digital assets, the company provides a compliant gateway for users to utilize self-custodial funds for real-world expenses. The firm’s primary value proposition lies in its ability to abstract the complexities of cryptocurrency liquidation, allowing the sender to remain within the decentralized ecosystem while the recipient remains within the traditional banking system.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the expansion of Thunes as it builds out its global infrastructure and Web3 capabilities. We previously covered their efforts to bridge digital and fiat liquidity in Thunes Expands Web3 Infrastructure with EURC for Instant Euro Treasury Funding. The company’s geographic growth has also been a point of focus, notably in Thunes Launches Real-Time Payments into New Zealand, which highlighted their commitment to local rail integration. Additionally, their work with major financial incumbents was detailed in our report on how Thunes and Fiserv Partner to Enable Real-Time Global Payouts for Marketplaces.

What this means

This integration signals a shift in how stablecoins are perceived by the broader market—moving from speculative assets to functional settlement tools. By removing the need for a centralized exchange to act as a middleman, TrustLinq and Thunes are putting significant pressure on traditional remittance providers and legacy banks that rely on high fees for currency conversion. The ability to move from a self-custodial wallet to a local bank account in 80 currencies suggests that the technical barriers to "crypto-native" commerce are dissolving. The industry must now ask whether traditional banks will seek to build these bridges themselves or risk becoming merely the passive endpoints for decentralized payment flows.