Guide to international payments: stablecoins vs SWIFT

• Stablecoins reduce cross-border settlement from days to minutes, with the fiat leg completed on domestic rails at each end.
• Fewer intermediaries means fewer fees: one conversion at an institutional rate replaces a chain of correspondent banks and FX margins.
• On-chain records give every payment a traceable, tamper-evident audit trail.
• Compliance is not optional: XEROF screens every counterparty under the Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act.
• The mechanics are simple enough for a finance team to run without new infrastructure.

• High fees: each intermediary bank and FX conversion adds cost, often opaque until the funds land.
• Slow processing: multiple clearing systems and cut-off times stretch settlement to days.
• Limited access: counterparties in underbanked regions struggle to receive or send funds.
• No visibility: payers rarely know where a SWIFT payment is or what the beneficiary will receive.

1. 1

   Open an account

   Identity verification with XEROF for the payer, or for the company and its authorised persons.

2. 2

   Fund and convert

   Wire USD, EUR, CHF or GBP to XEROF, or send stablecoins you already hold. Fiat is converted to USDC or USDT at the quoted rate.

3. 3

   Instruct the payout

   Upload the invoice in online.xerof.com and instruct XEROF to pay it in fiat from your stablecoin balance through the Payouts service.

4. 4

   Beneficiary receives fiat

   XEROF converts the required stablecoins at the quoted rate and pays the beneficiary by bank transfer to an account in their name, with your reference on the payment.

• SWIFT is a messaging network, not a settlement system. It carries payment instructions between banks while the money moves through correspondent accounts, typically over one to three business days, with a fee and an FX margin at each hop.
• A stablecoin transfer settles on-chain in minutes, at any hour of any day, with one visible network cost, and both parties can verify its status on the public ledger.
• Neither replaces the other. The beneficiary still needs fiat in a bank account, so the local legs at each end are paid over SEPA, SWIFT or domestic rails.
• XEROF combines the two: the cross-border hop runs in USDC or USDT, and the fiat legs settle through regulated rails in CHF, EUR, USD or GBP, with every counterparty identified and every payment screened.
• The cost is visible. An OTC rate passed through at cost and one XEROF fee on its own line, rather than a margin folded into a bank's currency rate.

• Stablecoin cross-border payments at XEROF are funded only with USDT or USDC on Ethereum (ERC-20), whatever the payout currency, including USD, EUR, GBP and CHF.
• BTC, ETH and SOL can be converted, but the fiat goes to your own account. To pay a supplier or other third party from them, convert to USDT or USDC first.
• Payouts reach 60 corridors in 59 countries and 26 currencies, with limits set by each receiving market.
• Every beneficiary is screened and receives a conventional bank transfer, without needing a wallet.
• You execute the conversion yourself in XEROF Online at the live rate from tier 1 liquidity, passed through at cost, with the XEROF fee on its own line.

Corridors, currencies and payout details are on the Payouts service page.

Are stablecoin payments legal for cross-border business payments?

In Switzerland, yes, when carried out through a financial intermediary supervised under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The beneficiary receives fiat by bank transfer, so nothing changes on their side. Rules differ by jurisdiction for the payer, so take your own legal and tax advice.

Which stablecoins does XEROF use?

USDC and USDT on the networks supported at the time of the transfer. Both are USD-denominated, so exposure to price movement between conversion and payment is minimal.

Does the beneficiary need a XEROF account?

No. XEROF pays the invoice in fiat through the Payouts service to a bank account in the beneficiary's name. The beneficiary receives a conventional bank transfer and does not need a wallet or any exposure to cryptoassets.

What does an international stablecoin payment cost?

The conversion fee follows the published monthly volume tiers on the pricing page. There is no separate charge for the on-chain transfer beyond network cost, and third-party payouts carry a small surcharge that is also published.

Is blockchain replacing SWIFT for cross-border payments?

Not as a whole. SWIFT remains the messaging standard between banks, and most beneficiaries still need fiat in a bank account. What is changing is the cross-border hop itself: a stablecoin settles that leg in minutes with a verifiable record, while SWIFT and SEPA still carry the fiat legs at each end. A regulated provider such as XEROF connects the two.

How long does a stablecoin cross-border payment take compared with SWIFT?

The on-chain transfer is usually confirmed within minutes at any hour. The fiat payout at the far end then follows the local rail: same day on SEPA Instant or domestic transfers where available, and typically one business day over SWIFT. A conventional SWIFT payment routed through several correspondent banks often takes one to three business days end to end.

Which crypto is best for cross-border payments?

USD stablecoins: USDT and USDC on Ethereum (ERC-20). They are USD-denominated, so exposure to price movement between funding and payout is minimal, and at XEROF they are the only assets that fund a payment to a third party, in any currency.

Can I make a cross-border payment with bitcoin?

Not directly to a third party. XEROF converts BTC, ETH and SOL to fiat on your own account. To pay a supplier or other beneficiary abroad, convert to USDT or USDC first, then instruct the payout.

How many countries can stablecoin cross-border payments reach?

XEROF Payouts cover 60 corridors in 59 countries and 26 currencies, funded with USDT or USDC on Ethereum (ERC-20). Limits are set by each receiving market and every beneficiary is screened.

Does XEROF give advice on international payments?

No. XEROF is a settlement provider, not an adviser. We explain how the service works and confirm every rate in writing, but decisions on structure, tax and legal treatment are for you and your advisers.