In a regional first, SukuPayâs crypto-native payment infrastructure is now powering cross-border remittances inside Banco Industrialâs mobile app, Zigi â marking a significant shift in how Latin American banks adopt blockchain technology.
The integration allows Guatemalan users to receive U.S.-based transfers in under 20 seconds via their existing banking app, for a flat fee of $0.99, according to a note shared with crypto.news.Â
Users can initiate payments with a debit card, Apple Pay, or cash through retail partners like Walmart and CVS. The system works using just a phone number, eliminating the need for IBANs, crypto wallets, or conversions.
âThis isnât a feature â itâs a financial infrastructure upgrade,â said Yonathan Lapchik, CEO of SukuPay. âWeâre powering real-world payments that actually work for real people â banked or unbanked.â
Remittances are a vital lifeline for Latin America, with Guatemala alone receiving over $21 billion annually. Traditional systems are often costly and slow.Â
SukuPay addresses these inefficiencies by embedding stablecoin-based transfers directly into a regulated banking environment â invisible to the user, but transformative under the hood.
Banco Industrial chose to integrate SukuPay rather than build its own cross-border infrastructure.
 âWith SukuPayâs infrastructure embedded directly into Zigi, weâre not just improving remittances, weâre setting a new standard,â said Michel Caputi, Head of Strategic Alliances at Banco Industrial.
The partnership may serve as a model for banks across the region looking to modernize without building from scratch or forcing customers to engage directly with crypto technology.