Thunes has introduced prefunding in EURC, a euro-pegged stablecoin, using the Solana blockchain, according to a report from CryptoBriefing. The company operates a cross-border payments network that connects banks, mobile wallets, and payment providers across roughly 140 countries. This integration is intended to let partners fund euro payment flows continuously, without waiting on traditional banking hours.
Prefunding is a common mechanism in cross-border payments. Payment networks typically require liquidity to be set aside in advance so transactions can settle instantly once initiated. Historically, that liquidity has been held in bank accounts subject to business hours, cut-off times, and weekend closures. By shifting a portion of that prefunding into a stablecoin on a public blockchain, Thunes says it can offer settlement that runs continuously, seven days a week.
EURC is issued by Circle, the same company behind the widely used USDC stablecoin. It is designed to track the value of the euro on a roughly one-to-one basis, backed by reserves held in euro-denominated assets. Circle has been expanding EURC's presence across multiple blockchains, including Solana, as demand grows for euro-denominated digital settlement tools alongside dollar-pegged stablecoins.
Solana has increasingly become a preferred network for payment-related stablecoin activity. Its appeal comes from fast transaction confirmation times and comparatively low fees relative to some other blockchains. Payment companies exploring blockchain rails have cited these characteristics as important for high-volume, time-sensitive settlement use cases like cross-border payouts.
The broader context here involves a wider trend among payment infrastructure companies. Many are testing stablecoins as a way to reduce reliance on correspondent banking networks, which can introduce delays and additional costs when moving money internationally. Traditional cross-border settlement often involves multiple intermediary banks, each adding processing time and fees. Stablecoin-based prefunding is being positioned by some firms as an alternative that can compress settlement windows and operate outside conventional banking hours.
For a network like Thunes, which serves partners across a large number of countries, currency mismatches and time zone differences have long been operational challenges. Enabling euro liquidity to move continuously on a blockchain could reduce the friction associated with weekend or overnight payment requests, particularly for markets tied closely to the eurozone.
The move also reflects a pattern of payments companies incrementally adopting stablecoin infrastructure for specific functions, such as prefunding or settlement, rather than replacing traditional banking relationships outright. This measured approach allows firms to test blockchain-based tools while maintaining existing compliance and banking arrangements. As stablecoin issuance and euro-denominated digital assets continue to expand, payment providers appear to be evaluating where these tools can address concrete operational gaps, such as weekend liquidity, rather than adopting them wholesale across all payment corridors.
Market Impact
The addition of EURC prefunding could reinforce demand for euro-denominated stablecoins within payments infrastructure, an area that has largely been dominated by dollar-pegged tokens like USDC and USDT. If Thunes's approach proves operationally effective, it may encourage other cross-border payment networks to explore similar stablecoin-based prefunding arrangements for non-dollar currencies.
For Solana, continued adoption by payments firms adds to the network's positioning as infrastructure for stablecoin settlement, alongside its existing use in trading and decentralized finance. Broader market effects will likely depend on transaction volumes generated through this integration and whether other payment providers follow with comparable euro-focused stablecoin deployments.
The integration illustrates how payment networks are selectively incorporating stablecoin infrastructure to address specific settlement gaps, rather than overhauling entire payment systems at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EURC?
EURC is a euro-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle, designed to maintain a roughly one-to-one value with the euro through reserve backing.
What does prefunding mean in payments?
Prefunding refers to setting aside liquidity in advance so that payment transactions can settle immediately once initiated, rather than waiting for funds to be sourced at the time of payment.
Why did Thunes choose Solana for this integration?
According to the report, Thunes is using Solana to support continuous euro settlement, leveraging the network's fast transaction speeds for payment-related stablecoin activity.
How many countries does this affect?
Thunes's payments network spans approximately 140 countries, and the EURC prefunding integration is intended to support euro payment flows across that network.