Western Union’s WUUSD Trademark Points to a Bigger Stablecoin Strategy Ahead of USDPT Launch

Western Union has long been one of the world’s largest money-transfer networks, serving millions of customers who send funds across borders each day. Now, the company is steadily expanding into stablecoins, a type of digital currency designed to keep a steady value, usually linked to the U.S. dollar.

A major new step in this shift is Western Union’s trademark filing for “WUUSD,” discovered shortly after the company publicly announced its first USD-backed stablecoin, USDPT, which is scheduled to launch on the Solana blockchain in early 2026. While USDPT has been formally announced, WUUSD has not yet appeared in any public statement from Western Union, making the trademark filing especially noteworthy.

The move suggests that Western Union sees a meaningful future in blockchain-powered payments and may be preparing multiple stablecoin-related products under different names.

Understanding the WUUSD Trademark Filing

The application for the name WUUSD was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has already met the basic requirements for acceptance. However, it has not yet gone through full examination a process that usually takes several months.

According to the filing, WUUSD could be used for services such as:

• Stablecoin payment processing
• General payment processing
• Foreign currency exchange

These services closely match Western Union’s traditional strengths in global money transfers. This hints that WUUSD might eventually become the company’s consumer-facing stablecoin name, even if USDPT remains the official, regulation-focused version used in filings and technical contracts. This idea aligns with industry behavior. Other firms often use separate names for regulatory and public-facing stablecoin versions to keep branding simple for everyday users while maintaining compliance behind the scenes.

Western Union has already confirmed that its first stablecoin will be USDPT, issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on the Solana blockchain. Solana is known for its fast and low-cost transactions, making it suitable for remittances, where users often send small amounts of money frequently.

The discovery of the WUUSD trademark has sparked discussion about Western Union’s strategy. Some industry observers, including Rajiv Sawhney from Wave Digital Assets, suggest that WUUSD may simply serve as a more recognizable brand for users. “Western Union USD” is easier to understand than a technical-sounding name like USDPT. In many cases, companies issue multiple stablecoins or use multiple identifiers to support different purposes. Examples include:

• Tether with USDT, EURT, and gold-backed tokens
• Circle with USDC and EURC
• Paxos with USDP and PYUSD
• Binance with BUSD and FDUSD

Western Union could be following a similar path, preparing a branded token for everyday use while keeping USDPT as the formal, legally structured version. Stablecoins have become central to many crypto transactions, providing a bridge between digital and traditional finance. They help users send money quickly, avoid high fees, and access global markets without relying on local banks.

Below is a simple comparison of key stablecoins and their roles today:

 

Stablecoin	Issuer	Peg / Chain	Status	Primary Use
USDT	Tether	USD / Multi-chain	Active	Trading and transfers
USDC	Circle	USD / Ethereum + others	Active	Payments and institutions
PYUSD	PayPal	USD / Multi-chain	Active	Online payments
USDPT	Western Union & Anchorage Digital	USD / Solana	Announced	Upcoming remittances
WUUSD	Western Union	USD / Not disclosed	Trademark filed	Potential branded version

 

This growing list shows how common it has become for companies to run multiple tokens or build networks around them. If Western Union successfully launches USDPT and later introduces WUUSD, cross-border payments could become faster, cheaper, and more transparent.

For example, someone sending money from one country to another could see:

• Transfers settling within minutes
• Lower fees compared to traditional remittance methods
• Clear on-chain tracking of transfers
• Easier access thanks to Western Union’s global network

These improvements could benefit millions of users, especially in regions where financial services are expensive or difficult to access.

Western Union’s actions announcing USDPT, filing a trademark for WUUSD, and planning a broader “digital asset network” indicate more than just experimentation. They show a company preparing to operate within a future where stablecoins play a central role in global finance. Whether WUUSD becomes the main token name or simply a consumer-friendly brand, these moves highlight a clear direction, traditional payments and blockchain technology are merging, and everyday users may soon feel the benefits in faster and more affordable international transfers.