Reducing Payment Risk for Colombian PSPs: How Stablecoins Improve Transaction Reliability

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Jul 4, 2025

Colombia’s rapidly expanding fintech sector has seen a surge in digital payments, with payment service providers (PSPs) playing a central role in enabling transactions for merchants and consumers. Yet, persistent challenges—such as delayed settlements and high payment failure rates—are disrupting operations for many businesses. Recent data shows that 41% of Colombian merchants experienced at least one delayed or failed international payment in the last 12 months (muralpay.com).

In this climate, the demand for greater transaction reliability is more urgent than ever. As the industry seeks faster, more transparent solutions, stablecoin-powered payments infrastructure is emerging as a transformative tool. Platforms like Mural Pay are innovating to help PSPs achieve consistent, low-risk transactions across borders.

Stablecoins—digital assets pegged to fiat currencies—offer a promising path to minimize risk and maximize payment certainty.

Late or failed payments erode cash flow and damage merchant relationships.
Stablecoin rails settle in minutes, cutting operational overhead and exposure to FX swings.
Regulatory sandboxes in Colombia let PSPs pilot on-chain solutions while staying compliant.
Case studies show 70% reductions in payout and reconciliation time for high-volume teams.
This guide compares stablecoins to legacy networks and outlines strategic next steps.

Understanding Payment Risks for Colombian PSPs in 2025

It’s a question nearly every payment service provider (PSP) in Colombia faces: what are the greatest obstacles to reliable, efficient payments in 2025?

Colombian PSPs grapple with a range of risks, including chargeback fraud, prolonged settlement delays, currency volatility, and shifting regulatory requirements. For example, chargeback fraud can cost merchants up to $2.40 for every $1 lost, highlighting the financial burden of transaction disputes (muralpay.com).

The problem is compounded by worsening settlement times—on average, late payments in Latin America stretched from 36 days in 2023 to 52 days in 2024.

While traditional chargebacks are less common due to lower credit card usage, unfamiliarity with digital payments can still lead to disputes and user errors. This makes user education and fraud detection systems essential for reducing losses and maintaining smooth payment flows.

For more, see this overview of payment challenges for Colombian merchants.

How Stablecoins Tackle Transaction Failures and Delays

Forget the days of waiting several business days for cross-border payments to clear. Stablecoins are driving a fundamental shift in how PSPs manage settlement and risk.

Here’s how stablecoins are changing the game:

Near-Instant Settlement: A logistics company in Latin America reduced settlement times from several days to under one hour after switching to stablecoin payments, while also cutting fees from 4% to below 1% (muralpay.com).
Irreversible Transactions: Blockchain-based payments eliminate the risk of chargebacks, giving merchants and PSPs finality and peace of mind.
Transparency and Auditability: Every transaction is recorded on a public ledger, enabling real-time tracking and simplified reconciliation.
Scale: In 2024, stablecoins settled over $5 trillion in real-world payments for use cases such as merchant payouts and cross-border transactions.

One virtual assistant agency reduced payout and reconciliation time by over 70% using batch stablecoin payouts.

These examples illustrate how transaction reliability and settlement speed are now within reach for Colombian PSPs.

Regulatory and Compliance Realities for PSPs Using Stablecoins

Navigating compliance is non-negotiable for PSPs embracing stablecoins in Colombia.

Colombia’s regulatory sandbox, “La Arenera,” allows fintechs to test stablecoin solutions in a supervised environment, fostering innovation while maintaining oversight.

The absence of public regulatory fines for stablecoin payment non-compliance as of July 2025 should not be mistaken for leniency. Instead, authorities are intensifying scrutiny—85 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) were filed by crypto exchanges in the first half of 2025, a 40% increase year-over-year (coinlaw.io).

Under Resolution 314-2021, all virtual asset service providers must report suspicious transactions, highlighting the country’s proactive stance on money laundering and compliance.

The Financial Superintendence has also released guidelines for blockchain adoption in public projects, and the government is actively collaborating with industry players to keep pace with global trends.

For a practical checklist, see the Stablecoin Compliance Checklist for Colombian PSPs in UIAF & SFC Rules.

Real-World Proof: Case Studies of Stablecoins Reducing Payment Risk

Colombia, which ranks fifth in Latin America for crypto adoption with $25 billion in transaction inflow, is seeing the shift to stablecoins become a real business trend.

Mini Case 1: A logistics company in LatAm cut settlement times to under an hour and slashed cross-border payment fees by switching to stablecoins (muralpay.com).

Mini Case 2: An Argentina-based agency reduced payout time to over 100 contractors by more than 70% through batch stablecoin payouts.

Mini Case 3: As expert Chris Colson of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta observes, “With stablecoins steadily integrating into mainstream finance and demonstrating their potential—both in cost savings and transaction speed—the traditional wire transfer may soon be relegated to a niche role” (muralpay.com).

These cases underscore the tangible improvements in transaction reliability and operational efficiency that stablecoins bring to the table.

For more regional context, read Colombia vs. Mexico: Which Country Is Winning on Stablecoin Adoption?

Comparing Stablecoin vs. Traditional Payment Networks for PSPs

As digital fraud rates in the region soar, particularly with card-not-present transactions, the transparency and irreversibility of stablecoin payments offer a critical advantage.

Why make the leap from legacy rails to stablecoins? A side-by-side comparison makes the answer clear.

	Traditional Payment Networks	Stablecoin-Powered Payments
Settlement Speed	Several days	Under one hour (often minutes)
Cost	3–5% per transaction	0.1–1% per transaction
Chargeback Risk	High	None (irreversible)
Transparency	Limited	Full (blockchain ledger)
User Preference	Mixed	Growing (mainstream adoption rising)

A recent survey found that 71% of Latin American respondents use stablecoins for cross-border payments, a testament to their rising popularity (fireblocks.com).

As Colson notes, the efficiency and savings are rapidly shifting business preference toward stablecoins.

For a deeper analysis, see Stablecoin vs Traditional Payment Networks: What LATAM Businesses Need to Know.

Building a Stablecoin Payout Strategy

For PSPs plotting their 2025 roadmap, developing a clear stablecoin payout strategy is quickly becoming table stakes. The process starts with mapping high-volume corridors and identifying where on-chain settlement can replace costly correspondent banking rails.

Next, finance and engineering teams should outline how stablecoin API integration will mesh with existing compliance checks, treasury controls, and reporting dashboards. Many Colombian platforms begin in sandbox environments before moving live—an approach that limits risk while giving teams time to refine user experience.

Key Takeaways for Colombian PSPs Considering Stablecoins

Too many PSPs focus only on traditional challenges—slow settlement, high fees, and chargeback risk—without realizing the competitive advantage that stablecoins now provide.

Key takeaway:
Stablecoins unlock near-instant settlement, lower costs, and improved transaction reliability, all while regulatory frameworks continue to shift in Colombia.

For PSPs evaluating next steps, the ability to deliver fast, transparent, and secure payments is becoming essential.

Explore API-first payments to innovate further.

Interested in reducing settlement windows for your merchants? Contact Mural Pay to discuss how stablecoin rails can be deployed in your payment workflows.

Expert Insights—Voices from the Field

When it comes to stablecoin adoption, industry leaders are clear about the opportunity and responsibility PSPs face.

"By combining stablecoins with local payment rails, we’re unlocking a powerful cross-border experience—something traditional banking infrastructure simply can’t deliver."
— Nano Rodriguez, Bitso

"Colombia is making significant progress in digital asset regulation, and stablecoins are being closely studied as part of upcoming fintech laws."
— Juan Pablo Córdoba, Colombian Stock Exchange

"This initiative marks a significant milestone in Colombia’s digital asset landscape, highlighting the growing adoption and integration of cryptocurrencies in the country’s financial ecosystem."
— Pablo Arboleda, Wenia

"Chainlink is excited to provide end-to-end transparency for Wenia’s Colombian Peso stablecoin reserves and help to protect its users from infinite mint attacks."
— Angela Walker, Chainlink Labs

"Our technology aims to enhance the safety and reliability of digital currency transactions by providing end-to-end transparency for Wenia’s stablecoin reserves."
— Angela Walker, Chainlink Labs

"Regulatory clarity and compliance are the top challenges for batch payment adoption among Colombian fintechs."
— Catalina Gutiérrez, Fintech Colombia Association

For more on batch payouts, see Batch Stablecoin Payouts: How Colombian Fintechs Can Pay 100+ Contractors in Minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stablecoins and Payment Risk

How do stablecoins reduce payment risk for Colombian PSPs?
Stablecoins eliminate chargeback risk, speed up settlement, and provide full transaction transparency, enhancing reliability for both merchants and consumers.

What are the main regulatory requirements for PSPs using stablecoins in Colombia?
PSPs must comply with AML/KYC protocols, participate in the regulatory sandbox if piloting new solutions, and stay updated as regulations continue to shift.

What technical challenges might PSPs encounter when integrating stablecoins?
Integration requires blockchain infrastructure, interoperability solutions, and strong security protocols to protect assets and maintain compliance.

For a detailed look at how stablecoins address cross-border payment delays, see How Colombian PSPs Are Using Stablecoins to Solve Cross-Border Payment Delays.