Traditional cross-border payments giant MoneyGram is working with the Stellar blockchain network to create instant money transfers using Circle’s USDC stablecoin, the companies announced Wednesday. Early 2022 will see a gradual rollout of the ledger-based stablecoin bridge between crypto and local currencies with a view toward connecting MoneyGram’s 150 million or so consumers. The news will come as a slap in the face for Ripple, the cryptocurrency payments network whose longstanding relationship with MoneyGram wound down after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed suit against Ripple in December 2020, saying the firm violated federal securities laws.