London, 18th May 2026 –  Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, today announced their participation in a National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) Public Private Partnership (PPP) Cell focused on combatting child sexual abuse (CSA).

Co-chaired by the NCA, the Cell’s aim, through collaboration with partners from the regulated financial sector and law enforcement, is to increase the collective awareness of the financial footprint of CSA to identify, disrupt, reduce, and deter UK and international consumers and facilitators of livestreamed CSA, and to provide actionable leads through innovative partnership work.

Over the course of the project, which reviewed 12 months of transaction data, Zepz supported the development and validation of risk indicators used to detect suspicious activity and help inform future industry guidance. These insights will enable financial institutions to develop increasingly enhanced profiling and transaction monitoring programs to target, identify and stop financial transactions associated with the sexual abuse of children. The NECC have issued an alert to their partner financial institutions outlining the threat and how financial institutions could aid in detection of this activity.

This initiative contributes to the NCA’s broader work to tackle and reduce the threat and harm caused by child sexual abuse which is increasing in scale, complexity and severity. Combatting child sexual abuse requires a joint approach by policing, government and industry and the wider international community to identify and prosecute offenders who exploit children for financial gain.

Arnab Roychowdhury, Head of Risk & Compliance at Zepz, said: “Cross-border communities rely on being able to move money safely and reliably, which is why trust and security sit at the heart of everything we do. Keeping bad actors out of the Zepz ecosystem is always our number one priority. Proactive work alongside law enforcement organisations such as the NCA plays a critical part in continually evolving our industry leading risk and compliance strategy.”

Hardeep Walker, Deputy Head of Child Sexual Abuse Threat Leadership at the UK National Crime Agency, said: “Establishing and strengthening cooperation between law enforcement and financial institutions like Zepz is crucial to reduce the threat and harm caused by the sexual abuse of children. Implementing measures such as transaction monitoring to detect suspicious transactions and reporting actionable intelligence enhances our collective ability to identify, disrupt and prosecute those individuals who are committing child sexual abuse and to safeguard children from sexual harm.

Our collaboration reflects Zepz’s broader commitment to supporting cross-border communities and strengthening the integrity of the financial ecosystem. Tackling financial crime including that linked to the sexual abuse of children is a collective responsibility across industry, authorities, and society, and Zepz will continue working with partners to help shape a more secure and trusted financial future.

London, 26 March 2026 – Zepz — the group behind leading digital remittance brands WorldRemit and Sendwave today announced a partnership with TRM Labs, a leading blockchain intelligence platform, to support the global expansion of its stablecoin-based Sendwave Wallet for migrant communities and their families.

The integration of TRM’s blockchain intelligence will help Zepz manage financial crime risk, and scale its stablecoin offering as it expands into new markets.

Advancing financial access through stablecoins

Zepz serves millions of people sending funds to recipients across 130+ countries with over $17 billion transferred for customers in 2025. The majority of those customers are migrant workers who send money home each month to support their loved ones, helping them to pay bills, school fees and medical care, often in regions facing currency volatility or limited banking infrastructure.

In October 2025, Zepz launched the Sendwave Wallet to help support the needs of its customers. Built on Solana, the wallet empowers customers to seamlessly send and store USDC across more than 100 countries, leveraging stablecoin technology to provide a stable value while offering near-instant, reliable, and affordable transfers within the Sendwave ecosystem. Rather than immediately converting funds into local currency, customers can hold value in USDC and determine when and how to cash out. As digital asset-based remittances grow, effective risk management and compliance frameworks are essential to maintaining trust and meeting global regulatory expectations.

Embedding blockchain intelligence into stablecoin infrastructure

Since April 2025, TRM Labs has worked with Zepz to design and implement the financial crime controls underpinning its stablecoin products.

TRM provides blockchain intelligence to help organizations identify illicit activity, manage sanctions risk, and support anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. By embedding these capabilities into its wallet infrastructure, Zepz is combining cutting edge innovation in digital payments in tandem with strong safeguards and operational resilience. 

“As Zepz builds the next generation of digital remittances, it is prioritizing both access and accountability,” said Will Bell, Business Lead at TRM Labs. “Our blockchain intelligence platform enables organizations to monitor activity in real time, manage risk exposure, and scale digital asset products in a way that aligns with regulatory expectations.”

“Our customers trust us with something deeply personal, supporting family and friends across borders,” said Zaheer Jassat, VP of Product at Zepz. “As we expand the Sendwave Wallet and our stablecoin capabilities, that trust becomes even more important. Partnering with TRM strengthens our ability to manage risk responsibly and maintain robust safeguards across our infrastructure, so customers can send, store, and spend their money with confidence.”

London, 9 March 2026 – Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, today announced that Mark Lenhard, Chief Executive Officer and Board Director, will step down from his role over the coming weeks. The company’s Board of Directors has appointed Barrie Morris, currently Chief Financial Officer, as Interim Chief Executive Officer to lead the business during the transition period. The Board has initiated a process to identify a permanent successor.

Barrie Morris brings more than 25 years of financial services experience to the role. He has served as Zepz’s Chief Financial Officer since 2023, leading the company’s financial strategy and strengthening its operational and capital foundations during a period of transformation and growth. Prior to joining Zepz, Barrie held senior finance roles in global financial services businesses, where he successfully scaled private equity-backed companies through to sale.

“Zepz enters this next phase from a position of financial strength and operational discipline,” said Barrie Morris. “Over the past three years, we have improved efficiency and built a leaner, more resilient business. We are now moving from consolidation to acceleration. As Interim CEO, my focus will be to execute our strategy at pace, expand our global reach and invest in the products and infrastructure that drive long-term growth for our customers.”

The leadership transition follows a year in which Zepz strengthened its financial position, accelerated growth and reinforced its foundations for long-term expansion. In 2025, the company transferred more than $17 billion for customers and processed over 120 million transactions across more than 130 countries. With Q4 2025 revenue growth of 25%, Zepz expects 2026 revenue to grow by around 20 percent year on year and has achieved cash flow profitability.

This progress has been driven by a period of strategic evolution under Mark Lenhard’s leadership, strengthening Zepz’s global platform and broadening its product offering. In the last six months, as part of its evolution into a platform for financial empowerment, Zepz launched the Sendwave Wallet in more than 100 countries and also acquired Pomelo, extending its capabilities in cards and credit services. 

“The past few years at Zepz have been defined by an amazing transformation by an incredible team,” said Mark Lenhard. “We have successfully unified as a single organisation, resulting in the creation of a profitable and fast-growing customer base and an expanding product suite. The business is in a great place, with real momentum and a clear path ahead for our next phase of growth.”

“The Board has full confidence in Barrie and the Executive Committee to lead the business with continuity and focus during this transition,” said Melissa Birge, Chair of the Zepz Board of Directors. “Zepz is well positioned to accelerate its growth and deliver long-term value. We thank Mark for his leadership and contribution to the company’s transformation and wish him every success in his future endeavours.”

Further insight on Zepz’s leadership transition and strategic priorities is available in a blog from Barrie Morris, published today.

London, 20 January 2026 – Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, today announced it has acquired a key credit based product called Pomelo International, Inc, a platform that integrates consumer credit and global remittances with a credit card designed for money transfer. 

Pomelo is a San Francisco-based fintech company focused on cards, lending and credit building, with a strong presence in the Philippines. The acquisition represents a key step in Zepz’s evolution beyond remittances, enabling the company to support more of the financial lives of cross-border communities and underserved customers across the Global South.

This move builds on the Sendwave Wallet, further extending Zepz’s capabilities beyond money movement into cards, lending, credit and longer-term financial tools. Together, this broader product offering helps customers better plan, protect and improve their financial futures.

Expanding access to everyday financial tools

For many cross-border communities, financial needs extend well beyond sending money home. Access to everyday payment tools, fair and transparent credit, and the ability to build a financial profile are often limited or out of reach.

By utilizing the Pomelo product, Zepz is expanding its ability to support these broader financial needs. Pomelo’s capabilities in cards, lending and credit building complement Zepz’s strengths in global payments, enabling customers to access a more complete set of financial tools over time. Together, this creates a stronger foundation for customers to plan, manage and improve their financial lives.

A strong strategic fit in a core market

Pomelo is the first credit card built for money transfer that removes cash advance fees, cash advance APR and is designed to offer customers a card that supports remittances at the lowest possible cost. Customers can also build credit with their remittance obligations, as well as earn points on all purchases and transfers made with their Pomelo Mastercard®.

Pomelo’s highly experienced team with deep sector expertise will join Zepz and continue building on the product they have developed, supported by Zepz’s scale, infrastructure and regulatory experience.

The acquisition further strengthens Zepz’s position in the Philippines, one of its core markets, where it has deep local knowledge and a long-standing customer base. Combining Pomelo’s product and expertise with Zepz’s global platform creates meaningful synergies for customers and supports Zepz’s long-term growth strategy by deepening engagement, improving retention and broadening its revenue mix beyond money movement.

“Acquiring Pomelo is a natural next step in our evolution beyond remittances,” said Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz.“ It will allow us to offer customers access to cards and credit services, and supports our broader ambition of financial empowerment for cross-border communities. Pomelo is a strong product built  by a fantastic team, and we’re looking forward to extending these capabilities together over the long term.”

“This is an exciting next chapter for  Pomelo, and our mission to help people build their financial future doing what matters most – helping families.” said Eric Velasquez Frenkiel – CEO at Pomelo. “Zepz shares our focus on serving cross-border communities and has tremendous potential to accelerate access to credit and everyday financial tools for people who have historically been underserved.”

With this acquisition, Zepz continues to advance its ambition of becoming the most trusted financial partner for cross-border communities, expanding beyond money movement to offer practical financial tools that support stability and long-term opportunity. Whilst the acquisition has taken place, the Pomelo product has been temporarily paused for customers while Zepz integrates it into its product roadmap. 

London, 17 December  2025 –  Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, will partner with Fireblocks, the enterprise platform securing more than $4 trillion in digital asset transfers annually, to help deliver stablecoin-powered remittances to consumers at scale. Serving more than 9 million users across 130 countries, WorldRemit and Sendwave will use Fireblocks to enable near-instant, lower-cost cross-border payments.

Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz said:  “Remittances are lifelines. By integrating Fireblocks, we’re improving speed, cost, and transparency for families who rely on us every day – and we’re doing it in a way that’s secure and scalable across our global footprint.”

With the global remittance market projected to reach $895 billion by 2025, traditional channels are still painfully slow and costly for the 280+ million migrants who rely on them, often taking several days to settle and incurring high foreign exchange and correspondent banking fees. As a result, remittances are emerging as the next major wave of digital asset adoption, where stablecoin rails can deliver immediate, tangible benefits. By integrating Fireblocks’ infrastructure, Zepz will:

•     Leverage Fireblocks’ wallet infrastructure to securely store and manage digital assets across its global network, ensuring compliance and operational control
•     Automate payment and treasury operations to improve efficiency and reduce risk
•     Settle transactions in near real-time, enhancing speed and reliability for recipients
•     Reduce FX and intermediary costs, increasing affordability for senders and recipients across key corridors in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Zepz’s initiative represents the next step in integrating stablecoins into mainstream consumer finance.

Michael Shaulov, Co-Founder & CEO of Fireblocks said: “Global remittances represent one of the most powerful, real-world use cases for digital assets, WorldRemit and Sendwave are demonstrating how stablecoins can move real economies – delivering faster, cheaper, and more transparent payments at scale. With Fireblocks, Zepz is proving how blockchain infrastructure can power the next generation of global consumer finance.”

This collaboration reflects Fireblocks’ broader vision to provide the infrastructure for secure, programmable digital money – supporting everything from institutional finance to consumer-facing digital experiences. From banks and payment providers to leading remittance platforms, Fireblocks enables organizations to move assets globally with the security, compliance, and efficiency required for mainstream adoption.

With this initiative, Zepz joins Fireblocks’ ecosystem of stablecoin innovators, including Bridge by Stripe, Checkout.com, Circle, Worldpay, Yellow Card and major PSPs.

London, 2 December 2025 – Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, today announced the launch of stablecoin-linked Visa cards, powered by Bridge, a leading stablecoin infrastructure platform and Stripe company. The card will enable Sendwave Wallet customers to spend their digital-dollar balances at millions of merchants worldwide through the use of stablecoin-linked Visa cards. Additionally, Zepz has signed an agreement with Stripe to expand into new markets including the US, Canada and Australia.

Launched in October 2025, the Sendwave Wallet is a globally accessible, stablecoin-backed peer-to-peer money solution that empowers customers to send, store and spend funds across more than 100 countries. The wallet helps customers avoid currency volatility while offering affordable, near-instant transfers within the Sendwave network. 

By using Bridge, Zepz will give customers the power to use their stablecoin balances for everyday purchases with just the tap of a card, anywhere Visa is accepted. When they make a purchase, Bridge instantly converts their stablecoins to local currency behind the scenes—so merchants get paid like any other transaction.

Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz, said: “For years, cross-border communities have been underserved by a financial system that wasn’t built for them. We’re changing that. By leveraging Bridge’s infrastructure, Sendwave customers can use their digital dollar balance to not just send, receive and hold funds but also to spend them as an integral part of their daily lives. This isn’t just about moving money, but giving people better access, more stability and financial choice in their daily lives through a simple and trusted experience.”

Bridge’s technology connects stablecoin wallets directly to global payment networks, giving customers instant access to their funds for everyday spending without needing to move money or load a separate account. The card product, expected to go live in some markets including Brazil in early 2026, builds on Zepz’s mission to make financial empowerment simple, trusted and accessible for cross-border communities worldwide.

Zach Abrams, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridge, said: 

“We launched our card issuing platform earlier this year to address a major gap we saw in the market,” said Zach Abrams, CEO and co-founder of Bridge. “Global fintechs like Zepz shouldn’t have to spend years launching cards from scratch in every single country. With Bridge, Zepz can launch card services quickly and expand to new countries with just a few lines of code.”

London, 22 October 2025 – Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, today announced the launch of the Sendwave Wallet, a globally accessible stablecoin-backed peer to peer cross border money solution. This digital wallet empowers customers to seamlessly send, store, and spend funds across more than 100 countries, leveraging stablecoin technology to provide a stable value while offering near-instant, reliable, and affordable transfers within the Sendwave ecosystem.

The Sendwave Wallet simplifies global money management, with customers at its core. Designed to help individuals in their daily lives to cover essentials and support loved ones, its intuitive interface makes sending funds as straightforward as sending a message.

Changing the game for customers

With the Sendwave Wallet, customers can quickly open a digital dollar balance in the Sendwave app and send, receive, or deposit funds. Their balance is held securely in the wallet in a digital currency, designed to maintain a stable value and pegged to the US dollar, giving them flexibility and the confidence to plan, support loved ones, and build financial stability over time.

“The financial lives of cross-border communities are far more complex and personal than traditional remittance transactions,” said Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz. “With Sendwave Wallet, we’re giving customers throughout the Global South a trusted, intuitive way to control their money. This is about stability, choice, and dignity for the communities we serve. Today, Sendwave is moving beyond remittances to more holistically support the financial lives of our customers”.

Combining the power of stablecoins with everyday money

At the core of the Sendwave Wallet are stablecoins, providing a secure way to hold value and move money in near real time without the typical complexities of a “crypto” wallet . This approach helps customers avoid the currency swings that can erode their hard-earned money, while continuing Zepz’s tradition of transparent and competitive exchange rates. 

Backed by Zepz’s decade-long global payout network, it makes it easy for customers to withdraw USDC funds through trusted partners into fiat currency and pay for everyday basic needs like food, healthcare and education. In the future, customers will be able to directly use their USDC balance for real world payments and services through payment cards and QR codes, a step beyond traditional remittances that most wallets offer. 

Zepz has combined the expertise of leading web3 players to help bring this pioneering vision to life including: Circle the company behind USDC, Solana as the high-speed, low-cost, scalable blockchain network, and Portal as the provider of borderless wallet infrastructure.

Kash Razzaghi, Chief Commercial Officer at Circle said: “By making USDC central to the Sendwave Wallet, customers gain a secure way to hold value, send near-instantly, and spend with confidence in their daily lives. This is about putting the benefits of trusted digital dollars directly into the hands of communities, helping them plan, save, and build financial resilience.”

Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, added: “Solana is well-positioned to power cross-border payments due to the network’s speed and scalability. Zepz’s vision to make global transfers into a reality defined by unparalleled speed, unwavering security, and universal affordability can uniquely take place on Solana.”

Shaping what’s next

Zepz is continuing to build its customer offering beyond traditional remittances, with plans to enable customers to earn rewards on deposits, spend their balance with payment cards globally and pay bills, giving them practical ways to use digital dollars for daily needs.

London, Date TBC – Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave,  joins forces with Circle, issuer of USDC (USD Coin) and leader in digital currency infrastructure, to transform cross-border payments with blockchain-powered stablecoin technology.

The partnership marks a major milestone in Zepz commitment to improving cross-border payments by leveraging blockchain-enabled systems. By integrating Circle’s regulated stablecoin infrastructure, Zepz aims to improve liquidity management and settlement times, and reduce working capital costs.

Stablecoins are uniquely positioned to rewire the backend of remittances. Today, cross-border payments still take days to settle – a burden that falls heavily on businesses serving migrants. By reducing reliance on traditional intermediaries, stablecoins offer real-time settlement and greater transparency. For Zepz customers, this translates into faster delivery, greater reliability, and fairer pricing.

Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz said: “While our customers have always experienced near instant money transfers, the same efficiency hasn’t applied to our backend settlement processes. We believe stablecoins can help to bridge this gap, serving as a vital link between traditional banking infrastructure and digital assets.”

Lenhard adds:“By combining our deep expertise in cross-border payments with Circle’s leadership in digital currency infrastructure, we’re building the next generation of global money movement. This is designed to serve the people in the global south who need it most, especially in regions where traditional rails fall short.”

“The Zepz mission aligns powerfully with the promise of USDC – to deliver fast, low-cost, and transparent payments at global scale,” added Jeremy Allaire, CEO at Circle. “This partnership brings blockchain-powered infrastructure to one of the world’s most critical financial lifelines, helping make remittances more inclusive, resilient, and accessible for migrant communities everywhere.”

London, April 1, 2025 –

Zepz, the global payments group behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, has secured a total of $165 million in revolving and term facilities. The $110 million revolving credit facility was led by HSBC Innovation Banking while HSBC Private Credit was the sole underwriter of the $55 million term facility. The financing strengthens Zepz’s financial position and equips Zepz with the resources needed to capture new market opportunities.

Led by HSBC, these facilities replace a previous $80 million arrangement. The financing builds on a decade-long partnership between Zepz and HSBC Innovation Banking UK.

Zepz powers two major remittance brands, WorldRemit and Sendwave, which together serve more than 9 million users and facilitate over 8 million monthly transactions. For customers, the financing means continued investment in faster transactions and improved reliability when sending money across borders. By enhancing its financial flexibility, Zepz will further optimize transfer fees, ensuring an even better experience for its customers.

“Our priority is making money transfers faster, more affordable, and more accessible for the communities we serve,” said Mark Lenhard, CEO at Zepz. “This expanded facility strengthens our ability to invest in better pricing and ongoing innovation, empowering migrants with the tools they need to build secure futures and overcome financial barriers.”

Barrie Morris, CFO at Zepz, stated: “By lowering borrowing costs, this facility improves our financial flexibility and ensures we can continue delivering high-quality, cost-effective services. The additional capital allows us to strengthen our operations, supporting our long-term growth and commitment to our customers. We’re delighted to have once again partnered with HSBC Innovation Banking – a key strategic partner for our long-term vision to continue enhancing the services we provide to our customers.”

Angela Mylrea, Head of Corporate Credit Solutions, HSBC Innovation Banking UK, added: “We are delighted to deepen our long-standing partnership with Zepz and mark this next milestone on the company’s growth journey. This facility showcases our commitment to providing flexible, tailored financial solutions to high-growth fintech companies, and we are looking forward to supporting Zepz as it continues to strengthen its position and offering.”

Zepz has made significant strides and matured as a profitable company. Despite challenges in fintech funding, it secured $267 million in Series F last year, underscoring its commitment to innovation and sustainable growth. The new facility further reflects the market’s confidence in Zepz’s ability to scale and lead in the global payments sector.

London, January 14, 2025 –  Zepz, the Group powering global remittance brands WorldRemit and Sendwave, announced today that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has closed its $20 million equity investment in the company. This investment is part of Zepz’s recently announced $267 million Series F funding round led by Accel, with participation from Leapfrog and TCV.

IFC’s $20 million investment represents a key step in advancing Zepz’s mission to meet the financial needs of migrants by providing fast, affordable, and secure money transfer services. The funding will help Zepz strengthen its presence in emerging markets and expand its remittance services, particularly in underserved areas in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to capital, IFC will bring extensive market expertise and a global network of partners that can help Zepz enhance its services and broaden its impact. As one of the earliest and largest fintech investors in emerging markets, IFC has invested directly in more than 75 fintech companies – spanning different verticals such as payments, lending, and insurance – across over 30 emerging economies. Furthermore, by leveraging its existing portfolio of over 600 financial institutions – including banks, microfinance institutions, and neo-banks – IFC will help facilitate strategic partnerships that can significantly accelerate the company’s growth.

“IFC’s presence and expertise in our key markets will be invaluable as we double down on growth and build partnerships with local stakeholders,” said Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz, “Together, we aim to provide greater financial access and resilience to individuals, families, and cross-border communities around the world in an increasingly challenging global economy.”

“In 2022, remittance flows to Africa reached $99 billion, representing a crucial lifeline for households across the region. However, service affordability remains a significant challenge for Africa, which has some of the highest remittance transfer costs in the world,” said Mohamed Gouled, Vice President of Industries at IFC. “At IFC we are committed to supporting innovative companies like Zepz that leverage technology to boost financial inclusion by lowering costs of remittances that help millions of people pay for vital services such as food, housing, health care, and education.”

Headquartered in London, Zepz operates as a remote-first business, with talent cluster offices globally and across Africa. As the company continues to expand globally, it remains focused on making remittance services more accessible and affordable for migrants around the world.

For more data on the cost of sending remittances worldwide, visit remittanceprices.worldbank.org.