The Cost of Money in Motion: Who Funds a Real-Time Cross-Border Payment?

In some markets, sending money still takes longer than sending a physical package. The reason is pre-funding: payment companies park idle capital in bank accounts around the world just to make transfers feel instant.

In Episode 2 of The Borderless, host Debbie (OSL) sits down with Albert Wong, SVP of OSL Business, and Donato Giarnera, Head of Business Development for the Middle East and APAC at ARF, to unpack how pre-funding really works, what it costs, and the two models now replacing it: on-demand liquidity and stablecoin "sandwich" settlement.

You'll learn

• Why pre-funding exists and where the money actually sits

• How holidays, weekends and month-end spikes multiply capital needs

• OSL's fiat → stablecoin → fiat "sandwich" model, explained

• Who qualifies for external liquidity, and what lenders look for

• A partner checklist: licensing, plus first- and last-mile coverage

Timestamps

00:00 The Pre-Funding Problem

05:47 OSL's Sandwich Solution

07:55 Who Needs This & What It Takes

11:04 Hybrid Models & On-Demand Liquidity

13:00 The Economic Case

18:32 Choosing the Right Partner