CurrencyFair reaches $1bn milestone for money matching transfers

Dublin-based startup aims to disrupt the foreign exchange sector

Dublin-based peer to peer currency exchange CurrencyFair has broken the $1 billion mark in money matching transfers, in what has been described as a milestone for the international transfers sector.

According to the firm, it’s the first platform in the world to reach this point.

"We're laying down a major challenge to the banks by facilitating the cheapest, fastest and fairest way to transfer money home or abroad," said CurrencyFair CEO Brett Meyers.

“At our current growth rates, everyone left in the FX industry will be competing at that level within a few years. This form of people-powered finance is going to change things forever. There’s no going back from here. And as we accelerate our growth, our fees will fall even further.”

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CurrencyFair allows customers are able to exchange funds and transfer them overseas cheaper than traditional banks or brokers, using its “Money Matching” model that allows them to to obtain the best possible exchange rate. It currently operates with 17 currencies.

The firm has a 1 per cent rate ceiling on its exchange rate spreads, with the average fee at 0.35 per cent compared with between two and five per cent for services such as Paypal or Visa.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist