Moni vs DolarApp (now ARQ): US dollar apps compared (2026)
DolarApp rebranded to ARQ in 2026, and if you are searching for it by its old name, you are looking at the same company. Moni and DolarApp (ARQ) are closer cousins than most pairs on this site: both hold digital dollar balances on a phone in Mexico. The difference is the job each is built for. ARQ is a finance app for people living in Latin America, with balances, a card, and investments. Moni is a US dollar wallet built around getting money from the United States to family, under the recipient’s own control. Every claim about DolarApp and ARQ on this page comes from ARQ’s own published pages.
What DolarApp (now ARQ) is
DolarApp launched as an app for holding digital dollars in Latin America and, as of 2026, operates as ARQ. Its homepage says two million people worldwide use it and that it has raised $70 million. The product today is broader than the original digital-dollar account: a Global Account that can receive payments from the US and Europe with the user’s own account details, a card that advertises spending at the real market rate with cashback, and investment products. It serves Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, and its virtual asset services in Mexico are provided by Pier 5 S.A. de C.V.
One structural fact matters more than any feature list: ARQ’s legal pages state that incoming payments are automatically converted into USDc or EURc, which its pages describe as virtual assets and not fiat currency, and that outgoing payments are the proceeds of selling those assets back.
Where the two differ
The first difference is custody. Moni is self-custodial: users keep control of their funds at all times, and Moni cannot freeze, seize, or move user money unilaterally. ARQ provides its services through its corporate entities, and balances live inside its product as USDc and EURc.
The second difference is the job. ARQ is aimed at residents of its four countries who want to hold dollars and euros, spend on a card, and invest. Moni is remittance-first: a sender in the US pays a fixed fee per transfer, currently $1.98, with no hidden FX spread, and the recipient in Mexico holds US dollars that convert to pesos only at withdrawal, when they choose. If you are comparing costs for an actual transfer, run the same test you would with any provider: how much does your family receive for a set amount, such as $200? You can check today’s US dollar to Mexican peso reference rate on the Moni exchange-rate page and use it as a benchmark.
How Moni fits
Moni is a mobile-first US dollar wallet for Latin America. All Moni balances and transfers are in US dollars; local-currency conversion happens at the point of withdrawal, not inside the wallet. For someone living in Mexico who wants a card, cashback, and investment products in one app, ARQ may be the better fit; that is what it is built for. For a family that wants money sent from the US to arrive in seconds to minutes, stay in dollars, and remain under their own control until they spend or withdraw it, that is what Moni is built for.
| Feature | Moni | DolarApp (ARQ) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A mobile-first US dollar wallet for Latin America. | A finance app, formerly DolarApp, with digital dollar and euro balances, a card, and investment products. |
| How the balance is held | In US dollars, self-custodial: users keep control of their funds at all times. | In USDc and EURc, which ARQ's own pages describe as virtual assets and not fiat currency. |
| Transfer fee | A fixed fee per transfer, currently $1.98, with no hidden FX spread. | Advertises exchange at the real market rate with no hidden fees; no fixed per-transfer price list is published on its homepage. |
| Receiving money from the US | The sender uses the Moni app; the recipient holds the balance in seconds to minutes. | The Global Account receives payments from the US and Europe with the user's own account details; incoming payments are converted into USDc or EURc. |
| Converting to pesos | No conversion in the wallet; the balance stays in US dollars until the recipient withdraws. | Outgoing payments are the proceeds from the sale of USDc or EURc when the user sends or withdraws. |
| Where it operates | Mexico is the primary recipient market today, expanding across Latin America. | Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil. |
Frequently asked questions
What is DolarApp, and is it the same as ARQ?
Yes, they are the same company. DolarApp rebranded to ARQ in 2026; its own homepage now opens with "DolarApp is now ARQ." The product is a finance app for users in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil that holds digital dollar and euro balances, described on its pages as USDc and EURc, alongside a card and investment products. If you downloaded DolarApp, you are using what is now called ARQ.
Is DolarApp (ARQ) safe?
DolarApp, now ARQ, is an established app: its site says two million people worldwide use it and that it has raised $70 million, and its virtual asset services in Mexico are provided by Pier 5 S.A. de C.V. Its legal pages disclose plainly how balances work: they are held as USDc and EURc, virtual assets that are not legal tender in Mexico. The difference worth weighing is not legitimacy but the custody model. ARQ provides services through its entities, while Moni is self-custodial: users keep control of their funds at all times, and Moni cannot freeze, seize, or move user money unilaterally.
What is the difference between Moni and DolarApp (ARQ)?
Both put dollar balances on a phone, but they are built for different jobs. ARQ, formerly DolarApp, is a finance app for residents of Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil: digital dollar and euro balances, a card with cashback, and investment products. Moni is a mobile-first US dollar wallet for Latin America built around getting money from a sender in the United States to family: a fixed fee per transfer, currently $1.98, with no hidden FX spread, and self-custody, so users keep control of their funds at all times.
Can I send money to Mexico with DolarApp (ARQ)?
ARQ is built for people living in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil rather than for senders in the United States. Its Global Account gives the user account details to receive payments from the US and Europe, and incoming payments are converted into USDc or EURc, so a relative in Mexico with an ARQ account can receive money sent to those details. With Moni, the sender in the US uses the Moni app directly and pays a fixed fee per transfer, currently $1.98; the recipient holds the balance in US dollars and converts to pesos only at withdrawal.
How much does DolarApp (ARQ) charge?
ARQ advertises exchanging to digital dollars and euros at the real market rate with no hidden fees, and it does not publish a fixed per-transfer price list on its homepage, so check the quote in the app for your specific operation. Moni charges a fixed fee per transfer, currently $1.98, with no hidden FX spread. For any transfer, the honest comparison is how much your family actually receives for a set amount, not the advertised fee alone.
Rates, fees, and features were verified on August 8, 2026 from each provider's public pages and may have changed. Always check the provider's site for current pricing.