Madison Dearborn declined to comment, while MoneyGram spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
MoneyGram, which according to its website has served 150 million people in the last five years, has been focusing on digital payments as an area of growth. In October, it announced a blockchain partnership that relies on financial technology firm Circle's USD Coin, one of the world's fastest-growing dollar digital currencies.
A $1.2 billion deal for China's Ant Financial to acquire MoneyGram was blocked by the United States in January 2018 on national security concerns. MoneyGram shares took a hit as a result, but have since recovered. They are up 28% year-to-date versus an 18% rise in the Nasdaq Composite interest. The company reported third-quarter operating income of $26.8 million, down from $36.6 million a year ago, amid a rise in transactional expenses.Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York Additional reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York Editing by Nick ZieminskiSubscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.