Could bitcoin disrupt the remittance industry and become the go to solution for cross border payments?
Bitcoin is already achieving for this without causing for any global disruption, if you can recall well, one of the main purpose for the introduction of bitcoin was to serve as a digital currency which have a more affordability when it comes to cross boarder transaction without taking more time, so as you have said, it is cheap, fast and secured to use the bitcoin network, not only that, it is also decentralized with the use of the blockchain technology, if you can check well, the dependencies of these remittance industries have diminished ever since the introduction of bitcoin.
What are the potential for bitcoin to change the way we send money internationally and what barriers still stand in the way of its widespread adoption for remittances?
No barrier to bitcoin uses, even the governments threats aren't a barrier because they are not stopping it use, once a network is made decentralized, then it becomes difficult or almost impossible to pull it down, bitcoin has got all it takes to change the world financial economy approach and that is why it could have gotten here this far.