Flutterwave Leverages Stablecoins to Revolutionize Africa’s Cross-Border Payments
Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments infrastructure startup, is making a bold move into blockchain-powered payments by introducing stablecoin balances for its users and merchants. Partnering with blockchain infrastructure provider Turnkey and AI-driven banking platform Nuvion, the fintech giant now allows customers to hold, send, and receive stablecoins such as USDC and USDT alongside traditional currencies like the U.S. dollar and Nigerian naira. This marks a significant step in Flutterwave’s strategy to integrate crypto-native rails beneath familiar payment systems.
The rollout comes at a time when African businesses face high fees, slow settlement, and limited access to foreign currencies under traditional banking systems. By embedding stablecoins directly into its platform, Flutterwave aims to provide faster, cheaper, and more predictable cross-border transactions. “To accelerate business growth in Africa, we must make it safe, easy, and affordable for businesses to accept all forms of regulated payment methods, including stablecoin, from a global customer base,” said Nkem Abuah, Flutterwave’s lead for remittances and stablecoin partnerships.
Stablecoins—digital currencies pegged to fiat assets like the U.S. dollar—have gained traction as a practical alternative in markets where currency volatility and banking friction complicate international trade. Flutterwave’s integration reflects a broader trend among African fintechs to leverage blockchain technology while keeping user experiences familiar. Previous partnerships, including its collaboration with Polygon Labs in October 2025, laid the foundation for scalable, programmable, blockchain-based payments across the continent.
The technology stack behind the rollout combines Turnkey’s secure wallet infrastructure with Nuvion’s AI-powered fiat-stablecoin bridge, enabling merchants to move seamlessly between currencies while maintaining compliance and security. “Stablecoins offer an incredibly efficient way to accelerate payments and put more money directly into the hands of business owners rather than intermediaries,” said Bryce Ferguson, Turnkey CEO. Initially, access will be limited to select merchants, with plans to expand gradually, allowing Flutterwave to monitor usage and regulatory requirements carefully.
By embedding stablecoins into its platform rather than promoting crypto as a consumer product, Flutterwave is quietly reshaping Africa’s financial infrastructure. As cross-border commerce grows, this approach signals a future where programmable money—not traditional correspondent banking—forms the backbone of payments across the continent, creating faster, more reliable, and cost-effective financial solutions for African businesses.
source: Business day