Flutterwave-Polygon Stablecoin Network May Boost African Payment Transactions by Ten Times

Flutterwave, a top fintech company in Africa, has joined forces with Polygon Labs to introduce a stablecoin-powered cross-border payment system that will cover 34 African nations. This marks one of the most significant real-world applications of blockchain in developing markets, according to a report by

. Announced at the end of 2025, the project is designed to lower transaction fees by as much as 60% and reduce settlement times from several days to just seconds. It utilizes Polygon’s scalable framework to overcome the limitations of conventional banking, as detailed by .

This partnership will serve both B2B and personal remittance markets, starting with a pilot in 2025 targeting companies like Uber and Audiomack, before expanding to Flutterwave’s consumer application in 2026, according to

. By leveraging stablecoins such as and USDT—which are digital tokens tied to the U.S. dollar—the platform aims to address issues of currency instability and high transfer costs, which currently average more than 8% for cross-border payments in Africa, as noted by . “The adoption of stablecoins will increase capital flows into Africa,” said Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola, who also mentioned the initiative could “increase our transaction volumes tenfold,” according to .

This development comes amid a rise in stablecoin transactions throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, where on-chain payment volumes surged in early 2025 due to currency declines in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, as reported by

. Chainalysis’s 2024 analysis revealed that sending money via stablecoins is 60% cheaper than traditional channels—a crucial benefit in regions where remittances make up as much as 15% of GDP, Coinotag stated. For instance, transferring $200 with stablecoins costs about $8, compared to $12 or more through providers like Western Union, which has also introduced a Solana-based stablecoin, according to .

Regulatory advancements are also encouraging adoption. Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa have rolled out policies to incorporate crypto into their mainstream financial sectors, and the African Blockchain Alliance estimates stablecoins could unlock $100 billion in yearly remittance flows, Coinotag reported. Flutterwave’s solution will operate within these evolving legal frameworks, providing businesses with protection from local currency fluctuations and enabling instant settlements. Polygon’s zero-knowledge proof technology ensures both privacy and scalability, supporting large transaction volumes without sacrificing security, according to Coinotag.

This alliance is part of a larger movement in global financial technology. Firms such as Binance and Thunes are also broadening their stablecoin offerings in Africa, with Binance allowing crypto purchases using local currencies like the Kenyan shilling and CFA franc, as reported by

. Additionally, Thunes and Yellow Card have recently partnered to simplify business payments using stablecoins, highlighting the sector’s rapid expansion, according to .

Importantly, Flutterwave’s project addresses the needs of Africa’s unbanked population—57% of whom do not have access to traditional banking, Coinotag noted. By enabling users to receive stablecoin payments directly into mobile wallets, the platform helps small businesses and families protect themselves from inflation and tap into global financial networks. As Agboola remarked, “The scalability and cost-effectiveness of blockchain are revolutionizing cross-border transactions for millions of Africans,” as previously mentioned by FinanceFeeds.