Visa Joins Yellow Card to Expand Stablecoin Use in Africa

• Visa and Yellow Card launch stablecoin transfers to improve cross-border payments in Africa.
• The deal supports faster money movement in countries with poor access to US dollars.
• More stablecoin rollouts are expected by 2026 as Visa builds its global digital plan.

In a bid to boost stablecoin adoption across Africa, Visa has partnered with Yellow Card, a major African stablecoin payment platform. The agreement enables USDC-powered transactions in at least one African country this year, with more regions joining by 2026. Visa is undertaking the program as a cross-border settlement and financial inclusion initiative in the CEMEA region.

Boosting Digital Dollar Usage Across Africa

Visa’s move aims to increase access to stablecoins in countries facing dollar shortages and currency instability. The partnership, as reported by Bloomberg on Thursday, connects traditional finance to cryptocurrency for seamless payments. Yellow Card will initially launch stablecoin payments in at least one market by the end of 2025. Additional rollouts are expected in 2026.

Chris Maurice, Yellow Card’s CEO, said that the alliance targets improved treasury operations, liquidity efficiency, and affordable transfers. According to Visa’s statement, more than $225 million in stablecoin volume has already been processed since 2023 using Circle’s USDC.

Moreover, the company sees stablecoins as a core part of modern money systems. “In 2025, we believe every institution that moves money will need a stablecoin strategy,” said Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s SVP and CEMEA Head of Product.

Strengthening African Payment Networks

The collaboration expands Visa Direct’s real-time transaction support to Yellow Card’s users in 20 African nations. This allows faster remittances for unbanked communities and small businesses. According to Yellow Card, 43% of crypto trades in Africa involve stablecoins. Further, the firm holds licenses in countries like Kenya and Nigeria.

Additionally, this compliance enables Visa to meet upcoming legal standards, including Kenya’s proposed Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) bill. It integrates to uphold local rules and establish trust among the high-rising economies.

Using stablecoins, one can minimize the reliance on conversions with local currencies and make faster payments in USD. This qualifies them as a useful tool that is going to be useful to its consumers who have difficulties in dealing with foreign exchange.

By settling in USDC, Visa has made a step forward and is becoming closer to its vision of 2025, in which all money-moving institutions will have to adopt stablecoin strategies. It is an indication that the global liquidity architecture is shifting, led by blockchain as opposed to banks, and cross-border flows of value are based on this modern plumbing.

Related: Walmart and Amazon Plan Their Own Dollar Stablecoins

Could Stablecoins Redefine Cross-Border Finance in Africa?

According to the Chainalysis report, a steady rise in crypto use across Sub-Saharan Africa is witnessed, driven by stablecoin popularity. The growth stems from limited access to dollars and the continuing economic instability.

Source: Chainalysis 

Visa and Yellow Card plan to use this momentum to streamline cross-border payments, and the collaboration highlights the growing need for digital finance systems in regions lacking traditional banking. Maurice noted, “Traditional payment companies continue to question not ‘if’ they need a stablecoin strategy, but how quickly they can deploy one.”Yellow Card’s infrastructure offers access for developers, businesses, and consumers, bringing stablecoin payments closer to everyday use. Consequently, this deal brings blockchain closer to replacing old banking systems for moving global value.

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