Tether, the world’s largest digital asset company, has made a strategic investment in Kotani Pay, a leading Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) in Africa.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 21, Tether said the move aims to expand digital asset access and improve cross-border payment infrastructure across the continent.
“This investment aims to empower people and businesses in Africa by allowing easy access to digital assets and lowering barriers to global financial participation,” read part of the statement.
Tether Invests in Kotani Pay
The investment aims to make access to digital assets and cross-border payment systems seamless.
It aims to tackle long-standing challenges facing SMEs and corporates in emerging markets, including high transaction costs, slow settlements, and limited access to global financial networks.
“Kotani Pay has established itself as a name in the African financial technology landscape, with a growing network and the ability to deliver solutions tailored to local market needs,” the statement read further.
“Its infrastructure aligns with Tether’s broader mission to expand blockchain use cases, such as cross-border payments and digital asset management, provide extensive access to financial tools, and create systems that empower underserved communities to participate in the global economy.”
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By leveraging blockchain technology, Kotani Pay enables enterprises to manage international operations efficiently, offering businesses and individuals practical solutions to access global liquidity and transact with ease.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company believes that blockchain technology plays a critical role in unlocking financial freedom.
“Kotani Pay’s vision and strong regional presence make it the right fit to drive our shared goals in Africa. Together, we aim to provide businesses and individuals with access to digital assets for their global operations, reduce friction in cross-border transactions, and build a more inclusive financial future while promoting the informed use of digital assets,” he said.
On his part, Felix Macharia, CEO and Co-founder of Kotani Pay, said the investment positions the company to continue its work as a bridge to the on-chain economy, connecting millions of Africans to the global financial system.
“At Kotani Pay, we have been fortunate to witness and build on the rising usage of blockchain technology on the continent across a variety of use cases,” he said.
“We are excited to be part of the Tether Ecosystem and to leverage the shared knowledge to advance the goals of building tools of wealth creation for African individuals and businesses.”
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Sub-Saharan Africa Sees 52% Surge in Crypto Transactions
This follows a regional report by Chainalysis, which revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the smallest crypto economy.
However, usage patterns provide significant insights into grassroots adoption and the growing role of crypto in everyday financial activity.
The region is experiencing a profound shift in how people access, use, and trust financial tools, with cryptocurrency becoming increasingly central to this transformation.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, on-chain crypto transaction volume in Sub-Saharan Africa exceeded US$205 billion, marking a 52% year-on-year increase, driven primarily by retail usage and remittances.
Key markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia, are leading the expansion in users and use cases.
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