Africa has taken a bold step toward redefining the future of money. The Africa Stablecoin Summit 2025, powered by Binance and supported by Tether, Visa, and Telcoin, brought together more than 300 leaders from across the continent to explore how stablecoins—digital currencies designed to maintain a steady value—could transform trade, remittances, and financial systems.
Hosted by Chasing Mavericks and co-hosted by Kotani Pay, the two-day conference, themed “Harnessing Stablecoins for Africa’s Economic Resilience,” attracted central banks, regulators, commercial banks, fintech innovators, stablecoin issuers, and development partners.
Participants included representatives from the governments and central banks of Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa, alongside delegates from the United Nations, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
The summit featured keynote addresses and discussions from leading figures in the digital finance ecosystem, including Binance Africa Head of Legal Larry Cooke, Regional Operations Lead Africa Saruni Maina, VISA CEMEA Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions Shahebaz Khan, and National Assembly Finance and National Planning Committee Chairperson Kimani Kuria.
“Stablecoins are more than a technological innovation they are a pathway to inclusive, cross-border financial systems that can empower businesses and individuals across Africa. At Binance, we are committed to fostering responsible innovation, collaborating with regulators, and investing in solutions that enable Africans to participate fully in the digital economy, “Larry Cooke said.
From regulation to real-world use
Sessions explored issues such as regulatory frameworks, interoperability, infrastructure development, and adoption of stablecoins in sectors like fintech, trade, and small businesses.
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On his part, Shahebaz Khan, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions CEMEA at Visa, added that pairing stablecoins with Visa’s world-class technology stack will result in tremendous potential to modernize global money movement, making payments faster, more accessible, and more secure for everyone.
“Visa’s global network has long been the engine for how the world pays and gets paid. As money itself evolves, we’re extending that same trusted infrastructure to the next frontier: stablecoins, said Khan.
“Whether it’s seamless remittances for consumers or enhanced liquidity for businesses, Visa is committed to bridging new digital currencies with our trusted network, turning innovation into everyday value. “
The Fast Rise of Digital Money in Africa
Recent data highlights how fast stablecoins are reshaping Africa’s digital economy. According to Yellow Card’s industry report, stablecoins accounted for 43% of crypto transaction volume in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, with Nigeria leading the pack at nearly USD 22 billion in transactions between July 2023 and June 2024.
A Center for Global Development report further noted that stablecoins represented 6.7% of GDP in Africa and the Middle East in 2024 in terms of international digital currency flows.
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With an estimated USD 300 billion in stablecoin transactions annually, experts say the technology could help address currency volatility, fragmented payment systems, and high remittance costs that have long plagued the continent.
“The promise of stablecoin and what that could really mean to telecom, it is a message that we’ve been preaching for a long time, which is the internet of money where there’s just stablecoin floating and directly transacting from consumer to merchant, the telcos can play a very large role in running the internet of money just like they run the normal internet today,” Telecoin CEO Paul Neuner added.
For everyday Africans, stablecoins could soon make sending and receiving money cheaper and faster—whether it’s paying school fees, sending remittances, or trading across borders.
Experts believe these digital currencies could reduce dependency on volatile local currencies, cut transaction costs, and open financial access to millions who remain underserved by traditional banks.
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