₦airaland Forum

| By: Gillian Darko, Vice President, Strategy at Yellow Card

This is the essence of Africanisation: designing and deploying technology in ways that respond directly to the continent’s cultural nuances, economic realities, and local challenges.

Africanisation typically begins with context. In 2019, Nigeria’s youth faced a perfect storm of currency volatility and unemployment.

Stablecoins were not introduced as a theoretical innovation; they were adopted as a practical tool for hedging value and navigating daily financial instability.

Over time, agricultural businesses and corporations adopted the same technology for cross‑border payments. This is Africanisation in action: global technology repurposed to solve African problems at African speed.

As we enter the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the same principle must apply. AI cannot be parachuted into African markets as a one‑size‑fits‑all solution.

It must be adapted to the continent’s realities, such as fragmented payment corridors, high remittance costs, informal economies, diverse regulatory environments, and a population that will represent one in four people on the planet by 2050.

The scale of opportunity is immense, but only if the technology is built with African conditions in mind.

AI as Africa’s intelligence layer
Financial infrastructure is where AI’s most immediate impact is likely to be felt.

Stablecoins already serve as a settlement layer, simplifying the movement of value across borders. Banks provide the orchestration layer, serving as the infrastructure that enables on‑ and off‑ramps.

AI becomes the intelligence layer that sits above both, offering prediction, optimisation, automation and explanation.

It can forecast liquidity, optimise foreign exchange, select the most efficient payout channels and automate treasury workflows. In remittance ecosystems, AI can determine the most appropriate payout channel, whether M‑Pesa, momo or another local payment rail, based on cost, speed and user preference.

Beyond finance, agentic commerce represents a frontier where AI agents will autonomously manage payments, check reserves, schedule transfers and coordinate multi-step transactions. For a continent with rapidly growing consumer expenditure and the world’s youngest population, the commercial implications are profound.

But Africanisation requires more than technical capability. It demands governance. Africa’s regulatory landscape is diverse, and no single rulebook can apply across all jurisdictions.

What is essential, however, is a baseline of governance frameworks that regulators can align around, one that protects consumers, promotes accountability for AI‑driven decisions and supports digital identity initiatives.

Cross-border regulatory cooperation, already emerging in areas such as virtual asset oversight, will be critical.

The next wave of African innovation

Financial inclusion must also remain central. A significant portion of Africa’s population does not have consistent access to smartphones or 5G connectivity.

Any AI-enabled system that ignores this reality risks deepening exclusion. The success of M‑Pesa, Momo, and USSD-based services demonstrates the power of designing for local conditions.

AI must follow the same path, supporting users across the full spectrum of connectivity and device access.

Language and culture are equally important. Africa’s linguistic diversity is vast, and many languages are at risk of disappearing. AI offers a powerful opportunity to preserve these languages while embedding them into customer‑centric products and services.

When users can interact with financial tools, agricultural platforms or commerce systems in their mother tongue, adoption accelerates and trust deepens. Cultural nuance is not a “nice to have”; it is a prerequisite for meaningful innovation.

Africa’s role in global technology is shifting. The continent is not only adapting existing solutions but increasingly creating new ones. Mobile money remains one of the world’s most significant financial innovations, born entirely on African soil.

Today, African entrepreneurs are building fintech, AI and blockchain solutions that will be exported to other emerging markets.

With growing interest in tokenisation, creative‑economy payments and AI‑driven commerce, Africa is increasingly positioned not as a follower but as a contributor to global technological evolution.

Africanisation is not a slogan, but rather a strategy rooted in practicality, cultural intelligence and the belief that technology must serve real people solving real problems.


As AI accelerates, Africa’s ability to adapt, innovate and lead will help shape not only the continent’s future, but the future of global technology.

Global stablecoin infrastructure provider secures its second consecutive Money Awards win, following its 2025 Grand Prix win in Payments, amid a landmark year of international expansion.

Yellow Card, a leading global stablecoin infrastructure provider with operations in Nigeria, has won Gold in the Diamond category at the 2026 Money Awards, held on Sunday, 18 October, in Las Vegas as part of Money20/20 USA. The recognition marks the company’s second consecutive win at the awards, following its Grand Prix victory in the Payments category in 2025.

Money20/20 describes the Diamond category as the program’s highest honor, celebrating the most transformative achievement in global fintech.

“When we started the business almost ten years ago, we had big ambitions, but we couldn’t have imagined just how far this journey would take us,” said Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card.

“This year, we made bold decisions to take what we’d built in emerging markets and expand our vision globally. Today, we’re working alongside some of the world’s largest corporate and financial institutions. To receive this recognition, particularly at this stage of our journey, is incredibly meaningful. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and grateful to the entire team for making it possible.”

The award follows a defining year for Yellow Card. In June, the company was named to Fortune’s inaugural Crypto Innovators list. It subsequently secured $40 million in strategic funding, expanded its footprint across Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America, and secured AML regulatory affiliation in Switzerland. In addition, the company also launched Global Accounts, enabling businesses to open named USD, GBP and EUR accounts and connect to local payment rails in more than 190 countries through a single API or its Treasury Portal.

For Justin Poiroux, CTO and Co-Founder, the recognition is also a celebration of the technology and people behind the company’s growth.

“You spend years with your head down, solving complex challenges and building technology that makes moving money across borders simpler. Then you see that technology making a real difference for businesses around the world, and you realize the impact of what you’ve built. To have that work recognized on a global stage, for the second year running, is incredibly rewarding. It’s a proud moment for the entire team.”

Yellow Card’s second consecutive Money Awards win reflects its growing influence in global financial services, as the company continues to expand its international presence and build the stablecoin infrastructure connecting businesses and financial institutions across markets.

Former Monzo and Deutsche Bank finance leader joins Yellow Card to strengthen its financial leadership as the company scales its global payments infrastructure.

Yellow Card, a global financial infrastructure provider with operations in Nigeria, powering stablecoin-enabled payments, treasury, and access to dollar liquidity, has announced the appointment of Ross Everett as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Ross joins Yellow Card following a career spanning financial services, banking and high-growth technology companies, including finance leadership experience at Monzo Bank and Deutsche Bank, as well as working with Barclays and KPMG. At Monzo, he served as Group Financial Controller, bringing expertise across financial reporting, control and governance within one of the UK’s leading digital banks.

In his new role, Ross will lead Yellow Card’s global finance function and play a central role in supporting the company’s continued international expansion. His remit will span financial strategy, planning and performance, reporting, treasury, capital management and financial governance as the company scales its infrastructure across international markets.

“Yellow Card has built world-class infrastructure to solve a problem every cross-border business understands, moving money quickly, cheaply and reliably," said Ross. "That combination of global reach, strong platform and real customer need is what drew me here. Having spent a significant part of my career building the financial discipline behind hypergrowth, my focus now is building the same foundations at Yellow Card, so the company can scale globally without losing that rigor."

Ross’ appointment comes at an important stage in Yellow Card’s evolution following its recent $40 million strategic funding round, which went to support expansion into Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

“As stablecoin infrastructure moves from promise to scale, we need financial leadership that can keep pace. Ross has built that discipline before, and he'll build it here," said Chris Maurice, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow Card.

Ross’ appointment further strengthens Yellow Card’s executive leadership team as the company continues to expand its business globally.

Recognition in Money20/20’s highest award category underscores Yellow Card’s growing role in global financial infrastructure.
Yellow Card, a global stablecoin infrastructure provider, with operations in Nigeria, has been named a finalist in the Diamond category of the 2026 Money Awards, hosted by Money20/20.

The nomination places Yellow Card alongside fintechs including TerraPay, bKash, and Wio Bank, reflecting its growing global reach and ambition to help shape the next generation of financial services. In 2025, the company was awarded the Grand Prix in the Payments category at the inaugural Money Awards.

“We’ve moved past proving the value of stablecoins. The next chapter is about scale, making sure this technology is part of how businesses, banks, and financial institutions move money across global markets. This recognition reflects how far we’ve come and, more importantly, the ambition behind where we’re going next,” said Chris Maurice, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow Card.

Technology has been central to Yellow Card’s ability to operate, scale and grow at such a rapid pace. For Justin Poiroux, Co-Founder and CTO, that means making complex systems feel simple for the businesses that use them.

“The best infrastructure is often the infrastructure you don’t have to think about. We’ve spent years building technology that takes the complexity out of moving money across very different markets while remaining reliable, secure, and scalable. Being recognized in the Diamond category is a testament to the team that continues to build and improve that infrastructure every day,” said Poiroux.

The nomination follows a year of significant wins for Yellow Card. In June, the company was named to Fortune’s inaugural Crypto Innovators list. More recently, it secured $40 million in strategic funding and expanded its footprint in Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and North America, and established a regulated presence in Switzerland. In 2025, Yellow Card took home the Grand Prix Award in the Payments category at the inaugural Money Awards.

The Money Awards will take place in Las Vegas on Sunday, 18 October, as part of Money20/20 USA.

A $7.4 million court ruling involving Dubai-based virtual asset broker XBase has brought renewed attention to the legal and regulatory considerations facing companies and individuals operating across the international digital asset markets.

According to a report by Takyon.Law, Omer Ben Matityahu had “filed for enforcement of a 27.2-million UAE dirhams ($7.4 million) judgment” against XBase Virtual Assets Broker & Dealer Services LLC before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

The report stated that XBase “must comply with the enforcement order within seven days,” although no details were disclosed about the underlying nature of the dispute.

XBase holds an active Virtual Asset Service Provider licence issued by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in March 2026, authorising spot over-the-counter broker-dealer services for institutional and qualified investors.

The company operates within the wider Relm group, which has corporate entities in the United Arab Emirates, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, reflecting the increasingly international structure of digital asset businesses.

The ruling comes as Nigerian fintechs, payment providers and other financial institutions deepen their participation in global digital asset markets, including the emerging Africa–Middle East stablecoin payment corridors.

As businesses increasingly rely on international partners for liquidity, settlement and cross-border transactions, understanding the legal and regulatory structures behind these relationships is becoming an important consideration.

For institutional players, due diligence extends beyond verifying a company's regulatory status to understanding the specific legal entity involved, its licensing scope, contractual obligations, custody and settlement arrangements, and the jurisdiction in which disputes can be resolved.

The XBase case highlights a broader reality of the evolving digital asset industry: while blockchain technology enables seamless cross-border transactions, the companies facilitating those transactions remain subject to distinct legal and regulatory frameworks.

For Nigerian fintechs and other institutions expanding internationally, the development underscores the importance of robust counterparty due diligence as digital assets become more integrated into mainstream financial infrastructure.

Yellow Card, a leading global stablecoin infrastructure provider with operations across several markets, including Nigeria, and support for over 50 currencies, has officially expanded into Canada, further strengthening its presence in North America.

The expansion is enabled through Alkepay Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Yellow Card, registered with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) as a Money Services Business and with the Bank of Canada as a payment service provider under the Retail Payments Activities Act. Through Alkepay, Yellow Card now offers foreign exchange dealing and cross-border funds transfer services to clients.

"For many years, Yellow Card has solidified its reputation as a trusted Stablecoin company, partnering with the likes of Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, Thunes, and MoneyGram to move money for institutions and businesses around the world," said Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card. "That trust is what we're built on, and it's what we're bringing with us as we expand our world-class infrastructure further into North America."

Lasbery Chioma Oludimu, Vice President of Global Operations at Yellow Card, added: "Every new market is months of work before it ever becomes a headline, connecting banking partners, testing settlement, and getting the local details right. Canada is no different, and now that it's live, our clients get the same reliability and speed we bring to cross-border payments in our other markets."

In the last few months, Yellow Card has sharpened a strategic shift from its pan-African roots towards becoming a true global company, with strategic hires in Latin America and Southeast Asia, as it builds its presence in those regions. Earlier this year, the company announced the affiliation of its Swiss VASP, StaaS Fintech Services SA, with SO-FIT, a FINMA-recognised self-regulatory organisation, giving institutional and corporate clients a supervised entry point into its infrastructure, and Canada now extends that same global build-out into North America.

The global stablecoin market is moving swiftly, with annual transaction volume topping $33 trillion in 2025, and total market capitalization is projected to exceed $2 trillion by the end of 2028, according to industry estimates.

Any provider can describe ambitions for worldwide operations; however, few have built and operated the rails required to move money reliably through the markets where doing so is hardest, and that depth is what makes Yellow Card an industry leader. With $10 billion+ processed volume, licenses, authorizations, and registrations across its operating markets, over 65 active banking partners, and 190+ countries reached via USD wire and stablecoins, Yellow Card shows no signs of slowing down.
For more information, visit: https://yellowcard.io/

Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card, has been named to the Stablecoins Most Influential 2026 list. This is Stablecon's annual recognition of the individuals shaping the global stablecoin ecosystem.

Stablecon is a leading global event and media platform for the stablecoin ecosystem. The Stablecoins Most Influential list is a premier industry recognition spanning six regions and multiple categories, from issuers and builders to policymakers. The list uses a five-factor framework to evaluate influence, impact, innovation, momentum, and peer recognition, serving as a trusted marker of leadership.

Chris joins a distinguished 2026 cohort that includes Emilie Choi, Coinbase President and COO, Patrick Collison, Stripe Co-founder and CEO, Charles Cascarilla, Paxos CEO and Co-Founder, and Larry Fink, BlackRock Chairman and CEO, among other leaders shaping the future of digital finance.

Through his work, Chris has become a leading voice for Stablecoin adoption across the globe, delivering keynotes at conferences attended by heads of state, advising ministers and financial regulators, and earning recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list (2023), a track record that has so far landed him on international outlets including CNBC, BBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, and Business Insider.

"Many years ago, we took a bet on Stablecoins when few people could see what the future of finance would look like," said Chris Maurice, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow Card. "Today, being celebrated among the leaders of this industry tells me that bet is paying off. Conviction is the only currency that matters before the world catches up to you."

Under Chris's leadership, Yellow Card has facilitated over $7.5 billion in the last 12 months, further expanding the business across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and North America. The company has raised significant capital from investors including Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, and Coinbase Ventures, and forged strategic partnerships with global players including Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.

The group’s numerous accolades include winning the Grand Prix in the Payments category at the Money20/20 USA Awards (2025); and recently being named to the inaugural Fortune Crypto Innovators list (2026).

Chris remains steadfast in his mission to lead the charge in connecting businesses across global markets through Yellow Card's world-class stablecoin infrastructure.

Yellow Card, a leading global Stablecoin infrastructure and payments provider, operating in 20 African countries, including Nigeria, has secured regulatory AML affiliation in Switzerland as a supervised financial intermediary. This move establishes a base for Swiss and other banking partners and institutional and corporate clients seeking to move capital into Nigeria and other high-growth emerging economies efficiently and compliantly through the use of Stablecoins.

Through Yellow Card’s Swiss wholly-owned subsidiary, institutional and corporate clients can now engage Yellow Card to access the group's Stablecoin infrastructure across its operating markets, supported by a single, supervised point of contact and the group's established compliance and technology capabilities.

Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card, said: "Stablecoins have become critical infrastructure for global institutions, and compliant access to the rails and payments is a requirement for companies looking to utilize this technology. Our Swiss subsidiary gives them a regulated, supervised counterparty for accessing our global Stablecoin infrastructure in Switzerland and across the U.S., Africa, LATAM, and other emerging markets, built on the network we already operate at scale.”

Switzerland is the latest addition to Yellow Card's growing regulatory portfolio. Yellow Card’s extensive market coverage is underpinned by a wide range of strategic partnerships, licenses, registrations, and other regulatory authorizations, including the first VASP license ever issued on the African continent. The group continues to pursue further licenses, registrations, and authorizations as it expands on its global regulatory footprint.

Craig Stoehr, General Counsel of Yellow Card, added: "For our banking partners and international clients, the compliance framework is not a formality, but rather a foundation. Switzerland holds financial intermediaries to one of the highest regulatory standards in the world, and our Swiss subsidiary was built to meet these standards. Combined with the licensed infrastructure already in place across our global network, this standard provides our partners a rare combination of regulatory confidence and real operational reach."

Yellow Card’s Swiss subsidiary will be led by Ms. Olpha Bribech, a member of Yellow Card’s senior management team. Yellow Card is establishing a permanent local presence in Lugano in the Canton of Ticino. Lugano has become a recognized hub for blockchain and digital assets and is home to an active community of developers, businesses, and institutions working across the sector. Yellow Card looks forward to expanding its presence in Lugano and to contributing to the city's blockchain and digital asset community over time, while expanding access to emerging markets.

Yellow Card, the largest licensed Stablecoin-based infrastructure provider operating across over 50 markets, has been named to the inaugural Fortune Crypto Innovators list, published alongside the Fortune Crypto 100, cementing its place among the world's leading digital asset innovators.

The Fortune Crypto Innovators list recognizes organizations advancing the global digital asset ecosystem through breakthrough technology, infrastructure, security, and adoption - shining a light on the builders and enablers whose work shapes the future of blockchain and digital assets beyond traditional measures of scale.

"Being named to the Fortune Crypto Innovators list affirms what we have always known: the future of global commerce runs through emerging markets. Yellow Card exists to bring those markets to global companies, powering the infrastructure that gives businesses everywhere the speed, efficiency, and reliability that modern commerce demands. This is not a regional story. This is a global one," said CEO and Co-founder of Yellow Card, Chris Maurice.

Justin Poiroux, CTO and Co-Founder, added, “For nearly a decade, the company has been deliberately building the rails that global commerce increasingly depends on. Our infrastructure gives businesses anywhere in the world frictionless access to Stablecoins and digital asset rails, without needing to be crypto experts. What began as a mission to serve underserved markets has scaled into a globally trusted operation, and this recognition from Fortune reflects the depth and ambition of what we have built," said Poiroux.

In recent months, Yellow Card has accelerated its global expansion strategy, deepening its presence across key emerging markets in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The company has made significant strides in product innovation, advancing its Stablecoin payment infrastructure, fiat settlement rails, and custody wallet services to meet the demands of an increasingly borderless financial system. These developments underscore Yellow Card's evolution from a market-specific operator to a truly global emerging markets infrastructure company.
Trusted by some of the world's largest financial institutions and payments companies, including Mastercard, Visa, Thunes, MoneyGram, and PayPal, is a testament to the reliability, compliance standards, and global interoperability that Yellow Card has built at scale.

As Yellow Card continues to expand its global footprint, this recognition serves as both a milestone and a mandate. The company remains committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in global payments and digital asset infrastructure, building the financial layer that connects businesses to the world, regardless of where they operate.

Yellow Card, the largest licensed stablecoin-based infrastructure provider for emerging markets, has released its 2026 Report on Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence Governance in Africa. The comprehensive report outlines the rapid maturation of regulatory frameworks across the continent and sets a compliance blueprint for institutional expansion across global emerging markets.

As Banks, Financial Institutions, Telcos, and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) increasingly adopt stablecoins as foundational infrastructure for treasury management and cross-border payments, regulatory defensibility has become paramount. The new report highlights a pivotal transition in the digital economy: the shift from foundational data protection legislation to active, enforceable AI governance.
"For enterprises operating across emerging markets, the ability to innovate and modernize payment rails is deeply tied to their capacity to navigate complex, cross-border regulatory landscapes," said Thelma Okorie, Group Data Protection and Privacy Counsel at Yellow Card and author of the report.

The 2026 report reveals that the convergence of data protection and AI governance is no longer a future concept, it is the current operational reality. Institutions must proactively embed privacy-by-design and ethical AI into their infrastructure to future-proof their ecosystems, mitigate risks, and maintain the trust required to scale.

Key Insights for the Institutional Financial Sector:

Widespread Legislative Maturity: 45 African nations have now enacted data protection legislation, with 39 regulatory authorities fully operational, signaling a high-compliance baseline for digital operations in these markets.

The Rise of AI Governance: 16 countries have adopted national AI strategies, with major economies like Nigeria, Angola, Morocco, and Namibia actively advancing enforceable AI laws. This transition from "soft-law" policies to stringent regulations will heavily impact financial services deploying AI for KYC, transaction monitoring, and risk profiling.

Heightened Enforcement & Accountability: 2026 marks an era of rigorous enforcement. Regulators are increasingly mandating Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and Algorithmic Impact Assessments (AIAs), elevating the cost of non-compliance and making institutional-grade governance non-negotiable.

The Financial Sector in Focus: With cross-border data flows expanding, financial institutions using stablecoins to unlock trapped liquidity and reduce T+2 settlement times must ensure their underlying payment orchestrators maintain uncompromising data and security standards.

Navigating this fragmented regulatory landscape requires more than legal foresight; it demands resilient digital infrastructure. As AI and data regulation redefines what compliant market entry looks like, Yellow Card provides the fastest, and compliant, path to market.The company's API suite, and Treasury Portal deliver the licensed fiat and stablecoin rails businesses need to operate globally. Instead of navigating compliance across 45 different nations, clients plug directly into the ecosystem to execute instant settlements across 30+ blockchains, manage global fiat accounts, and deploy custom stablecoins securely across emerging markets.

"Stablecoins are powerful tools for business efficiency, treasury management, and mitigating FX volatility risk," added Okorie. "However, the infrastructure powering them must operate in lockstep with the strictest data protection and AI governance frameworks. Yellow Card is proud to lead this charge, proving that world-class compliance and cutting-edge financial innovation are mutually reinforcing."

To read the full 2026 Report on Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence Governance in Africa, please visit: https://yellowcard.io/report

By Lasbery Chioma Oludimu: VP of Global Operations and MD of Yellow Card Nigeria

For many women operating in African business environments, adaptability has not been a leadership choice but rather a survival skill. Leading within structures that were not built with them in mind, balancing authority with influence, and navigating limited representation at senior levels has required constant recalibration. Such experiences do more than build resilience. They develop strategic agility, sharpen judgement under pressure, and strengthen their ability to read shifting stakeholder dynamics. In African markets defined by regulatory flux, infrastructure constraints and economic volatility, that capability is directly transferable and now highly sought-after.

My trajectory from Assistant General Counsel to Group VP of Operations at Yellow Card Financial Inc. and MD of its Nigerian subsidiary, "Yellow Card Financial Nigeria ltd," offers a distinct perspective on how individual adaptability scales into a crucial competitive advantage for an organisation. When I established our first African subsidiary, launched in 2019, our objective extended beyond product development; we were building an operational architecture designed to endure the inherent regulatory volatility of African fintech. My legal background instilled the ability to foresee regulatory changes, while my operational role demanded that I integrate this foresight into consistent, executable systems for teams operating across diverse markets.

As organisations confront supply chain disruption and accelerated digital transformation, adaptability becomes a measurable advantage. Women leaders who have refined this capability over time are well placed to move it beyond individual performance and embed it into governance, decision-making and culture. The question is not whether women can adapt. It is whether companies are designing systems that can.

From reactive agility to institutional foresight

In the African fintech ecosystem, adaptability is often confused with firefighting, which is the ability to react quickly when things break. True operational adaptability is actually proactive, rooted in what is essentially regulatory foresight, which means building the internal capability to anticipate, interpret and prepare for regulatory change before it becomes a crisis.
In a market like Nigeria, where policy interpretations and share capital requirements can literally shift overnight, leaders cannot wait for a circular to land on their desk before they act. Embedding this capability into an organisation’s DNA requires moving knowledge out of individual heads and into institutional playbooks. This means constant stress-testing: "What if this happens? What is our Plan B?".
Companies that fail to act pre-emptively risk going under within the year. By clearly defining how much risk the company is willing to take and setting limits on how much capital is exposed in each market, the business can stay flexible without becoming unstable. This makes it easier to manage infrastructure challenges and currency swings without overreacting. Growth becomes steady and controlled, instead of constantly disrupted by the next regulatory change.

The strategy of risk-adjusted growth

There is a common misconception that women leaders are less ambitious, simply because they are perceived as more cautious. In reality, their experience in navigating systemic barriers has cultivated a commitment to risk-adjusted growth. This is not a lack of ambition; it is a disciplined approach to growth that makes use of structured guardrails to prioritise long-term sustainability over short-term gains. Rapid expansion can look impressive on paper. Adaptable leadership looks deeper. It asks whether the operational foundation can carry the weight of growth.

Entering a new jurisdiction requires more than a market opportunity assessment. It demands clarity on licensing requirements, capital thresholds, reporting obligations and currency exposure. By stress testing these variables upfront, organisations expand with institutional strength. They are prepared not just to enter a market, but to withstand its unpredictability.

Scaling adaptability through collaboration

For adaptability to work at scale, it cannot sit with one person or one department. It has to be shared across the organisation. One of the strengths many women bring to technology leadership is the ability to build strong, loyal teams. When people feel heard and valued, they are more willing to raise risks early, suggest improvements and adapt when plans change. Adaptability is not only about systems. It is about people who feel confident enough to respond to change.

It also requires departments to work together. Compliance, treasury and cybersecurity cannot operate in silos. They must be aligned. If sales understands regulatory limits, and treasury has already planned for possible liquidity shifts, the company can respond quickly without internal friction. The organisation moves as one unit, not as disconnected parts.

The recognition I've received - from the Women in Tech Global Tech Diplomacy Award nomination to being named among The Financial Technology Report's TOP 50 Women Leaders in Financial Services, and most recently, selection for Innovate Finance's Women in FinTech Powerlist 2025 Standout 45 - reflects something larger than individual achievement. These acknowledgments signal a market shift toward recognizing that women who have navigated systemic barriers while scaling operations across complex markets bring irreplaceable strategic value. We don't simply adapt to disruption; we architect organizations capable of metabolizing uncertainty as competitive fuel. This distinction will define the next decade of African fintech leadership, where adaptability transforms from survival mechanism to the continent's most defensible competitive advantage.

The future of digital finance in Africa will belong to organisations that embed the ability to respond and adapt at every level. Women leaders, who have mastered strategic agility through their careers, show how to turn lived experience into institutional strength. This creates organisations that do more than survive disruption and instead turn it into an opportunity.

Yellow Card, a leading stablecoin and digital payments platform operating across global emerging markets and in more than 20 African countries, recently hosted a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at its Lagos office for discussions on the emerging stablecoin ecosystem and the broader future of digital financial infrastructure.

The meeting brought together members of Yellow Card’s Nigeria leadership team, including Lasbery C. Oludimu, Vice President of Operations and Managing Director for Nigeria, Sebastine Odimma, Tax Director, Bright Chinweotuto Anyanwu, Senior Compliance Manager and Money Laundering Reporting Officer for West, Central and East Africa, Japhet Gana, Group Head of Transaction Risk and Financial Crimes, and Somtochukwu Nnajim, Nigeria Country Manager.

Representing the IMF were Bo Zhao, an economist in the Macro-Financial Unit of the Strategy, Policy and Review Department, and Bonet Laraba, IMF Office Manager.

The engagement focused on the rapidly evolving role of stablecoins within Nigeria’s financial system and across emerging markets. Discussions covered practical use cases of stablecoins in everyday financial activity, including cross-border payments, remittances, liquidity access, and their interactions with foreign exchange markets. Participants also explored the regulatory considerations shaping the sector, the importance of transparent reserve backing mechanisms, and the role digital assets could play in strengthening financial infrastructure across Africa.

Commenting on the engagement, Lasbery C. Oludimu, Vice President of Operations and Managing Director for Yellow Card Nigeria, emphasized that such engagement highlights the growing importance of dialogue between industry operators and global policy institutions.

"Stablecoins are becoming an increasingly important part of the financial infrastructure that supports global commerce, particularly in emerging markets," Oludimu said. "Across Africa, we are seeing businesses and individuals adopt stablecoins for cross-border payments, remittances, and as a more stable store of value in challenging currency environments. Engaging with institutions like the IMF allows us to share on-the-ground insights while also contributing to conversations around responsible regulation and sustainable innovation in the digital asset ecosystem."

Globally, stablecoins are increasingly being recognized as an important layer in modern financial systems. Governments and regulators in multiple jurisdictions are actively developing frameworks to guide their responsible use, while businesses are exploring how blockchain-based payment rails can reduce transaction costs, improve settlement speed, and enhance financial access in regions where traditional financial infrastructure can be fragmented.
In Africa, where cross-border payments remain among the most expensive in the world and where businesses often face foreign exchange constraints, stablecoins are emerging as a practical tool to facilitate faster international transactions and provide a more reliable store of value for individuals and enterprises operating in volatile currency environments.

The discussions with the IMF delegation provided an opportunity to exchange insights on how these innovations are unfolding in real markets, particularly in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest digital asset markets.

Yellow Card noted that engagements with international institutions such as the IMF play an important role in ensuring that financial innovation in emerging markets is informed by both local operational realities and evolving global policy frameworks.

As stablecoins continue to gain adoption worldwide, collaboration between policymakers, financial institutions, and technology platforms will remain essential to building a secure, transparent, and inclusive digital financial ecosystem.

By: Somtochukwu Nsofor, Nigeria Country Manager, Yellow Card

In March, Yellow Card hosted a high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Lagos, Nigeria for a discussion on stablecoins, digital asset regulation, and the evolving role of blockchain-based finance across African markets.

IMF team led by Bo Zhao, Economist, Macro-Financial Unit, Strategy, Policy, and Review Department, and Bonet Laraba, IMF Office Manager joined the Yellow Card team led by Lasbery Chioma Oludimu, VP of Global Operations and MD of Nigeria.

The engagement reflects a broader shift in how global institutions are approaching digital assets, with increased focus on markets where adoption is already established and operating at scale.

Nigeria is one of the most active digital asset markets globally, currently ranked 6th globally in the Chainalysis 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, it remains the undisputed leader in Africa. Across the continent, stablecoins are embedded in everyday financial activity. They are used for remittances, cross-border trade, and as a means of accessing global currencies in environments where traditional financial systems do not fully meet demand.

Stablecoin usage reflects underlying gaps in financial infrastructure, particularly in foreign currency access, cross-border settlement, and transaction efficiency. This position is strongly supported by an industry report which ranked Nigeria first globally in stablecoin usage, with 59 percent of Nigerian crypto users holding USDT, while 48 percent own USDC, the highest combined ownership level among the countries surveyed.

The discussion with the IMF focused on the March 2026 Annual report under Article IV; Current drivers for stablecoins adoption in Nigeria; Use cases; Regulation and existence together with traditional banking and the anticipated role of CBN; How stablecoins drive financial inclusion.. Access to foreign currency remains constrained for many individuals and businesses. Cross-border payments are often slow and costly. For freelancers, exporters, and companies operating across markets, these limitations have direct implications for income, liquidity, and growth.

Stablecoins, including USDT, USDC, have provided an alternative mechanism for settlement. They enable faster transactions, reduce costs, and support participation in global markets. Adoption is driven by utility, with transaction data showing consistent, real-world usage across sectors.

This context is central to understanding the role stablecoins now play within Nigeria’s financial system and, increasingly, across the continent.

Advancing the Regulation Conversation

A key focus of the engagement was regulation. There is increasing alignment on the need for clear and consistent standards across the stablecoin ecosystem. Trust in these instruments depends on transparent reserve management, strong governance structures, and independent, verifiable auditing.

These elements form the foundation for broader institutional confidence. The discussion also addressed anti-money laundering (AML) considerations, particularly in relation to peer-to-peer activity. Restrictive approaches that do not account for market demand often shift activity into less visible channels.

Strengthening KYC and AML frameworks, supporting regulated on- and off-ramps, and establishing clear reporting standards can provide regulators with greater visibility while maintaining access for users.

This approach supports both compliance and continued participation in the formal financial system. Across the continent, this work is already underway. Yellow Card is actively engaging with regulators, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners to support the development of compliant, market-relevant frameworks. This includes engaging financial institutions on stablecoin infrastructure strategy, treasury applications, and cross-border settlement models that may align with existing regulatory expectations while introducing greater efficiency.

A Maturing Global Dialogue

One of the key outcomes of the engagement is the evolution of the global policy conversation. The focus has shifted toward how digital assets can be integrated into financial systems in a way that supports stability, transparency, and growth.

For African markets, this creates an opportunity to contribute to regulatory frameworks based on practical experience and observed usage patterns.

Yellow Card’s role in this conversation is grounded in its operations across multiple African markets and emerging markets. The company works closely with regulators, supports compliance frameworks, and facilitates digital asset transactions at scale across the continent.
In parallel, partnerships with global payment networks such as Visa, Mastercard, alongside collaborations with fintechs and financial institutions, are contributing to the development of interoperable systems that connect traditional finance with blockchain-based infrastructure. These efforts are focused on practical implementation, enabling institutions to explore stablecoin use cases within controlled, compliant environments.

This operational perspective allows for a more grounded and informed contribution to policy discussions.

The Work Ahead

The engagement in Lagos forms part of a broader, ongoing process. Regulatory frameworks for stablecoins across Africa are still developing. Decisions related to licensing, reserve requirements, compliance standards, and the relationship between central bank digital currencies and private stablecoins will shape the continent’s financial systems over the coming years.

Nigeria is well-positioned to contribute to this process, given its scale, level of adoption, and technical capacity. More broadly, Africa’s experience provides valuable insight into how digital assets function in high-demand, real-world environments.

Continued engagement between policymakers, financial institutions, and industry participants will be important. Stablecoins are already integrated into financial activity across the continent. The focus now is on developing regulatory frameworks that support their effective and responsible use.

By: Maria Oldham, COO of Yellow Card

The debate around stablecoins has largely missed the point. For many businesses, the question is no longer whether stablecoins will matter, but whether they have already waited too long to engage with them strategically. In 2025, stablecoins quietly crossed a threshold, not as a speculative asset, but as part of the infrastructure through which value increasingly moves across borders.

From my perspective, the biggest risk businesses face today is not adopting stablecoins too early. It is doing nothing at all. One of the clearest signals in 2025 came not from crypto-native firms, but from the most established institutions in global finance.

Visa expanded its stablecoin settlement capabilities. Mastercard accelerated its on-chain payments initiatives. J.P. Morgan launched its USD-denominated deposit token (JPM Coin/JPMD) on the public Base blockchain for institutional clients, SWIFT, long synonymous with correspondent banking, began exploring how digital assets could integrate with existing financial rails rather than sit outside them. According to public statements from these institutions, the focus was not disruption, but efficiency, interoperability, and scale.

These organisations do not move quickly, and they do not move speculatively. When they adapt, it is because underlying economic behaviour has already shifted.

At the same time, according to the State of Crypto Report, transaction volumes last year reached $9 trillion, up 87% from the year prior. Importantly, a growing share of this activity was driven by real economic use - enterprise payments, remittances, payroll, and cross-border settlement - rather than trading.

For businesses, the implication was clear. The way value moves globally is changing, with or without them.

For years, inefficiencies in cross-border payments were tolerated as a cost of doing business. Slow settlement, high fees, fragmented banking relationships, and currency volatility were accepted constraints.

In 2025, those constraints became harder to justify.

Geopolitical uncertainty, persistent inflation, and uneven access to banking infrastructure placed new pressure on global operations. Predictability - in cash flow, settlement, and access to capital - became a strategic asset.

Stablecoins addressed these challenges directly. They reduced settlement times, lowered transaction costs, and offered businesses greater control over liquidity across markets. Faster settlement and reduced FX friction can materially improve working capital efficiency for firms operating across multiple jurisdictions.

This is why stablecoins should not be viewed as a payments trend. They are increasingly a business continuity tool. However, there is also a subtler risk in delay.

Businesses that leave stablecoins unexamined until competitive or regulatory pressure forces action often find themselves making rushed decisions - selecting partners, structures, or jurisdictions simply to move, rather than to move well. We have seen this pattern repeatedly with major infrastructure shifts.

When organisations adopt late, strategy gives way to urgency. Decisions are made to catch up, not to build sustainably. The result is often years spent unwinding systems, renegotiating regulatory approaches, or re-engineering processes that were never designed for scale in the first place. Time still exists; but optionality is already shrinking.

Across emerging markets, this shift is not theoretical. It is already embedded in daily economic life. At Yellow Card, the largest licensed stablecoin infrastructure provider operating across Africa and emerging markets, we see how businesses use stablecoins to manage currency exposure, access global markets, and operate more efficiently where traditional financial systems remain fragmented or unreliable. According to the World Bank, cross-border transaction costs remain disproportionately high in emerging economies - making alternative rails particularly valuable.

But scale brings complexity. Regulation varies by jurisdiction. Infrastructure gaps differ by market. Compliance, trust, and local context matter deeply.

This is where a stablecoin strategy becomes critical. Success does not come from ignoring complexity, but from navigating it, combining global capability with local understanding.

Emerging markets are not a test case for stablecoins. They are where stablecoins have already proven their value.

So what does a stablecoin strategy actually mean?

It does not mean abandoning banks or replacing existing systems. It means understanding where stablecoins complement current infrastructure, and where they create competitive advantage.

In 2026, leading businesses will be asking: Where can stablecoins reduce friction in our operations? How do they improve settlement speed and cash-flow visibility? How do we expand into new markets without inheriting unnecessary financial risk?

While the world is still debating how digital assets fit into financial systems, Africa is showing how they work

By: Lasbery Chioma Oludimu: VP of Global Operations and MD of Yellow Card Nigeria

This year, the digital asset industry will no longer be divided by ideology, but by execution.
The question will not be whether digital assets belong in the financial system, that debate is effectively over, but rather which platforms can operate at scale, under regulation, and across borders without friction. This is the point where much of the industry will be tested.

For years, digital assets were defined by innovation cycles and adoption narratives. Over the next phase, they will be defined by infrastructure: reliability, liquidity, compliance, and interoperability with traditional finance. Visibility will matter less than durability. Speed will matter less than trust. And this is where Africa enters the conversation not as a follower, but as an early operator.

From Lagos to Washington, London to São Paulo, 2025 marked the moment governments formally accepted that digital assets are permanent. The United States passed its first federal stablecoin legislation through the GENIUS Act, but broader rules for asset classifications and market structure proposed in the CLARITY Act are still under consideration. Europe enforced MiCA across 27 member states, bringing uniform licensing and reserve requirements into effect. The UK moved to integrate crypto into its existing financial framework rather than regulate it in isolation. Regulation sent a very clear signal that infrastructure will determine the outcome.

Regulation Was the Starting Line, Not the Finish
In developed markets, regulatory progress in 2025 was largely about order: consumer protection, market integrity, and systemic risk. These frameworks were designed to manage disruption within systems that already function. Africa’s experience has been fundamentally different.

Digital assets did not gain traction across African markets because they were innovative or aspirational. They gained traction because existing financial systems were fragmented, cross-border payments were expensive, access to global liquidity was constrained, and currency volatility was a daily reality.

By the time regulatory frameworks took shape, markets were already active. The role of regulation was not to enable participation, but to stabilise activity that already existed at scale.

Nigeria’s decision to recognise digital assets as securities until proven otherwise, Kenya’s introduction of a VASP framework, Ghana’s legalisation of crypto trading, and South Africa’s transition from licensing to active enforcement all reflect the same underlying truth: usage preceded certainty.

Africa did not regulate in anticipation of adoption. It regulated in response to it. This sequence matters, because it shaped how infrastructure was built.

Building Under Pressure Changes Outcomes

Digital asset infrastructure across Africa has developed in environments defined by volatility, regulatory diversity, and operational complexity. Platforms have had to manage multiple currencies, comply with multiple regulators, and operate across borders where traditional banking rails are often unreliable or unavailable. This forced early discipline.

Liquidity management could not be abstract. Compliance could not be retrofitted. Systems had to prioritise uptime, resilience, and trust because failure carried immediate economic consequences. Infrastructure had to work continuously, not in pilots, not in controlled environments, but in live markets.

Over time, what appeared to be constraints became advantages. Africa did not just adopt digital assets. It learned how to run them.

Why Infrastructure Decides the Next Phase

As digital assets move deeper into the core of global finance, leadership will shift away from innovation narratives toward operational credibility.

By 2026, the industry will move decisively in three key ways: 1) From adoption metrics to infrastructure reliability. 2) From product launches to operational trust. 3) From regional compliance to global interoperability. This transition will expose a gap.

Markets that built digital asset platforms under ideal conditions will now face the challenge of scaling under regulatory scrutiny, integrating with legacy banking systems, and managing cross-border risk. Markets that are built under pressure have already been operating in that reality.

This is where infrastructure-first platforms, including those developed in African markets, become increasingly relevant.

Companies like Yellow Card reflect this shift. Their value is not defined by consumer visibility or speculative volume, but by their ability to support compliant, cross-border digital asset activity at scale. In environments where failure is not hypothetical, infrastructure becomes the product.

The most effective infrastructure is often invisible. It is measured in what does not happen: failed settlements, liquidity shocks, compliance breakdowns, operational downtime. In markets where those failures are not tolerated, durability becomes the differentiator.

Africa’s Quiet Leadership

Africa’s role in the digital asset ecosystem is often framed through adoption statistics. That framing misses the more consequential development. The continent has produced infrastructure capable of handling regulatory complexity, operational risk, and real-world scale, not because it set out to lead globally, but because it had to function locally.

As digital assets move from the margins into the centre of global finance, that experience becomes increasingly relevant.

The world may still be debating how digital assets fit into the financial system. But Africa has already been building the systems that make them work.

And in 2026, infrastructure, not ideology, will no doubt decide who leads.

By: Japhet Gana: Group Head, Transaction Risk & Financial Crimes, Yellow Card[b][/b]

In the past decade, our financial systems have become more digitally interconnected than ever before. Convenience and speed now come with a price: financial crime. From sophisticated money-laundering networks to cyber-enabled fraud rings, criminal actors are exploiting gaps in regulation and oversight. As traditional finance evolves, so too have the methods and opportunities for abuse, and nowhere is this more evident than in the digital asset space.

Cryptocurrency and other digital assets promised a more inclusive and efficient financial system. But without the right guardrails, innovation can inadvertently create new avenues for exploitation. Over the last several years, financial crime has grown alongside the digital economy. According to a Chainalysis report by July 2025 over $2.17 billion were reported stolen from cryptocurrency services. But behind these numbers are real people. Small businesses locked out of working capital after falling victim to crypto scams. Families losing savings to impersonation schemes. Young founders forced to shut down promising ventures because a single fraud incident wiped out their liquidity. Financial crime in digital assets is not abstract. It is personal, and its impact is often irreversible.

From darknet markets moving illicit funds to ransomware groups demanding payment in digital assets, criminals increasingly leverage digital currencies because of weak oversight, inadequate identity verification, and jurisdictional gaps in enforcement. It’s why anti-money-laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) controls are not bureaucratic niceties, they are essential infrastructure for a functioning financial system. Regulation is not a “nice-to-have”; it’s the safeguard that separates legitimate innovation from systemic risk.

The Risk Landscape Gets Sharper as Digital Assets Grow

In the absence of clear rules, digital assets have often been described as the Wild West of finance, a frontier of opportunity with little accountability. Stories highlighting lost wallets and exchange hacks grab headlines, but the larger issue is deeper: when markets operate without enforceable standards for transparency and oversight, bad actors thrive.

The digital asset ecosystem can be a force for economic inclusion, especially in emerging markets across Africa. But that promise will always be limited if fear of fraud, theft, or criminal misuse overshadows the potential benefits. Regulation that prioritises financial safety protects consumers and strengthens trust in the financial system, trust that is fundamental for adoption at scale.

Regulatory Momentum: Kenya and Ghana Take a Stand

Recognising these risks, several African countries have moved beyond debate and taken decisive action. Two of the most important developments in the last year came from Kenya and Ghana, where comprehensive regulatory frameworks for digital assets were enacted. At a time when many developed markets are still struggling to reconcile innovation with enforcement, African regulators are proving that clarity is possible. These frameworks are not reactionary. They are deliberate, consultative, and built for long-term market health.

In Kenya, a new digital asset regulatory framework was formalised in November 2025, the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill. This made the East African country one of the first in the region to clearly define licensing requirements, compliance expectations and supervisory oversight for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). This law was crafted, with major input and consultation from Yellow Card’s team, enabling innovation while ensuring that operators implement strong AML and CTF safeguards.

Similarly, Ghana’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025, which received president assent at the end of December 2025 marked a historic shift. For years, the digital asset market in Ghana had operated in a gray area - widely used by the public but lacking legal certainty. With the passage of the VASP Bill and receipt of presidential assent, cryptocurrency activities are now formally legalised and regulated. This framework assigns responsibility to multiple agencies - including the central bank, securities regulator, and financial intelligence unit - to monitor transactions, enforce identity verification, and prevent illicit flows. These laws are about more than legitimacy; they are about protecting individuals, businesses, and the broader financial system from abuse.

Why Regulation Matters: Financial Safety and Security Aren’t Optional

Financial crime isn’t just a compliance checkbox for multinational corporations - it’s a real threat that affects individuals, firms and economies. Losses from fraud and money laundering erode consumer confidence and divert capital away from productive use. Illegal activity distorts markets and can undermine the foundational trust people place in financial systems. In the digital asset context, unregulated exchanges and opaque operations amplify these risks.

Regulatory frameworks like those in Kenya and Ghana create what we call a “safe zone” - a space where innovation can thrive under clear standards that protect participants. Mandatory Know-Your-Customer (KYC) requirements ensure identities are verified. AML and CFT protocols detect and deter illicit flows. And coordinated oversight enables regulators and operators to combine on-chain analytics with traditional compliance tools to identify suspicious behaviour in real time.

A Global Operator’s Perspective: Yellow Card’s Commitment to Safety

At Yellow Card, our operations span across 34 markets, with a footprint in 20 African countries and strategic business relationships spanning Europe and the United States. This global reach means we interact with some of the most sophisticated regulatory regimes in the world. We don’t see financial safety and security as optional luxuries, they are prerequisites for operating responsibly at scale.

We have built risk and financial crime programmes that adhere to the highest standards. That includes robust identity verification, transaction monitoring, and real-time risk scoring. These systems are not theoretical; they are deployed daily to protect users and reinforce trust in the digital economy.

The Future Depends on Safe, Secure, Accountable Markets

As digital assets continue to integrate with traditional finance and everyday commerce, the stakes for financial integrity will only rise. Countries that lead with thoughtful regulation - rooted in transparency, enforcement and international cooperation - will unlock broader economic potential. Those that delay risk stagnating in uncertainty. The real question for policymakers is no longer whether to regulate digital assets, but how quickly and how well. Clear rules today prevent crises tomorrow. In a global market where capital moves instantly, jurisdictions that move decisively will define the future of digital finance.

Regulation that confronts financial crime head-on doesn’t stifle innovation - it enables it by eliminating fear and establishing a foundation of trust. For Ghana, Kenya, and other forward-thinking nations, the message is clear: the future of finance must be safe to be sustainable.

And when safety is non-negotiable, everyone benefits: consumers, businesses, and the economy at large.

By Lasbery Oludimu, Yellow Card VP of Global Operations and MD of Yellow Card Nigeria

The year 2025 will be remembered as one of the most consequential years for digital assets, particularly stablecoins, in Africa and across emerging markets. What once sat at the edge of global finance is now taking centre stage. From sweeping regulatory reforms to historic adoption milestones, to shifts in global trade policies, to unprecedented corporate interest, 2025 delivered a series of developments that firmly established stablecoins as the backbone of modern financial infrastructure. 2026 will accelerate this progress across business, trade, and the global economy.

Below is a reflection on the defining moments of 2025 and what they signal for the year ahead.

The U.S. GENIUS Act: Global Legitimacy for Stablecoins:

A major turning point came with the signing of the GENIUS Act in the United States, the first comprehensive federal legislation for stablecoins. The Act introduced clear guardrails around issuance, reserves, transparency, and redemption rights. For the first time, a major global financial centre established a structured regulatory framework that legitimizes stablecoins on the world stage.

The ripple effects have been swift. Markets now view regulated, dollar-backed stablecoins as credible institutional tools, not speculative assets. For emerging markets - where dollar scarcity is common, and banking infrastructure remains fragmented - the GENIUS Act provides validation, trust, and a blueprint for responsible innovation.

Major Financial Players Betting Big on Stablecoins:

Major financial institutions and corporations are increasingly moving beyond experimental phases into the practical adoption and integration of stablecoins into their core operations. Payment giants like PayPal have been early movers, launching their own fully regulated PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin, which aims to facilitate faster, cheaper transactions and bridge traditional finance with the Web3 ecosystem.

This trend reflects a shift from viewing digital currencies merely as speculative assets to recognizing their utility as efficient, reliable tools for global settlements, treasury management, and real-time payment systems. The push is driven by the potential for significant cost reductions and improved settlement speeds compared to traditional fiat systems.

Nigeria’s Leadership in Digital Assets Adoption Among Emerging Markets Continues:

The Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index 2025 ranked Nigeria 6th globally, still the highest in Africa, reinforcing the country’s position as one of the most active digital asset markets worldwide. Adoption in Nigeria is increasingly utility-driven: businesses use stablecoins for cross-border payments, SMEs use them for treasury stability, and individuals rely on them to preserve value amid FX volatility.

This is in addition to the landmark public statement “Nigeria is open for stablecoin business” from the Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the Nigeria Stablecoin Summit in Lagos. This was more than a headline; it was a signal that Nigeria intends to shape, rather than resist, the global evolution of digital finance.

Kenya Makes History With its VASP Bill:

In East Africa, Kenya achieved a groundbreaking milestone by passing its Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill, formally recognizing and legalizing crypto activities under national law. This places Kenya among the first African countries with a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets, ahead of many global peers.

The VASP Bill sends a clear message: digital assets are here to stay. More importantly, countries that embrace structured regulation will be best positioned to attract investment, foster innovation, and strengthen cross-border commerce.

Bitcoin Dips Below $90,000 in November and the Market Responds Differently Than Before:

In November, Bitcoin dipped below the $90,000 mark, sparking fascination rather than fear. Unlike previous cycles where sharp price movements triggered panic, this year’s market showed remarkable maturity.

Emerging markets in particular demonstrated resilience. Across Africa, crypto usage continued to grow, driven not by speculation but by necessity: payments, remittances, savings, B2B transfers, and access to stable dollar liquidity.

The reaction to the dip signaled a clear shift: Bitcoin remains a macro indicator, but stablecoins have become the real economic utility.

Yellow Card Expands and Now in 34 Emerging Markets:

A defining highlight of 2025 has been Yellow Card’s expansion into more emerging markets, bringing its presence to 34 emerging markets and reinforcing our commitment to building the infrastructure that powers digital payments, stablecoin liquidity, and financial innovation.

Yellow Card’s focus is increasingly enterprise-driven rather than purely retail; we are enabling businesses, from exporters and manufacturers to fintechs and global payment providers, to move value across borders instantly, access stable dollar liquidity, pay international partners and contractors seamlessly, and also scale operations across multiple markets, among other use cases.

With over 30,000 businesses served, Yellow Card remains at the centre of digital transformation in emerging markets.

Looking Ahead: Why 2026 Will Be an Even Bigger Year for Stablecoins:

Based on the momentum of 2025, several trends will define the 2026:

● Business adoption will surpass retail adoption: Stablecoins will become foundational tools for cross-border settlements, supply-chain payments, payroll, invoicing, and treasury management.

● Regulatory clarity will expand across Africa: Following Kenya, more governments will move from observation to implementation, setting standards that grow the market responsibly.

● Stablecoins will mature into mainstream financial infrastructure: Dollar-backed digital assets will be integrated into mobile money, neobanks, fintech apps, and enterprise payment systems.

● The companies building infrastructure, not speculating, will lead the next decade: As regulatory clarity strengthens, global policy shifts unfold, and emerging markets continue to outpace the West in real-world adoption, stablecoins are poised to drive the next chapter of global finance.

Yellow Card, one of the largest licensed stablecoin-based infrastructures with capabilities spanning 34 countries, with a network spanning Africa, and other key global markets, has appointed Maria Oldham as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

A global executive with two decades of experience across finance, payments, and technology, Oldham joins Yellow Card to help scale the company’s next stage of growth as it expands its pan-African infrastructure for stablecoin-based payments and international money movement to South East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

"Over the past two decades, I have witnessed first-hand multiple waves of disruption in the payments industry. Now, the next wave is here with the advent of stablecoins", said Oldham. “Yellow Card’s stablecoin infrastructure, built from the ground-up with a tech and compliance-first mindset, makes cross-border money movement simple, transparent, and reliable. I am thrilled to join Chris and the team to help scale this platform and build the next generation of financial infrastructure for businesses and their customers globally."

Oldham brings deep expertise in operational excellence, strategic finance, and market expansion, having led teams across multiple continents and industries. She previously served as SVP & Global Head of Strategy, Corporate Development and Finance at dLocal, VP of Marketplace at Brazilian unicorn Loft, and Head of Latin America for PayPal’s SME business. Earlier in her career, she built and scaled iZettle Brazil and helped to deliver its $2 billion acquisition by PayPal. She began her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in London.

In her new role, Oldham will oversee all revenue and growth functions at Yellow Card including Strategy, Operations, Partnerships, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success; reporting directly to CEO Chris Maurice.

“Maria has scaled some of the most successful fintech companies in the world, and she understands both the operational discipline and cultural nuance it takes to grow across emerging markets,” said Maurice. “Her experience and leadership will be key as Yellow Card continues to expand into emerging markets and introduce new products that bridge global and local financial systems.”
Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, and now based in London, Oldham holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from EAESP-FGV São Paulo and an MBA from the London Business School.

Her appointment underscores Yellow Card’s commitment to building a world-class leadership team as it accelerates its mission to modernize financial infrastructure across Africa and emerging markets.

Win caps a groundbreaking year of strategic partnerships, major market expansion, and proven stablecoin utility.

Yellow Card, the leading stablecoin infrastructure provider for emerging markets, has won the Grand Prix Award in the Payments category at Money20/20 USA. The award, presented on 26 October in Las Vegas, recognized Yellow Card’s significant contributions to the global payments landscape, placing it ahead of J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard, Zerohash, Mynt, and many more.

This moment caps a groundbreaking year for the company, which secured strategic partnerships with the likes of Visa and expanded its footprint into major emerging markets including Brazil, India, and Mexico, as well as established financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Money20/20," said Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-founder of Yellow Card, who accepted the award. "This is more than a milestone; it solidifies our place as a key player in the industry and signals the growing global recognition of our mission. None of this would have been possible without our incredible team, partners, investors, and customers. This moment validates what we’ve achieved together and serves as a springboard for what comes next.”

Yellow Card's innovative B2B infrastructure has been the engine of its growth, enabling banks, fintechs, and enterprises to move value across borders with unprecedented efficiency.

“We are only scratching the surface of what’s possible,” said Justin Poiroux, CTO and Co-founder of Yellow Card. “We haven’t even begun to see how far this technology can go - the efficiencies, the connections, and the new markets it can unlock. If anything, this moment is the beginning of something much larger. And we’re only just getting started.”


Yellow Card is the largest licensed stablecoin-based infrastructure provider operating in 34 countries, with a network spanning Africa, and other key global markets. Our presence includes 20 African countries, major emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Mexico, and China, and established financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong. From Stablecoin payment infrastructure to fiat settlement rails, custody wallet services, and custom local Stablecoin issuance, Yellow Card provides the complete à-la-carte infrastructure businesses need to manage Stablecoins, payments, and operations across emerging markets. Since launching our first product in Nigeria in 2019, we have generated volumes of almost US$6 billion, 99% of which is attributable to stablecoins.

Global Fintech Industry Recognizes Yellow Card's Innovation with Finalist Nomination for The
Payments Award.

Yellow Card, the leading fintech innovator building critical payments infrastructure across Africa
and emerging markets, has been named a finalist for the Payments Category at the first-ever
Money Awards, hosted by Money20/20. The event will honor global innovators redefining the
future of financial services in Las Vegas on Sunday, 26 October.

This nomination caps a landmark year for Yellow Card, which has been marked by rapid growth,
strategic partnerships with industry giants such as Visa and Fireblocks, as well as its successful
expansion into emerging markets.

"Our vision has always been bigger than just payments; it’s about creating a level playing field
where an entrepreneur in São Paulo or Lagos has the same opportunity to scale globally as one
in London or New York. Being a finalist at Money20/20 tells us the world is not just watching, but
recognizing the importance of that mission,” said Chris Maurice, CEO and co-founder of Yellow
Card.

The recognition also acknowledges Yellow Card’s unique technological advancements.
"From an architectural standpoint, our innovation lies in making the complex feel simple.
Businesses don't need to be crypto experts to benefit from the speed and efficiency of
stablecoins. We built an infrastructure layer that handles all the back-end complexity. This
nomination recognizes that a powerful customer experience is just as critical as the underlying
technology. We are building the financial layer to enable businesses around the world to harness
the power of stablecoins and emerging market rails alike,” said Justin Poiroux, CTO and co-
founder of Yellow Card.

About Yellow Card:
Yellow Card is the largest licensed stablecoin-based infrastructure provider operating in 34
countries, with a network spanning Africa, and other key global markets. Our presence includes
20 African countries, major emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Mexico, and China, and
established financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Our mission is to make it easy for businesses of all sizes to make international payments,
protect their financial assets, manage their treasury function, and access hard currency liquidity.
Leveraging the power of stablecoins pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar (e.g. USDC, USDT, and
PYUSD), we deliver our innovative solutions through our commercial trading function and our
B2B products (i.e. our payments API and “widget”).

Article By Chris Maurice, CEO of Yellow Card.

Most people don’t think about how money moves across borders. You tap your card on vacation
or wire a supplier overseas and assume it works the same everywhere; fast and invisible.
Beneath the surface, though, global payments remain slow, costly, and overly dependent on a
single hub: New York.

The reason is correspondent banking, the plumbing of international finance built for a different
era. Instead of funds moving directly from one country to another, a bank relies on an
intermediary, often a U.S. bank in New York, to provide services on its behalf. That made sense
when technology was limited and trust was scarcer. Today, it has become a bottleneck.
Consider a business in Nairobi paying a supplier in Berlin. The transaction typically detours
through a U.S. correspondent bank before reaching Germany. That extra leg adds time, fees,
and operational risk—even when neither party has any commercial tie to the United States
beyond the prevalence of the dollar in trade. If the same flight path were imposed on travel:
Kenya to New York to Germany, we’d call it inefficient design. Yet we accept similar friction for
the world’s financial arteries. In most markets, I can send money to a friend instantly or summon
an Uber to my door in minutes. Global payments should run at the speed of modern software.
It is important to be clear about why New York sits at the center: the dollar’s status as the
world’s reserve currency, deep U.S. capital markets, and the reliability of U.S. rule of law. Those
are strategic assets. Many readers rightly value the advantages they confer—from lower funding
costs to unrivaled financial depth. The objective, then, is not to “route around” New York or
diminish U.S. influence. It is to upgrade the rails so that dollar settlement is more accessible,
more resilient, and more competitive for the next generation of commerce.

Concentration has consequences. When payments depend on a handful of correspondent
relationships, shocks in one jurisdiction can ripple worldwide—whether from sanctions, de-
risking decisions, cybersecurity incidents, or compliance backlogs. Small and midsize
companies, especially in emerging markets, bear the brunt: fees that can climb into the high
single digits or more, settlements that take days rather than seconds, and liquidity trapped by
time-zone and banking-hours constraints. For them, payments inefficiency is not an
inconvenience; it is a growth ceiling.

What would a modern system look like? It would minimize intermediaries, settle in real time, and
rely on open, interoperable infrastructure that reduces single points of failure while preserving
compliance and auditability. This is not about reinventing money; it is about improving the routes
money takes.

One practical path is properly regulated, fully reserved dollar stablecoins. Stablecoins can move
dollars across borders in near real time at low cost, with transparent records that simplify
compliance and reconciliation. For a manufacturer in Lagos paying a supplier in Istanbul, that
can mean seconds instead of days and basis points instead of percentage points.

Modernization would reinforce U.S. financial leadership rather than undermine it. If dollars move
faster, cheaper, and with better compliance tooling than alternatives, international businesses
will deepen—not reduce—their dollar usage. Allowing low-margin transmission to occur on
efficient rails frees New York to focus on what it does best: price discovery, underwriting, risk
management, asset management, and capital formation. Real-time, auditable settlement
reduces operational and counterparty risk and can even enhance sanctions efficacy by making
flows more traceable. Open rails paired with rigorous U.S. oversight keep American norms: rule
of law, investor protection, and prudential supervision, at the center of global finance.
This is a competitive question as much as a technical one. The status quo leaves room for
closed, proprietary networks and non-dollar systems to gain share where the correspondent
model is most fragile. If American policymakers and market leaders champion modern,
interoperable dollar rails, they future-proof the dollar’s role and widen the moat around New
York’s financial ecosystem.

Stablecoins are not the only modernization effort. Central banks are exploring digital currencies,
and banks and fintechs are building faster cross-border corridors. The common thread is
upgrading settlement to be real-time, programmable, and interoperable. Among these, fully
reserved, well-regulated dollar stablecoins are notable because they are market-ready today
and compatible with existing compliance frameworks.

We have lived with detours for half a century. It is time to give global trade infrastructure that
matches the pace of modern business—direct where it can be, fast when it must be, and open
enough to be resilient. Do that, and the outcome is not less New York. It is a stronger dollar, a
more competitive U.S. financial system, and a global economy that moves at the speed of the
world we actually live in.

Chris Maurice is the CEO of Yellow Card, the largest licensed stablecoin payments company in
Africa and emerging markets.

By: Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card

Global trade discussions often remain at a high level, focusing on geopolitics and national strategy. But across Africa and emerging markets, the real-world impact is felt in the liquidity of local markets. For countless businesses, the most pressing challenge is consistent access to U.S. dollars. Now, as new trade policies like U.S. tariffs enter the picture, they risk deepening this dollar scarcity, making it even harder for businesses to operate globally.

In this environment, the rapid adoption of dollar-backed stablecoins is not a political statement, but a pragmatic response to a clear economic need.

When tariffs are imposed on a nation's key exports, such as on automotive and agricultural goods from Zambia or textiles from Lesotho, it can reduce the inflow of U.S. dollars into the national economy. This puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves, which in turn reduces the availability of dollars through conventional banking channels. For a local business that needs to pay an international supplier, secure raw materials, or manage its treasury, this market-wide shortage makes sourcing dollars through traditional banking slow, costly, and unpredictable. This is not a new problem in many African markets, but tariffs can act as a powerful accelerant.

This is precisely the friction point where regulated stablecoins like USDC and USDT are providing immense value. They function as a readily accessible, digital reservoir of U.S. dollars, allowing businesses to ensure liquidity when local access to physical dollars tightens and to keep operations running smoothly. This liquidity allows them to settle international invoices in minutes, bypassing the multi-day settlement times of conventional cross-border payments and reducing both costs and supply chain delays. Furthermore, on a strategic level, holding a portion of their treasury in stablecoins allows businesses to protect their capital from local currency fluctuations, a risk that is magnified during periods of economic uncertainty.

The scale of this adoption is no longer theoretical. In Nigeria, we've seen over $21.8 billion in stablecoin volume in 2024. In South Africa, the $13.5 billion in volume is heavily driven by import/export businesses. In Kenya, $3.3 billion in transactions shows a natural synergy with the continent’s world-class mobile money infrastructure.

This trend is now maturing from a retail phenomenon into a core part of B2B infrastructure. The needs of a small business or a large corporation go beyond a simple wallet. They require robust, secure, and compliant solutions to manage digital assets at scale.
At Yellow Card, we provide business solutions including treasury management, invoice settlement as well as our payments API and widget. Businesses are using our platform to build more resilient payment systems and manage their financial operations in a complex global economy.

No doubt, the rise of stablecoins in Africa and emerging markets is a direct and rational response to persistent economic challenges, including global trade policies that threaten to intensify. This is about leveraging technology to overcome friction.
By providing a reliable and efficient channel for U.S. dollar liquidity, stablecoins are becoming an indispensable tool for African businesses to foster resilience, ensure continuity, and compete on the global stage.

The landscape of digital finance has just experienced a seismic shift. The passage of the Global Enterprise and National Infrastructure for Utility Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act marks a pivotal moment, moving stablecoins from the fringes of financial innovation into the regulated mainstream.

For years, the primary obstacle to institutional adoption of stablecoin technology has been regulatory uncertainty. CEOs, CFOs, and treasury leaders have rightly been cautious, waiting for a clear framework to de-risk the use of these powerful financial tools. The GENIUS Act provides exactly that—a comprehensive set of rules for stablecoin issuers and users that prioritizes stability, security, and transparency.

This is not about speculative assets; it's about upgrading the fundamental rails of global commerce. It’s about empowering businesses to manage treasury, settle payments, and access liquidity with greater efficiency and confidence than ever before.

To understand the on-the-ground impact of this legislation, we spoke with our own General Counsel, Craig Stoehr:

"The GENIUS Act is a welcome and necessary step forward and solidifies a place for stablecoins in global financial markets. At Yellow Card, we have always operated with a ‘regulation-first’ mindset, proactively engaging with regulatory authorities across a wide variety of markets. This legislation validates our core philosophy: that the future of finance must be built on a foundation of trust and compliance. For our clients, this act significantly reduces ambiguity. It provides the assurance that treasury and finance leaders need to confidently integrate stablecoin infrastructure into their core operations for cross-border payments and liquidity management. While this is a U.S. bill, its impact is global, setting a powerful precedent for responsible innovation that will benefit businesses expanding across emerging markets."

What This Means for Your Business
For any company expanding into and across emerging markets, the GENIUS Act removes an operational barrier. The question is no longer if stablecoins are a viable tool for business, but how to best leverage them for a competitive advantage.

This new regulatory clarity enables you to:

1) Reduce FX & Settlement Costs: Confidently use stablecoin-powered rails to bypass the slow, expensive correspondent banking system.

2) Enhance Liquidity Management: Access deep, 24/7 liquidity pools for treasury operations without worrying about an unstable regulatory environment.

3) Scale with Confidence: Build your payment and treasury infrastructure on a foundation that is now formally recognized and regulated.

Learn more here: https://yellowcard.io/blog/genius-act-landmark-moment-for-global-finance/

In an increasingly digital world, the financial infrastructure supporting cross-border transactions is not built to effectively support businesses in emerging markets. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Nigeria, where cross-border trade continues to be bogged down by outdated systems, high fees, and long settlement times. But a quiet revolution is underway—led not by traditional banks, but by stablecoins enabled by innovators like Yellow Card.

“The current cross-border financial systems were not built for emerging markets,” says Jason Marshall, Chief Operating Officer at Yellow Card. “Transactions take time to complete and are expensive due to charges by other institutions, as they go through various institutions.”

For businesses in Nigeria and across Africa, these delays and costs can make or break operations, especially in the small-to-medium enterprise (SME) and informal sectors that power much of the continent’s economic engine. But stablecoins—cryptocurrencies pegged to the US dollar or other stable assets—are changing the narrative.

Stablecoins: The Dollar at Your Fingertips
Stablecoins offer African businesses something they’ve long needed: a fast, affordable, and reliable currency for international trade. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, stablecoins hold their value, making them a practical tool for cross-border payments.

“Stablecoins solve this problem by becoming a tool to help businesses in emerging markets access a coin that is pegged at the dollar,” says Marshall. “They’re not just storing value—they’re facilitating trade.”

Yellow Card, one of the largest and fastest-growing fintech companies in Africa, is at the forefront of this transformation. With operations in over 20 African countries, the company enables users to buy, sell, and send stablecoins like USDT and USDC easily—whether to partners abroad or suppliers across borders.

A Complement to PAPSS, Not a Competitor
In 2022, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) was launched to reduce Africa’s reliance on third-party currencies and improve regional trade. While PAPSS is a significant step forward, stablecoins offer complementary benefits that go even further.

“Despite the introduction of PAPSS, stablecoins through platforms like Yellow Card use the most advanced and secure technologies to push stablecoins and make them more accessible,” Marshall explains. “Stablecoins also have the potential to support PAPSS and become part of the infrastructure.”

By integrating modern crypto tools into existing frameworks, financial inclusion can scale in ways previously unimagined. Stablecoins don’t compete with new systems like PAPSS—they enhance them.

The Real Competition: Informal Networks
Interestingly, Yellow Card’s biggest competitors aren’t other fintech platforms—they're individuals. Tech-savvy middlemen already help businesses navigate stablecoin transactions informally. This organic adoption is telling.

“The informal sector is the biggest competitors brands like Yellow Card have,” Marshall notes. “Tech-savvy middlemen are already helping businesses use stablecoins, indicating a growing awareness and practical usage.”

Nigeria as a Case Study
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is leading the adoption curve. Its youthful population, entrepreneurial culture, and high mobile phone penetration make it fertile ground for digital financial solutions. From Lagos-based importers to rural retailers, stablecoins are making international trade faster, cheaper, and more accessible than ever before.

As Marshall emphasizes, “Businesses are using stablecoins just as a tool—not necessarily to store value—but to facilitate cross-border transactions.” And that’s precisely where the power lies: in making day-to-day operations smoother, not in speculative investments.

Conclusion:
In Nigeria and across the continent, the future of business finance isn’t just digital—it’s decentralized. As stablecoin infrastructure grows more robust and accessible, platforms like Yellow Card are empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs to trade beyond borders with confidence.

Emerging markets no longer have to wait for traditional systems to catch up. The tools for change are already here—and they’re stable, scalable, and secure.

Watch the full conversation with Jason Marshall, Chief Operating Officer at Yellow Card, on Channels TV to learn more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpB1wBDlP14?si=_zn2uy-tJwVBnvUZ

Yellow Card, Africa’s leading licensed stablecoin payments orchestrator, has officially released its groundbreaking “2025 Report on the State of Digital Assets Regulation in Africa” - the continent’s most comprehensive analysis of digital asset regulatory frameworks to date.

With over 54 million digital asset users across Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa leading the world in stablecoin adoption at 9.3%, the report maps out how regulators across 20+ countries are responding to the continent’s rapid digital finance transformation.

According to the report, Nigeria ranks first globally in stablecoin adoption and second in overall digital asset usage, with 25.9 million users, representing an 11.9% penetration rate. This places the country at the epicenter of Africa’s digital asset movement, driven by the need to hedge against naira volatility, access USD-denominated value, and streamline cross-border transactions.

“We’re seeing real momentum from both regulators and innovators, a clear signal that digital assets are no longer fringe, but foundational,” said Craig Stoehr, Yellow Card’s General Counsel, and one of the authors of the Report.

The report highlights Nigeria’s significant regulatory developments, including:
- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now officially regulates digital assets as securities, cemented by amendments to the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2024.

- Programs like the Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Program (ARIP) are onboarding platforms into formal regulatory structures.

- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has relaxed its previous stance on VASPs, issuing guidelines for banking relationships with crypto firms in late 2023.

These moves signal an ecosystem maturing rapidly, with growing clarity, oversight, and legitimacy.

Stablecoins are proving transformative for Nigerian individuals and businesses alike. Beyond personal savings and remittances, more companies are now accepting digital assets for payments, unlocking faster transactions and deeper access to foreign currency-denominated tools, all of which fuel economic innovation and financial inclusion.

The report also highlights regional trends, including the rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), increased AML/CFT compliance, and how other African countries like Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa are developing their frameworks. Yellow Card’s “State of Digital Assets Regulation in Africa – 2025” report is now available to the public and can be accessed on the Yellow Card website.

Article by Rachael Akalia - from Yellow Card.

Same-day deliveries and real-time tracking have completely changed what consumers expect, but the real challenge in African and global supply chains goes beyond just logistics. It's the outdated payment systems that are holding everything back. Despite massive technological strides in production, inventory management, and shipping, many supply chain transactions still rely on outdated payment infrastructure, including delayed settlements, excessive fees, multiple intermediaries, and a lack of transparency. These inefficiencies have consequences, especially in Africa and emerging markets, where payment rails can be even more fragmented.

The Cost of Delay
When a business orders goods from an overseas supplier, the payment often passes through several correspondent banks before it reaches the recipient. According to the McKinsey Global Payments Report of October 2024, consistent with findings from the 2024 World Bank study, cross-border B2B payments can take 3 - 5 business days on average to settle, and even longer in emerging markets, especially if it's a weekend or a public holiday. During that time, goods may be stuck in limbo, awaiting payment confirmation before being released or shipped.

This delay isn't just inconvenient; it's costly. Businesses tie up capital while waiting for transactions to clear, and suppliers face uncertainty around cash flow. This friction can be the difference between meeting demand and losing customers in fast-moving markets. Also, currency volatility during settlement delays can affect the final amount received, adding another layer of risk, especially for importers and exporters working across borders with tight margins.


Why Instant Settlement Matters
The ability to send and receive value in real-time (instant settlement) offers an alternative that eliminates unnecessary delays, reduces business risks, and increases transparency and trust between trading partners. This means faster inventory turnover, restocking, and better working capital management for supply chains. Since payments arrive predictably and securely, this will strengthen the relationship between buyers and suppliers.

The African Challenge and Opportunity
The 2024 African Trade Report from the Africa Export-Import Bank shows that in 2023, intra-African trade accounted for 15% of the continent's total trade, up from 13.6% in 2022. However, despite the upward trend, intra-African trade remains low compared to other regions, with intra-Asian trade at 58% and intra-European trade at 68%.

Despite growing intra-regional trade, Africa remains stifled by limited access to efficient cross-border payment solutions. On the other hand, global businesses are eager to tap into African markets and suppliers. That's where payment options that can facilitate instant settlements come in, bridging the gap between traditional banking infrastructure and the real-time demands of modern commerce.

An Efficient Way Forward
Yellow Card's Commercial Desk offers an efficient solution for businesses operating in or with African markets. Designed for institutional and corporate players, the Commercial Desk facilitates large-value, cross-border settlements that leverage digital assets. This allows businesses to move value instantly and securely across borders without relying on slow and expensive intermediaries. Whether it's paying suppliers in Ghana, sourcing goods from Kenya, settling invoices in South Africa, or even moving value and invoice settlements from Africa to overseas, Yellow Card's Commercial Desk simplifies the process, ensures compliance, and accelerates trades between partners, giving the Supply Chain industry a strategic advantage in a world where speed, trust, and flexibility define success.

As supply chains become more global and time-sensitive, instant settlement is no longer just a convenience; it's a necessity. Forward-thinking businesses are re-evaluating their financial infrastructure with the same urgency they apply to logistics and procurement. Those who adapt quickly by partnering with solutions like Yellow Card's Commercial Desk stand to unlock faster growth, better efficiency, and stronger global partnerships.

In the rapidly evolving world of fintech, few stories are as compelling as that of Justin Poiroux, the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Yellow Card. What began as a dorm room project has transformed into a leading pan-African fintech platform, serving over 1.7 million customers across 20 African countries. In a recent interview with Blessed Frank of TechNext, Justin shares his journey and vision for Yellow Card and the African tech ecosystem.

A Vision Rooted in Real-World Challenges
Poiroux's journey into fintech was sparked by the release of the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008. As a teenager, he was captivated by the potential of decentralized finance. This early interest laid the foundation for Yellow Card's mission: to bridge the gap between Africa's fragmented financial systems and the global economy.

"We make it easy for businesses to operate in challenging parts of the emerging world by enabling international payments, treasury management, and access to hard currency liquidity," Poiroux explained in his recent interview.

Leveraging Stablecoins for Financial Inclusion
A pivotal moment in Yellow Card's evolution was the adoption of stablecoins. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, stablecoins offer price stability, making them ideal for transactions in regions with unstable national currencies.

Poiroux recounted an encounter with a Nigerian professor who faced exorbitant fees when sending money to his family. This highlighted the need for a more efficient solution, leading Yellow Card to integrate stablecoins with local payment methods like mobile money.

Building Robust Infrastructure Amid Challenges
Operating across diverse African markets presents unique challenges, including inconsistent payment systems and regulatory complexities. Yellow Card addressed these by developing a multi-layered payments engine capable of integrating various banking and mobile money methods. This infrastructure ensures reliable and swift transactions, even in the face of systemic unpredictability.

Embracing Emerging Technologies
Looking ahead, Poiroux is optimistic about the role of emerging technologies in enhancing financial services. He sees potential in artificial intelligence for fraud detection and customer behavior analysis, as well as in decentralized identity systems to streamline KYC processes.

A Commitment to Accessibility and Education
Beyond technological advancements, Yellow Card remains committed to financial education. The company has conducted tours across the continent to educate communities about stablecoins and personal finance. This focus on education ensures that as the platform grows, it remains accessible to users regardless of their technical expertise.

From a university project to a fintech leader, Justin Poiroux's journey with Yellow Card exemplifies how innovation, when rooted in real-world challenges, can drive meaningful change. As the company continues to expand, its mission remains clear: to make financial services accessible, efficient, and inclusive for all.

Yellow Card, Africa’s leading regulated stablecoin payments provider, has released a comprehensive new eBook titled “Unlock the Future of Business Expansion with Payment APIs.” This free resource aims to empower businesses across Nigeria and the continent with the insights they need to scale in today’s fast-evolving, digital-first economy.

As digital payments become a cornerstone of economic transformation in Africa, Yellow Card’s latest publication is a strategic guide for business owners, executives, and developers eager to understand how to integrate modern payment solutions and break into new markets with ease.

Available now at the Yellow Card website - https://yc-api.yellowcard.io/payments-api-transforming-business-expansion-africa, the eBook explores how businesses can streamline operations, overcome cross-border payment challenges, and leverage crypto-backed APIs to drive expansion in Africa’s high-growth but often fragmented payment landscape.

Sean van Kerckhoven, Director of Partnerships at Yellow Card, explains the motivation behind the eBook: “At Yellow Card, we believe that knowledge should never be gatekept. By releasing this eBook, we’re not just showcasing the power of payment APIs—we’re opening up access to practical tools and frameworks that can help African businesses grow. Whether you’re a fintech, ecommerce player, or traditional enterprise, this is about unlocking your potential in an interconnected economy.”

The guide includes real-world use cases and best practices for integrating APIs, offering readers a practical roadmap to navigating Africa’s diverse regulatory environments and currency complexities. It also emphasizes the growing role of crypto-powered payments in facilitating faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions.

Yellow Card’s commitment to financial inclusion and innovation is evident in its continued efforts to democratize access to advanced financial infrastructure. This eBook serves as yet another step in building a more informed, empowered business ecosystem in Africa.

The technology sector in Africa is witnessing a transformative shift, yet women remain
significantly underrepresented. Recent data indicates that in early 2023, women constituted only
20% of the tech workforce in the Middle East and Africa, underscoring the pressing need for
increased female participation in the industry.

Amid these challenges, trailblazers like Lasbery Chioma Oludimu are making remarkable
strides. As the Vice President of Global Operations and Managing Director at Yellow Card
Nigeria, Oludimu has been instrumental in making cryptocurrencies accessible across Africa.
Her exceptional leadership and contributions were recognized when she was named one of the
Top 50 Women Leaders in Financial Technology of 2024 by The Financial Technology Report,
a distinction she shares with only one other African woman.

Lasbery Oludimu emphasizes the need for more women to take up space in Africa’s growing
tech ecosystem: “The future of Africa’s digital economy depends on diversity. Women must be
at the table, leading innovation and driving change in financial technology. The barriers may be
high, but we are proving every day that we belong in this space. It’s about opening doors and
creating opportunities for the next generation of women in tech.”

Organizations like Yellow Card are actively working to bridge the gender gap in technology. By
partnering with initiatives such as Women in Tech®, a global movement dedicated to closing the
gender gap and empowering women through technology, Yellow Card supports events and
programs that inspire and equip women to excel in tech careers. These collaborations provide
platforms for knowledge sharing, mentorship, and networking, fostering an environment where
women tech talents in Africa can thrive. ​

The journey toward gender parity in Africa's tech industry is ongoing. However, with the
combined efforts of pioneering women leaders and supportive organizations, there is a growing
momentum to create a more inclusive and dynamic technological landscape on the continent.