Flutterwave Stablecoin Payments Transform Cross-Border Transactions in Africa
Flutterwave, Nigeria’s largest fintech company, rolls out a groundbreaking payment solution across Africa. The company partners with Polygon Labs to enable instant, low-cost settlements across more than 30 African countries through stablecoin-powered infrastructure. This marks a significant shift in how businesses and consumers handle cross-border transactions throughout the continent.
Founded in 2016, Flutterwave connects global businesses to Africa’s financial systems, processing over $40 billion in payments across 34 countries and supporting over 150 currencies. The fintech firm selected Polygon’s blockchain network to address persistent challenges that have plagued African payment systems for decades.
Flutterwave Stablecoin Payments Address Transaction Bottlenecks
Cross-border payments in emerging markets remain notoriously inefficient. African businesses face substantial obstacles when moving money internationally. Settlement can take days, and fees often exceed 8% of the transaction value, among the highest worldwide.
The partnership between Flutterwave and Polygon Labs directly tackles these pain points. Flutterwave and Polygon say their collaboration aims to address these bottlenecks by using stablecoins to settle transactions in seconds and reduce costs to a fraction of a cent. Polygon’s Proof-of-Stake blockchain serves as the default network for this initiative.
Flutterwave will begin a phased rollout of Polygon, starting with a pilot program for select Flutterwave for Business customers in 2025. The solution becomes fully available to all business and consumer users through the Send App in 2026.
Reducing Costs Through Blockchain Infrastructure
High transaction fees remain one of the biggest barriers to financial inclusion across Africa. By building on Polygon’s sub-$0.01 transaction fees and near-instant settlement, Flutterwave can bring financial access to regions where reliability and affordability are often in tension.
According to a 2024 Chainalysis report, sending a $200 remittance from Sub-Saharan Africa is roughly 60% cheaper when using stablecoins compared with traditional, fiat-based transfer methods. These cost savings translate directly into more money reaching recipients and better margins for businesses.
The initial rollout focuses on enterprise clients and multinationals like Uber and Audiomack, enabling them to move money faster and more efficiently across borders. These companies already utilize Flutterwave for regional payment processing.
Stablecoin Adoption Accelerates Across Africa
Stablecoin use in Africa has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by remittances and digital commerce. The continent demonstrates a strong appetite for cryptocurrency solutions. Stablecoin transaction volumes across the continent exceeded $50 billion in 2024, accounting for more than 40% of all crypto value received in the region.
Nigeria leads this adoption trend. Chainalysis data showed that Sub-Saharan Africa recorded a surge in monthly on-chain transaction volumes in March 2025, despite other major regions experiencing declines. Currency devaluations drove much of this activity.
The uptick coincided with sharp currency devaluations in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, with stablecoins and Bitcoin accounting for most of the activity. Citizens seek alternatives to traditional banking systems that struggle with inflation and administrative delays.
Regulatory Environment Supports Digital Asset Growth
Adoption is accelerating as more countries across the region, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, move toward clearer and more supportive crypto regulations. This regulatory clarity enables companies like Flutterwave to build compliant infrastructure.
The partnership creates a blueprint for emerging markets worldwide. With Flutterwave operating across 30+ African countries and supporting 150+ currencies, the integration demonstrates how blockchain technology can solve real-world payment challenges at a massive scale.
Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, Flutterwave’s CEO and founder, highlighted the transformative potential. “By partnering with Polygon, we’re introducing a solution that makes international payments even simpler and affordable than many local ones. This revolution will unlock new economic opportunities across the continent”.
Polygon Labs Powers Stablecoin Payment Infrastructure
Polygon already leads in emerging markets. The blockchain platform demonstrates particular strength in regions facing currency volatility. Small USDC transfers on Polygon surged 141% in 2025, with Argentina and Brazil accounting for a large share of that growth.
Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, emphasized the significance of Flutterwave’s selection. “Thriving African businesses lose revenue yearly to slow, expensive cross-border payments. Flutterwave saw what we see: stablecoins on Polygon can advance settlement times from days to seconds, and high fees into pennies”.
The collaboration positions Polygon as essential infrastructure for global payment flows. Businesses and consumers benefit from reduced friction in moving money across borders.
Conclusion
Flutterwave stablecoin payments represent a watershed moment for African fintech. The partnership with Polygon Labs addresses longstanding inefficiencies that have hindered economic growth across the continent. As the pilot program launches in 2025 and expands through 2026, millions of users will gain access to faster, cheaper cross-border transactions that rival domestic payment speeds.
