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Visa, M-Pesa and Onafriq person launched a aviator programme successful the Democratic Republic of Congo utilizing U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins to settee cross-border mobile transactions.
Published: Jul 3, 2026, 5:36 PM
Key Takeaways
- Visa, M-Pesa, and Onafriq launched a aviator successful 2026 utilizing stablecoins for mobile transactions successful the DRC.
- Sub-Saharan remittances outgo astir 8%, making this blockchain inaugural a large disruption for SWIFT.
- Next, partners similar Yellow Card volition trial if integer dollars struggle with the Central Bank’s section franc push.
Blockchain Meets Mobile Money
Financial services elephantine Visa, mobile wealth level M-Pesa, and pan-African payments web Onafriq person launched a aviator programme utilizing stablecoins to settee cross-border mobile transactions successful the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to manufacture reports. The inaugural marks the latest propulsion by large fiscal players to trial whether blockchain-powered integer assets tin marque international wealth transfers faster and cheaper crossed Africa.
For consumers utilizing platforms similar Safaricom’s M-Pesa, the integration of stablecoins is intended to streamline back-end operations. If successful, the aviator could pb to quicker wallet top-ups, smoother planetary concern transactions, and little remittance costs, each portion maintaining the acquainted mobile wealth interface for mundane users.
The World Bank estimates that sending wealth crossed borders successful Sub-Saharan Africa costs an mean of astir 8% of the transportation amount, making it the astir costly remittance corridor successful the world. Traditional cross-border transfers that trust connected the SWIFT network often instrumentality days and necessitate aggregate intermediary banks, each extracting a fee. Blockchain-based colony tin process transactions successful minutes astatine a fraction of the cost.
The prime of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the aviator comes amid accelerated maturation successful the country’s mobile wealth adoption. It besides aligns with Visa’s broader propulsion into integer currencies; the payments steadfast partnered with African cryptocurrency speech Yellow Card to research stablecoin treasury operations and planetary settlements.
The determination highlights an ongoing displacement successful determination fiscal plumbing arsenic fintech operators progressively physique digital-dollar rails. However, it besides presents a analyzable dynamic for section regulators. The Central Bank of Congo has actively sought to trim the dense dollarization of the DRC system and boost the usage of the section franc, whereas stablecoin solutions efficaciously embed a integer mentation of the U.S. dollar into the nation’s fast-growing mobile transaction network.
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