Breaking newsJune 23, 2025 10:24am UTC
tldr
Visa partners with Yellow Card to pilot Stablecoin-powered cross-border payments across CEMEA. Collaboration tests integration with Visa Direct.
Visa is partnering with Yellowcard, the leading Pan Africa Stablecoin Infrastructure Company, to pilot Stablecoin-powered cross-border payments across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA). This collaboration will test integration with Visa Direct, allowing businesses to send Stablecoin transmissions directly to their bank or card-related accounts.
This partnership allows businesses to hold US dollars in a stable manner, resolve payments across borders more efficiently, reduce costs, increase speeds, and make them available 24/7. This initiative is part of Visa's broader strategy to modernize money movement infrastructure using digital assets.
Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to become a major beneficiary. The region has witnessed consistent monthly stubcoin transfers of over $500 billion between 2022 and 2024. In Ethiopia, Nigeria ranks among the top market for exchange USDT usage, while Stivcoin-driven low-value transfers increased by 180% year-on-year.
“Today, traditional payment companies are asking how quickly they can deploy, not just if they need a Stablecoin strategy,” said Chris Maurice, CEO of Yellow Cards. Visa's Godfrey Sullivan adds that institutions moving funds in 2025 “will need a Stablecoin strategy,” and Visa aims to provide the tools to make it happen.
DABA is Africa's leading investment platform for the private and open markets. Download here
Key takeout
Visa's partnership with Yellow Card highlights the rapid institutionalization of Stablecoins. Stablecoins, particularly USD-backed assets such as USDC and USDT, are increasingly being used to bypass FX volatility, resolve B2B payments, and enable low-cost transfers in emerging markets. In Africa, where currency instability and high transfer costs prevent trade and remittances, dollar-stubcoin offers a practical option. Globally, Stablecoin payments reached $4.1 trillion in the past month, surpassing Visa's own quarterly volume. Companies like Shopify, Stripe and Coinbase are already embedding stylistic forms into mainstream commerce. In Africa, local innovations like Nigeria's CNGN are accelerating digital currency experiments on the continent.
