Africa Stablecoin Summit 2025: How Digital Money Is Reshaping the Continent’s Financial Future

The inaugural Africa Stablecoin Summit 2025 brought together the continent’s most influential financial and technology leaders for a groundbreaking two-day event focused on the future of digital money in Africa.

Powered by Binance—the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and registered users—and supported by global industry giants Tether, VISA, and Telcoin, the summit convened more than 300 high-level participants from across Africa and the international financial ecosystem.

Held under the theme “Harnessing Stablecoins for Africa’s Economic Resilience,” the summit gathered representatives from central banks, regulators, commercial banks, fintech innovators, blockchain infrastructure providers, and development partners.

Delegates from the governments and central banks of Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa were present, alongside key institutions such as the United Nations, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A Rapidly Expanding Stablecoin Landscape

Data shared during the summit highlighted the accelerating adoption of stablecoins across Africa. According to a 2024 industry report by Yellow Card, stablecoins accounted for 43% of all crypto transaction volume in Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria leading the market and recording nearly USD 22 billion in stablecoin transactions between July 2023 and June 2024.

A blog by the Center for Global Development also revealed that stablecoins represented approximately 6.7% of GDP in Africa and the Middle East in terms of international stablecoin flows in 2024.

With an estimated USD 300 billion in annual stablecoin transactions flowing through African markets, speakers emphasized the technology’s potential to address persistent challenges such as currency volatility, fragmented payment systems, limited financial inclusion, and costly remittance corridors.

Keynotes, Panels, and Policy Dialogues

The summit featured an extensive agenda of policy-focused and innovation-driven discussions. Binance Africa Head of Legal Larry Cooke officially opened the event, setting the tone for a forward-looking exploration into digital assets and economic resilience.

Other notable speakers included:

Saruni Maina, Regional Operations Lead – Africa

Shahebaz Khan, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, VISA CEMEA

Hon. Kimani Kuria, Chairperson of the Finance and National Planning Committee, Kenya National Assembly

Discussions ranged from regulatory harmonization and infrastructure development to real-world stablecoin applications across fintech, cross-border commerce, and small business operations.

Key sessions included:

Larry Cooke’s keynote: Unlocking Africa’s Digital Future: The Role of Stablecoins in Driving Financial Inclusion

Regulators’ Roundtable: Pathways to a Pan-African stablecoin regulatory framework

Stablecoins at Work Panel: Case studies in fintech innovation, SME empowerment, and regional trade

Policy Deep-Dives: Insights from South Africa’s Project Khokha and the U.S. GENIUS Act

Developer & Startup Sessions: Building Africa’s next-generation stablecoin infrastructure

Town Hall: Charting the Road to Scale – From Fragmentation to Pan-African Rails

Larry Cooke, Africa Head of Legal, Binance said;

“Stablecoins are more than a technological innovation—they are a pathway to inclusive, cross-border financial systems that can empower businesses and individuals across Africa. At Binance, we are committed to fostering responsible innovation, collaborating with regulators, and investing in solutions that enable Africans to participate fully in the digital economy.”

Shahebaz Khan, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions CEMEA, VISA added;

“Visa’s global network has long been the engine for how the world pays and gets paid. As money itself evolves, we’re extending that same trusted infrastructure to the next frontier: stablecoins. By pairing stablecoins with Visa’s world-class technology stack, we see tremendous potential to modernize global money movement—making payments faster, more accessible, and more secure for everyone.”

He added:

“Whether it’s seamless remittances for consumers or enhanced liquidity for businesses, Visa is committed to bridging new digital currencies with our trusted network, turning innovation into everyday value.”

Paul Neuner, CEO, Telcoin:

“The promise of stablecoin and what that could really mean to telecom… it is a message that we’ve been preaching for a long time, which is the internet of money. With stablecoins directly transacting from consumer to merchant, telcos can play a very large role in running the internet of money, just like they run the normal internet today.”

A Defining Moment for Digital Finance in Africa

By bringing together policymakers, innovators, and global financial leaders, the Africa Stablecoin Summit 2025 succeeded in creating a collaborative platform to shape the continent’s digital financial future. The conversations and commitments made during the summit reinforced stablecoins as a strategic tool for strengthening Africa’s economic resilience and powering inclusive growth.

As stablecoin adoption continues to rise and regulatory clarity advances, Africa stands poised to lead a global shift toward efficient, borderless, and innovation-driven financial systems.