Blockchain

Introduction Mastercard has partnered with pan-African digital asset exchange Busha to introduce Mastercard Crypto Credential to eligible users in Nigeria, making it easier and safer to send and receive supported digital assets. Through the integration, eligible Busha users can transact using familiar identifiers such as an email address or phone number instead of copying and […]

Introduction Kotani Pay and DCSPay have announced a strategic partnership designed to make stablecoin-funded payouts and fiat settlement more accessible across African markets. The integration will combine DCSPay’s stablecoin payment infrastructure with Kotani Pay’s connections to domestic payment rails, allowing regulated exchanges and businesses to reach local recipients without building separate payout systems in every

Introduction Tether AI Research has released a new family of open-source translation models designed to make artificial intelligence more accessible to African users whose languages, devices and connectivity needs remain underserved by mainstream technology. Announced on 2 September 2026, QVAC TranslatePsy-AfriSLM supports 19 African languages, while the smaller TranslatePsy-AfriNano supports eight. The models can run

Introduction Luno is expanding its regulated international footprint after securing a Class F Digital Asset Business licence from the Bermuda Monetary Authority. The licence gives Luno International Ltd a regulated base outside the company’s core African and Asia-Pacific markets. More importantly, it provides the regulatory foundation for Luno to expand its institutional and business-to-business services

Introduction Ghana has inaugurated a seven-member Virtual Assets Coordinating Committee, marking the country’s transition from legislation to the practical implementation of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154). The committee was inaugurated in Accra on 25 August 2026. The government is targeting 2027 for the full operationalisation of the Act as the Bank

Introduction Africa’s crypto holders no longer have to choose between holding their assets and having cash in hand — and the numbers show why that matters. On 25 August 2026, VALR — Africa’s largest crypto exchange by user base, launched Borrow, a product that lets users draw a loan against their Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other

Introduction Standard Chartered and HSBC have completed the first live cross-border transaction using tokenised bank deposits on Swift’s blockchain-based ledger, marking a significant step towards always-on payments between regulated financial institutions. The transaction, announced on 19 August 2026, demonstrated that deposits issued on two separate banking platforms could interact through shared infrastructure while maintaining existing

Introduction Ghana has published the full list of 11 companies admitted into the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Sandbox, marking an important step in the implementation of the country’s new digital asset regulatory framework. The programme commenced in March 2026 under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154). It will allow

Introduction Tether has completed its first full independent financial statement audit, marking a significant step forward for both the company and the wider stablecoin industry. KPMG U.S. issued an unqualified audit opinion on Tether International’s financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025. This is the most favourable opinion an independent auditor can provide,

Introduction Western Union just did something remittance giants rarely do: it built on-chain rails into its core product instead of watching from the sidelines. On August 4, 2026, the company launched StableCard, a joint venture with stablecoin infrastructure provider Rain, combining a USDPT wallet with a Visa-branded card. Users can receive Western Union transfers straight