Circle partners with African fintech to expand USDC-based remittances

Circle is partnering with an African fintech company to broaden the use of the stablecoin USDC.

According to Cointelegraph on the 24th (local time), Circle said it has signed a partnership with Sasai Fintech and plans to integrate USDC into African payment networks.

The collaboration focuses on expanding USDC usage across areas including remittances, business-to-business payments, and mobile wallet services. Sasai operates digital payments infrastructure in multiple African countries, aiming to reduce cross-border transaction costs and settlement times.

Circle’s U.S. dollar stablecoin, USDC, built on on-chain payments infrastructure, has been drawing attention as a faster and cheaper remittance option than traditional financial systems. The two companies plan to jointly develop practical use cases using Circle’s full-stack platform.

Africa is a region where demand for stablecoins is rising rapidly. According to Chainalysis, on-chain transaction volume in sub-Saharan Africa rose 52% over the 12 months through June 2025 to $205 billion.

Nigeria, in particular, was the largest market with transactions of about $92 billion, followed by South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Key use cases include remittances, cross-border payments, and hedging against currency volatility.

The World Bank analyzed that, as of 2023, remittance fees in some sub-Saharan African countries remain high at more than 7%. Sierra Leone, Uganda, Angola, Botswana, and Zambia were cited as examples.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the company is "focused on high-growth payment corridors in emerging markets," while Strive Masiyiwa, chairman of Cassava Technologies, said the partnership could expand financial access.