US-based Hamilton Labs has secured an undisclosed investment from AXIAN Investment, the venture arm of pan-African conglomerate AXIAN Group, to scale its USDh stablecoin across African markets. The funding, announced on March 30, 2026, will support the launch of USDh and its expansion through integrations with fintech platforms to serve African consumers and businesses seeking dollar-denominated savings and payment tools.
Hamilton Labs, a US-based financial infrastructure provider founded by Egyptian entrepreneurs, positions USDh as a dollar-pegged stablecoin redeemable for dollars. Backed by USD-denominated government bonds, it embeds returns from those bonds into a digital dollar, allowing users to preserve value while earning yield. Partners can use Hamilton's API to enable features such as dollar wallets, cross-border transfers and yield-bearing balances without building that infrastructure themselves.
AXIAN DOUBLES DOWN ON STABLECOINS
This marks AXIAN's second investment in stablecoin infrastructure, reinforcing its view that digital assets will play a central role in the next phase of financial services across the continent. "For millions of people in Africa, access to stable dollars and reliable savings tools remains limited," said Mo Kasstawi, co-founder and CEO of Hamilton Labs. "We believe programmable dollars like USDh can expand access to global financial infrastructure and help people protect and grow their savings regardless of where they live."
Benjamin Toulouze, Head of Corporate Venture Capital at AXIAN Investment, said that as AXIAN Group is a key player in mobile money operations, "stablecoin fits perfectly to widen the offer of our current operations".
TACKLING AFRICA'S DOLLAR GAP
Hamilton targets African consumers and businesses looking for dollar-denominated savings and payment tools. Users can access USDh through exchanges, fintech apps, over-the-counter desks, or DeFi platforms, with redemptions through the same channels. While specific partners remain undisclosed, Hamilton plans to work with fintechs, wallets, exchanges, and infrastructure providers that already serve users with strong demand for dollar-based financial services.
BEYOND AFRICA'S BORDERS
Beyond Africa, Hamilton is looking at other emerging markets with similar dynamics: limited access to reliable dollar savings, inefficient cross-border payments and fragmented financial infrastructure. "Africa is our starting point, but the problem we’re solving is global," Kasstawi said. "We see strong demand in regions like the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The goal is to build a global dollar network, starting in markets where the need is most immediate."
Hamilton says it combines yield, compliance and distribution so fintechs can offer dollar accounts, payments and treasury products. It is entering a space that includes traditional stablecoins such as USDT and USDC, newer yield-bearing tokens and tokenised treasury products.
COMPETITION AND EXPANSION
Hamilton says its differentiation lies in combining yield with fintech-ready infrastructure focused on making the token usable within financial products.
Hamilton intends to expand into new markets through partnerships that integrate USDh into existing financial distribution channels.