Flutterwave and Tempo announced a strategic partnership to build stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure across Africa, aiming to use blockchain-based settlement rails to support cross-border payments and commerce.
PARTNERSHIP DETAILS AND RATIONALE
The agreement linked Flutterwave, a major African fintech payments platform, with Tempo, a purpose-built layer-1 blockchain for payments, to expand stablecoin settlement options for cross-border payments. The companies said traditional correspondent banking can cause multi-day settlement delays, and that the integration aims to make cross-border payments faster, more predictable and more cost-efficient.
Citing World Bank data, they said remittance fees to sub-Saharan Africa average 7%, above the 6% global average and the 3% UN Sustainable Development Goal target. Tempo supports fast transaction finality and aligns with ISO 20022 standards for enterprise reconciliation, the companies said.
Flutterwave said it would integrate Tempo as an additional settlement network, complementing its existing Polygon-based stablecoin settlement, for wallet-to-wallet transfers in the dollar-backed stablecoins USDC and USDT across select corridors, through its Send App and Flutterwave for Business platforms. The companies did not disclose any commercial or funding terms. The integration will take effect once the infrastructure goes live.
BACKGROUND
Flutterwave chief executive Olugbenga Agboola said the company aims to make cross-border payments faster, more predictable and more cost-efficient.
Flutterwave made Polygon its default blockchain for cross-border stablecoin transfers in October 2025.
Sources: Nairametrics Finance
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