Latest FinTech & Blockchain News
Visa Adds Five Blockchains to Stablecoin Settlement Pilot
Visa is expanding its global stablecoin settlement pilot by adding five new blockchains: Arc, Base, and others, now supporting nine total including Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana, and Stellar. The pilot has reached a $7 billion annualized run rate, up 50% quarter-over-quarter. This accelerates stablecoin integration into mainstream payments for issuers and acquirers.
Ripple and OKX Partner to Boost RLUSD Access and Liquidity
Ripple and OKX announced a partnership to integrate Ripple USD (RLUSD) on OKX, enabling spot trading across 280+ pairs, perpetual futures, and use as margin collateral. Deposits and withdrawals via XRP Ledger support direct minting and redemption. The move targets institutional stablecoin adoption, with discussions at XRP Las Vegas on April 30.
OPay Valuation Surges to $3.1 Billion in Nigeria
Nigerian fintech OPay has reached a $3.1 billion valuation, surpassing competitors Flutterwave and Moniepoint. This milestone highlights rapid growth in Africa's digital payments sector.
Details on the valuation drivers were featured in Frontier Fintech GPS.
Central Bank of Kenya Hires for Virtual Assets Department
CBK is advertising first-ever VASP licensing and compliance roles ahead of crypto regulatory rollout in Kenya. This signals advancing regulatory framework for digital assets.
The hires aim to support virtual asset service providers.
Safaricom's MyOneApp Continues Rapid Scaling in Kenya
Safaricom's MyOneApp is scaling significantly, integrating various financial and digital services. It contributes to FinTech expansion in East Africa.
Growth metrics show strong user adoption.
MobiKwik Receives RBI Approval for NBFC License in India
Indian fintech MobiKwik Systems gained RBI approval on April 27 for an NBFC license, launching lending subsidiary MFSPL. Operations to start by end of 2026 post-registration.
Shares surged 14% on the news.
MoneyBadger Enables Crypto-to-Rand Conversions at POS in South Africa
MoneyBadger allows merchants to convert crypto to rand at point-of-sale via Bybit Pay, covering 650,000+ locations. It eliminates volatility exposure across groceries, fuel, and retail.
Partners include Scan to Pay, Zapper, and Pick n Pay.
Visa's Stablecoin Pilot Hits Record $7B Run Rate
Visa's stablecoin settlement pilot achieved a $7 billion annualized run rate, growing 50% quarter-over-quarter. Expansion to nine blockchains supports broader adoption.
This positions stablecoins in global payment flows.
RLUSD Live on OKX with XRP/RLUSD Trading Pair
RLUSD is now available on OKX for spot trading including XRP/RLUSD pair and derivatives collateral. Enhances liquidity for crypto-native and institutional users.
Further OKX ecosystem integrations planned.
Synergetics.ai Appoints Payments Veteran Sam Hamilton
Synergetics.ai named payments expert Sam Hamilton as Distinguished Advisor. This bolsters their FinTech advisory amid stablecoin and blockchain momentum.
Announcement tied to Visa's blockchain expansions.