Flutterwave has announced a multi-year partnership with Polygon Labs to enable stablecoin-based payments for merchants across Africa. Under the agreement, Polygon will serve as Flutterwave’s default blockchain network for a new cross-border payments product, giving businesses and consumers the ability to send and receive payments using stablecoins.
The initiative aims to make international transactions faster and cheaper. Flutterwave plans to pilot the product in 2025 with selected merchants and expand access through its Send App in 2026.
The move follows Flutterwave’s earlier decision to join the Circle Payment Network, a sign of the company’s growing focus on blockchain and stablecoin adoption in global commerce.
“We want to make stablecoins another alternative for our merchants, something as easy and accessible as fiat,” said Vincent Yang, Flutterwave’s Senior Product Manager for Stablecoins and Cryptocurrency.
Flutterwave will start with USDC, the stablecoin issued by Circle, with Circle also providing liquidity support. The initial rollout will target enterprise clients such as Uber and Audiomack, who already use Flutterwave for regional payments.
Cutting costs and settlement times
Africa’s $2 trillion cross-border payments market remains among the most expensive globally, with fees averaging over 8% and settlement taking several days. Flutterwave says the Polygon integration could reduce both cost and time.
“Stablecoins on Polygon can advance settlement times from days to seconds and high fees into pennies,” said Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs. “It’s a massive vote of confidence in stablecoins as the future of cross-border payments.”
Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga “GB” Agboola said the partnership supports the company’s mission to simplify international payments for African businesses.
“Businesses in emerging economies process billions in cross-border payments annually yet still face high costs and slow settlement times,” Agboola said. “By partnering with Polygon, we’re introducing a solution that makes international payments even simpler and more affordable than many local ones.”
Compliance and access
According to Yang, the service will first be available to approved merchants who pass enhanced KYC and KYB checks. Flutterwave is also working with regulators to ensure compliance before rolling out to wider markets.
The feature will be built directly into Flutterwave’s existing API, meaning merchants can enable stablecoin payments without any major technical changes.
Aishwary Gupta, Head of Payments and Real World Assets at Polygon Labs, said the partnership brings Africa into the global stablecoin ecosystem.
“Globally, over a hundred fintechs already move money on Polygon,” Gupta said. “This partnership extends that innovation to Africa, where it can have a real impact on cost, efficiency, and access.”
For Flutterwave, the deal marks another step toward embedding blockchain technology into everyday financial systems.
“Our goal is to make commerce within Africa and across its borders easier,” Yang said. “Stablecoins just take us one step closer to that vision.”
While stablecoins promise faster and cheaper transactions, regulatory clarity remains a challenge. Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken steps to understand and regulate crypto activity, but progress remains gradual.
Flutterwave’s latest move, however, places Africa firmly in the conversation on the future of blockchain-powered payments.
