I was recently asked why Yellow Card chose to launch operations in Africa. The question came from an executive at a century-old consumer goods company exploring how stablecoins could support their global trade flows.

That conversation stayed with me. It highlighted two things: first, that stablecoins are no longer just a topic for fintechs and crypto companies; legacy global enterprises are now paying attention. And second, that while stablecoins are starting to prove their worth, they are still not at the center of global finance. The World Economic Forum (WEF) reports that global stablecoin transfer volume hit US$27.6 trillion in 2024, surpassing the combined volume of Visa and Mastercard transactions. But to reach true mass adoption, stablecoins need something more powerful than technology: partnerships.

Collaboration between issuers, infrastructure providers, protocols, regulators, and enterprises is what will transform stablecoins from an emerging innovation into mainstream financial infrastructure. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa and other emerging markets, where the need for practical, stable, and efficient financial tools is most urgent.

Building Access and Trust

The first building block of adoption is making stablecoins both trustworthy and easy to use. This is where partnerships between issuers and infrastructure play a defining role.

Take Yellow Card’s long-standing work with Tether and other Stablecoin issuers among them Circle, and Paypal. These collaborations have gone far beyond liquidity. Together, we’ve delivered financial literacy programs that have reached over 1 million people across 20 African countries, showing communities how stablecoins can support everyday needs like remittances, bill payments, and savings. Today, those same partnerships drive the majority of Yellow Card’s $7 billion in transaction volumes, a scale that wouldn’t be possible without pairing the credibility of global issuers with the accessibility of local infrastructure.

We’re seeing similar momentum across the industry. Ripple, for instance, has teamed up with local exchanges and infrastructure providers, including Yellow Card, to roll out RLUSD in African markets, embedding stablecoins directly into the region’s financial systems.

Protocols: Powering Scale and Efficiency

Behind every stablecoin transaction sits a blockchain protocol. In emerging markets, where speed and cost make all the difference, these protocols are the real engines of adoption.

In Q1 2025, Solana processed over 200 million stablecoin transactions every month, a clear sign of how quickly usage is scaling. That’s the equivalent of millions of transfers each day,  payments that cost just fractions of a cent to send. Combined with local financial infrastructure, this kind of speed and near-zero cost makes stablecoins practical for everything from everyday bills to large regional trade flows.

In Latin America, the story is not only about global stablecoins but also local ones. In Brazil, the cREAL (a real-denominated stablecoin) has been piloted with support from fintechs and blockchain networks. In Mexico, peso-backed stablecoins are being tested for remittance corridors, especially Mexico–U.S. Partnerships with protocols like Stellar and Polygon have been key to expanding liquidity and access. And in Argentina, where inflation exceeds 100%, dollar-backed stablecoins are widely used, with issuers and local wallets making them everyday tools for savings and commerce.

Working With Regulators to Build Legitimacy

The saying goes, “innovate first, regulate later.” But in reality, no financial innovation can scale without clear rules. For stablecoins to move from the margins into the mainstream, regulators must be seen not just as referees, but as powerful enablers.

Kenya is a strong example. In 2024, collaboration between crypto players and government stakeholders paved the way for the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill (2025), one of Africa’s first comprehensive crypto and stablecoin laws. The legislation offers clarity for businesses, protections for consumers, and legitimacy for the ecosystem. And this trend extends well beyond Africa.
In the EU, MiCA sets comprehensive standards for stablecoins with a focus on transparency and reserves. In the U.S., the GENIUS Act establishes a clear framework for stablecoin issuance and oversight. In Singapore, MAS guidance balances innovation with user protection. In Brazil, digital asset laws explicitly recognize stablecoins in remittances.

Enterprises Turning Stablecoins Into Everyday Utility

In Africa, the trend is already visible. In Nigeria, SMEs use USDT to pay suppliers in China. In Kenya, NGOs have piloted disbursements via stablecoins to speed up aid delivery. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, where remittances totaled $54 billion in 2023, stablecoins are reducing costs from 8-10% to under 1%. Partnerships with Visa and Yellow Card are helping enterprises streamline payment orchestration embedding stablecoins into regional ecosystems. Globally, companies are beginning to settle supplier invoices and payroll using stablecoins, while corporates explore them for treasury management. In Latin America, retailers and online merchants in Brazil and Argentina increasingly accept stablecoins to hedge against currency volatility and simplify commerce.

As more enterprises adopt stablecoins, they move beyond being a fintech niche into a mainstream financial tool, powering trade, payroll, remittances, and aid distribution. And once again, partnerships are at the center: global issuers, local infrastructure, regulators, and enterprises working hand in hand.

Conclusion

Stablecoins are no longer on the sidelines of finance. They’ve proven their utility in payments, remittances, and trade, but their real impact will come when they become part of everyday financial infrastructure. Looking back at crypto’s growth, one theme stands out: partnerships have always been the multiplier. 

What excites me most is that it’s no longer just fintechs or exchanges leading the way. Even century-old consumer goods companies are now exploring stablecoins to simplify global trade. That is a powerful signal of what’s ahead.