A Nigerian fintech is taking blockchain-powered payments mainstream across two of the world's fastest-growing economic corridors. Kredete, the financial technology platform serving African immigrants and diaspora communities, has announced its recognition at the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Cohort 5 Demo Day, held during GITEX Africa in Marrakech, as one of the programme's standout alumni driving innovation in stablecoin card issuance alongside a partnership with Visa's Africa division to expand the technology across Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The announcement came as Visa marked a milestone achievement of having supported over 100 startups across Africa through the accelerator, with participating companies representing a combined valuation of $1.4 billion.
Kredete's product is already operational. The company, a member of Cohort 3 of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator, has built on strategic guidance and global network access from the programme to successfully launch Africa's first stablecoin-backed credit card co-developed in partnership with Visa. The card enables users across 50 African countries to spend US dollar-backed stablecoins at over 150 million merchants worldwide.
Built on USDC and settled over multiple blockchain networks for speed, transparency, and low cost, the card is designed to remove traditional barriers to global commerce for African users, including high foreign exchange fees, limited merchant acceptance, and currency volatility.
The GCC expansion is now the next frontier. Kredete is currently live in Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, and Nigeria, with expansion planned into the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and additional African markets.
Kredete was founded in 2023 by Adeola Adedewe with a mission to ensure that every African, whether living at home or abroad, has access to modern, affordable financial tools. The company combines cross-border money transfers, stablecoin technology, and a proprietary credit-building engine to serve both diaspora users and in-country consumers. It has raised $24.75 million in total funding, serves over 4.6 million users, and has processed over $9 billion in annualised payment volume.
Adedewe explained the company's core philosophy: "If you support your family financially, that should count toward your creditworthiness. We're building a system that rewards financial responsibility across borders and making sure that the millions of Africans abroad are finally seen, scored, and served."
Godfrey Sullivan, Visa's Senior Vice President and Head of Product and Solutions for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "What makes Africa's fintech story so powerful is the growing spirit of partnership across founders, enablers, and industry leaders."
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