Visa and Yellow Card Launch Stablecoin Payments in Africa—A New Era of Cross-Border Finance

By Farhan Ali • June 23, 2025

Visa has entered a groundbreaking partnership with Yellow Card, a leading pan-African stablecoin infrastructure platform, to bring fast, secure, and cost-effective cross-border payments powered by crypto to Africa and beyond. The integration of Yellow Card into Visa Direct enables stablecoin transfers to over 90 countries across Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

Through this initiative, users will be able to send USDC (USD Coin) directly to bank accounts or card-linked wallets without relying on centralized crypto apps. Visa’s back-end infrastructure handles the conversion and routing, making the process seamless and regulation-friendly. Businesses can now operate across borders with less friction—sending money in stablecoins and receiving local fiat in real-time.

How It Works:

• Platform: Powered by Visa Direct and integrated with Yellow Card’s infrastructure
  
• Token: USD Coin (USDC), a regulated and fiat-backed stablecoin
  
• Reach: Available in 90+ countries, including key African and Middle Eastern markets
  
• Access Points: Funds can be sent to Visa-linked debit or credit cards, or directly to bank accounts
  
• Use Cases: Freelancer payments, remittances, B2B transactions, e-commerce settlements
  

Yellow Card has long advocated for blockchain-driven financial inclusion in Africa, and this partnership massively scales their vision. Chris Maurice, CEO of Yellow Card, emphasized that the initiative would help “bank the unbanked” and improve access to dollarized currency alternatives amidst local currency volatility.

Industry Impact
Stablecoins have been hailed as the bridge between traditional banking and crypto. With Visa lending its credibility and global reach, this move could become the blueprint for large-scale, compliant stablecoin adoption. It’s also a strategic pivot for Visa, signaling a long-term commitment to programmable money and digital assets.

Privacy & Regulation
The program aligns with evolving financial regulations, using regulated stablecoins and transparent onboarding. Visa’s traditional rails remain intact, ensuring compliance with KYC, AML, and cross-border financial standards.

Conclusion
As inflation and currency instability continue to affect emerging markets, stablecoins are emerging as the digital dollar of the future. By combining Yellow Card’s crypto rails with Visa’s trusted financial infrastructure, this partnership may prove to be one of the most meaningful use cases for blockchain in Africa to date.

Additional References:

• TechCabal (@techcabal): Partnership launch coverage
  
• Visa Official Announcement (@visa)
  
• Yellow Card App Details (@yellowcard_app)
  
• Industry analysis: @cointelegraph, @blockworks_
  
• Regulatory insights via @cryptobriefing and @chainalysis