ResearchFeb 25, 2026Updated Mar 20, 20261 min read1 sources

Unblocking Africa's Trade: Turning USD Stablecoins Into an Intra-Africa Payments Rail

How USD stablecoins can solve Africa's intra-continental trade settlement problem.

Unblocking Africa's Trade

Intra-African trade accounts for only 15% of the continent's total trade — the lowest of any region. A key bottleneck: settlement. USD stablecoins offer a path forward.

The Settlement Problem

African currencies are largely non-convertible. Cross-border trade requires USD intermediation through correspondent banks — adding days and 3-5% in costs.

The Stablecoin Solution

USDT and USDC are already used informally for trade settlement. Formalizing this into a clearing network could unlock billions in intra-African trade.

Data as of March 2026.

Anton Titov

Co-Founder & CEO

Anton Titov is the co-founder and CEO of Plexo, the coordination network for financial institutions, and the editor of Plexo Institute, its open stablecoin intelligence platform. He has spent 13 years in business innovation and fintech, including four building cross-border stablecoin products and payment operations. Before Plexo, he co-founded Archway Finance, which built a cross-border stablecoin gateway for more than 30 emerging markets. He has spoken at Money20/20 Asia and the Africa Stablecoin Summit.

References

Source 1

#Unblocking Africa's Trade

#The Settlement Problem

#The Stablecoin Solution

Unblocking Africa's Trade

The Settlement Problem

The Stablecoin Solution