Flutterwave Expands Blockchain Settlement Infrastructure Through Strategic Partnership with Tempo
Africa’s leading payments technology company, Flutterwave, has announced a strategic partnership with Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain network, to accelerate the adoption of stablecoin-powered payments and settlements across Africa.
The collaboration marks a significant step toward transforming how money moves across borders by leveraging blockchain technology to enable faster, more affordable, and efficient transactions for businesses and individuals.
Addressing Africa’s Cross-Border Payment Challenges
Cross-border payments in Africa remain among the most expensive and slowest globally. According to the World Bank, remittance fees to Sub-Saharan Africa average approximately 7 percent, significantly higher than the global average of 6 percent and more than double the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 percent.
Businesses and individuals often face lengthy settlement periods due to reliance on traditional correspondent banking networks and complex foreign exchange processes. These delays can impact liquidity, increase operational costs, and create financial strain for both enterprises and families.
Tempo to Power New Blockchain Settlement Capabilities
As part of the partnership, Flutterwave will integrate Tempo’s Layer-1 blockchain network into its existing payment infrastructure, serving as an additional settlement rail alongside its current Polygon-based stablecoin settlement capabilities.
Once fully deployed, the integration will support wallet-to-wallet transactions using leading stablecoins such as USDC and USDT. The solution is expected to deliver:
- Faster settlement times
- Lower and more predictable transaction costs
- Enhanced network reliability
- Improved access to global liquidity
- Greater efficiency in international money transfers
The partnership will strengthen Flutterwave’s multi-chain payment infrastructure while offering more settlement options tailored to specific cross-border payment corridors.
Enhancing Send App and Flutterwave for Business
The collaboration will initially focus on strengthening two of Flutterwave’s flagship products:
Send App
Flutterwave’s Send App enables individuals in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union to send money quickly and securely to recipients across Africa.
Flutterwave for Business (F4B)
Flutterwave for Business supports enterprise cross-border payments, supplier settlements, and USD-denominated transactions for organizations operating across international markets.
By incorporating Tempo’s blockchain infrastructure, both platforms are expected to offer enhanced payment speed, reduced transaction friction, and improved operational efficiency.
Supporting Enterprise-Grade Global Payments
Designed for high-volume payment environments, Tempo’s infrastructure provides rapid transaction finality and compliance with ISO 20022 standards, the global messaging standard increasingly adopted by financial institutions worldwide.
This capability will allow businesses to reconcile cross-border transactions more seamlessly within their existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and finance systems, reducing administrative complexity and improving financial visibility.
Stablecoins Becoming Mainstream Payment Rails
The partnership reflects a broader global trend in which stablecoins are evolving beyond their origins in the cryptocurrency sector to become practical tools for real-world payments, settlements, and liquidity management.
As demand grows for faster and more cost-effective international payment solutions, stablecoin-based infrastructure is increasingly being viewed as a viable alternative to traditional banking rails.
Leadership Perspectives
Flutterwave Founder and CEO, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, emphasized the company’s vision of modernizing global payments.
“We are building the infrastructure for how money should move in a modern, connected world—compliant, scalable, and designed for real-time global commerce. Our partnership with Tempo allows us to expand our existing payments ecosystem by adding practical stablecoin settlement rails. Together, we are making cross-border payments faster, more predictable, and more cost-efficient for businesses and individuals across Africa.”
Dan Romero, Head of Go-to-Market at Tempo, highlighted the importance of the collaboration in modernizing payment corridors.
“Flutterwave has built one of the most extensive payments networks in Africa. We’re excited to work together to expand stablecoin settlement across cross-border corridors that have traditionally relied on slow and expensive fiat-based payment systems.”
The Future of Digital Payments in Africa
The Flutterwave-Tempo partnership underscores the growing role of blockchain technology and stablecoins in shaping the future of African payments. By combining Flutterwave’s extensive payment network with Tempo’s blockchain settlement infrastructure, the companies aim to unlock faster, more transparent, and more affordable cross-border transactions for millions of users and businesses across the continent.
As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, innovations such as stablecoin-powered settlements are expected to play a crucial role in driving financial inclusion, facilitating trade, and connecting African markets to the global economy.