Circle, the company behind USD Coin (USDC), has invested in a new $20 million blockchain fund to support the growth of stablecoins in Africa. Announced this week, the fund will help startups and projects building real-world uses for stablecoins in payments, trade, and financial services.
For Circle, which manages one of the world’s largest regulated stablecoins, the initiative represents a strategic bet on Africa’s growing role in the global digital asset economy. The company has long argued that stablecoins can serve as a bridge between traditional finance and Web3, and nowhere is this more visible than in African markets.
According to Launch Base Africa, the $20 million fund will focus on early-stage ventures creating solutions in remittances, cross-border commerce, and digital payments. It will also back infrastructure that enables stablecoins to be seamlessly integrated into local fintech ecosystems, making it easier for both businesses and consumers to adopt the technology.
Stablecoin adoption in Africa has already been accelerating. From informal trade routes in West Africa to mobile money corridors in East Africa, USDC and similar assets are being used as hedges against inflation and as faster, cheaper alternatives to bank transfers. The Chainalysis 2025 report recently confirmed that stablecoins, alongside Bitcoin, make up the majority of Africa’s crypto flows.
The move also comes as regulators in key markets, such as Nigeria and South Africa, begin drafting rules for digital assets. By anchoring stablecoin adoption to credible infrastructure projects, Circle’s fund could help build trust among regulators while giving entrepreneurs resources to scale.
More broadly, the fund signals the shift from speculative trading to real-world utility. For African founders, it creates a new channel of capital and validation. For users, it promises more reliable and locally relevant products. And for Circle, it is a step toward embedding stablecoins into the everyday financial lives of millions across the continent.
Read also: Google unveils open AI payments protocol with stablecoin support
