Flutterwave has partnered with payments-focused blockchain network Tempo to expand its stablecoin payments infrastructure, marking the African payments giant's second major blockchain integration in under a year.
The partnership was announced Thursday at Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Flutterwave will integrate Tempo as a settlement layer for stablecoin transactions across its consumer remittance product Send App and enterprise payments platform Flutterwave for Business.
Multi-Rail Payment Strategy
The integration will support wallet-to-wallet transfers using dollar-backed stablecoins USDC and USDT. This enables individuals and businesses to move money across borders through digital currencies.
"Our partnership with Tempo allows us to expand our existing payments ecosystem by adding additional practical stablecoin settlement rails. This actively removes friction from the system and expands our multi-rail standard of global payment connectivity for the continent," said Olugbenga Agboola, founder and chief executive officer of Flutterwave.
This partnership follows Flutterwave's similar integration with Polygon eight months earlier, demonstrating the company's commitment to building comprehensive blockchain payment infrastructure.
Industry-Wide Stablecoin Adoption
The partnership signals growing adoption of stablecoin-based payment infrastructure among African fintech companies. In May, Nigerian fintech Paga partnered with US-based blockchain network Sui to build infrastructure for stablecoin payments and tokenised assets.
African fintech companies are shifting from consumer-focused crypto products toward enterprise payment infrastructure. Companies including Yellow Card and Grey are building stablecoin capabilities for businesses through direct blockchain partnerships or infrastructure providers for cross-border settlements.
Tempo's Payment-First Approach
Tempo was unveiled by payments giant Stripe and Paradigm, a US-based crypto investment firm, in September 2025 and launched in March 2026. The Layer 1 blockchain was built specifically for stablecoin transactions rather than decentralised finance or trading activity.
The network focuses on payments, remittances, subscriptions, supplier settlements, and machine-to-machine transactions. Global fintech firms including Visa, Nubank, and Klarna, plus e-commerce company Shopify, participated in the Tempo ecosystem before its March launch.
Enterprise-Focused Features
Tempo offers enterprise-tailored features including stablecoin-denominated transactions, ISO 20022-compatible payment messaging, batch payments, and scheduled transactions. The blockchain also provides fee sponsorship that allows customers to transact without managing blockchain gas fees directly.
This partnership positions Flutterwave to compete more effectively in the cross-border payments market by offering faster, cheaper alternatives to traditional banking rails. The integration could significantly impact how African businesses conduct international transactions, particularly in regions where traditional banking infrastructure remains limited.
The move reflects broader industry trends where established fintech companies are embracing blockchain technology for practical payment solutions rather than speculative cryptocurrency applications.