Stablecoin settlement firm Minisend is expanding into Kenya to connect cryptocurrency-based payments with the country's established mobile-money and digital payments infrastructure. The company has been named the official payment partner for the Africa Blockchain Festival 2026, scheduled for October 15 to 17 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. This partnership will give Minisend an opportunity to demonstrate its platform to fintech, blockchain and payments firms attending the three-day event.
Minisend's platform enables users and businesses to receive stablecoins, including USDC and USDT, across supported blockchain networks and settle the funds through local financial channels. The company aims to address one of the practical challenges facing cryptocurrency users - converting digital assets held on blockchain networks into usable local currency. In Kenya, the model could allow a freelancer or business receiving USDC or USDT from an overseas client to convert the funds and settle them through M-Pesa or other local payment channels.
Stablecoins differ from conventional cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in that they are designed to maintain a relatively stable value, typically by tracking a fiat currency such as the US dollar. Their potential use in cross-border payments has attracted growing interest among financial technology companies and payment providers. Kenya's widespread adoption of mobile money has also created an established digital payments ecosystem that blockchain firms can seek to connect with.
"Kenya represents exactly the type of market where the next phase of blockchain adoption can take place," said Olubunmi Fabanwo, founder and convenor of the Africa Blockchain Festival. Fabanwo said discussions around blockchain were increasingly focusing on how stablecoins could work with payment systems already used by consumers and businesses. Minisend's platform is intended to simplify the process by handling multiple blockchain networks in the background.
At the Nairobi festival, Minisend is expected to demonstrate its technology and take part in discussions on cross-border payments, merchant transactions and financial inclusion. For stablecoins to gain wider use, however, their utility will depend largely on how easily users can move funds between blockchain networks and the conventional financial system. The Africa Blockchain Festival will bring together participants from the blockchain, fintech and digital payments sectors.
The festival's focus on blockchain applications and its potential role in Africa's financial systems will provide a platform for Minisend to showcase its solutions. With Kenya having demonstrated how technology can fundamentally change the way people interact with money, Nairobi is an important place to have this conversation, according to Fabanwo. The company's participation in the festival is expected to contribute to the growing interest in stablecoins and their potential use in cross-border payments.
Minisend's expansion into Kenya and its partnership with the Africa Blockchain Festival 2026 reflect the growing interest in stablecoins and their potential to enhance financial inclusion. As the use of stablecoins gains attention in cross-border transactions and remittances, Minisend's platform is poised to play a significant role in connecting cryptocurrency-based payments with Kenya's established mobile-money and digital payments infrastructure.
Key points
- Minisend's platform enables users and businesses to receive stablecoins and settle funds through local financial channels.
- The company has been named the official payment partner for the Africa Blockchain Festival 2026.
- Stablecoins have potential use in cross-border payments, attracting growing interest among financial technology companies and payment providers.
