Jack Paul 
When crypto becomes daily infrastructure
I think what’s happening in Africa right now is quite different from what most people imagine. While crypto discussions elsewhere focus on speculation or future possibilities, African users are already living the reality. They’re not experimenting with crypto because it’s trendy – they’re using it because traditional financial systems often fail them.
When your local currency can lose significant value in weeks, stablecoins become essential infrastructure rather than innovation. When sending money to family costs 20% in fees, peer-to-peer transfers aren’t disruptive technology – they’re survival tools. The numbers tell this story clearly: at VALR, we’ve seen stablecoins grow to about 40% of all crypto volumes not through marketing, but because they solve actual problems that keep people awake at night.
Building for real-world challenges
What’s interesting is that African users don’t want special “African” versions of crypto products. They want world-class infrastructure that happens to work in their specific conditions. The distinction matters because it means building robust systems that can handle diverse payment ecosystems, evolving regulations, and shifting economic landscapes.
Perhaps the most telling part is that this complexity becomes an advantage. When you learn to build systems that work across challenging environments, entering other markets becomes more manageable. It’s like training at high altitude – everything else feels easier by comparison.
The stablecoin reality
Looking at the numbers reveals the practical nature of African crypto adoption. Chainalysis data shows Sub-Saharan Africa experienced a massive spike in crypto activity in March, with monthly on-chain volume exceeding $25 billion while other regions declined. The trigger? A sudden currency devaluation in Nigeria that pushed more users toward crypto as a hedge against instability.
In Nigeria specifically, stablecoins now account for nearly half of all crypto transaction volume. Similar patterns are emerging across South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana. By 2025, we expect key markets to cross the 60% threshold for stablecoin usage.
Service-driven adoption
What makes Africa’s crypto story different is the motivation behind adoption. Here, crypto isn’t primarily about speculation or investment returns. It’s about providing reliable financial services when traditional systems fall short. Dollar-denominated stablecoins fill critical gaps in financial infrastructure, offering stability in economies where monetary policy can shift overnight.
The infrastructure is being built, adoption is happening, and solutions are working because people expect financial services that function when they need them most. The revolution isn’t coming – it’s already running. In Africa, crypto has become a strategic economic tool for millions, not just an alternative investment option.
What’s clear is that necessity drives different kinds of innovation. When people rely on technology for their financial stability, the standards become higher, the testing more rigorous, and the solutions more practical. Africa isn’t waiting for permission to build its financial future – it’s already writing the playbook for how crypto serves real human needs.