KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Tether and HoneyCoin have announced a strategic partnership to enhance digital asset access across Africa.
- HoneyCoin will launch a cashless POS platform with USD₮ payments, allowing merchants to accept stablecoins directly.
- The collaboration aims to address financial challenges in Africa by integrating stablecoin payments, reducing transaction fees, and promoting financial inclusion.
- Africa’s cryptocurrency adoption is rapidly growing, driven by financial inclusion challenges and the need for alternative financial solutions.
On December 9, 2025, Tether, a leading entity in the digital asset sector, and HoneyCoin, a rapidly expanding African fintech platform, announced a strategic collaboration. This partnership aims to accelerate access to digital assets across Africa, leveraging HoneyCoin’s innovative solutions for cost-effective storage, transfer, and exchange of value globally.
HoneyCoin is set to launch a cashless point-of-sale (POS) platform featuring USD₮ payments. This initiative will allow merchants to accept stablecoins directly at checkout, expanding payment options for consumers and enhancing sales and convenience for merchants. Additionally, HoneyCoin will integrate USD₮ into its ecosystem, facilitating both online and in-person payments at reduced costs, thereby promoting trade and transactions across Africa and globally.
Addressing Financial Challenges in Africa
In many African economies, challenges such as currency volatility, inflation, and limited banking access are prevalent. Stablecoins present a viable alternative to these issues. The collaboration will introduce in-store stablecoin payments in Kenya, enabling merchants to conduct international transactions with price certainty and minimal friction. By integrating USD₮ into everyday commerce, merchants can preserve value, achieve faster settlements, and significantly reduce transaction fees, protecting savings from currency devaluation and inflation.
The initiative will also develop infrastructure for QR code payments, real-time foreign exchange conversion from Kenyan Shillings (KES) to USD₮, and merchant dashboards, further advancing the use of digital assets in Africa’s evolving payment ecosystem.
Growing Role of Cryptocurrency in Africa
Cryptocurrency usage in Africa is on the rise, with the region receiving over $205 billion in on-chain value between July 2024 and June 2025, marking a 52% increase from the previous year. This growth positions Africa as the third fastest-growing region globally in terms of cryptocurrency adoption. The trend is closely linked to ongoing financial inclusion challenges, as many adults in Sub-Saharan Africa remain unbanked or underbanked, creating opportunities for alternative financial technologies like cryptocurrencies.
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, emphasized the importance of financial inclusion, stating, “With the rapidly growing digital assets ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa, it’s clear that more people are gravitating toward alternative financial solutions to facilitate easy cross-border transactions and access to foreign currency without the complexities of owning or maintaining a foreign bank account.”
David Makuku Nandwa, CEO of HoneyCoin, highlighted the significance of the collaboration, noting, “This collaboration marks a pivotal moment not just for HoneyCoin, but for the future of payments in Africa.” He added that HoneyCoin’s mission is to ensure businesses can accept every form of payment their customers want to use, while providing tools to strengthen and scale their financial operations.
Tether has previously supported projects across Africa, including investments in Kotani Pay and Shiga Digital, and collaborations with the Zanzibar eGovernment Authority, further solidifying its role in promoting financial freedom. More details on the collaboration can be found here.
Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights
The partnership between Tether and HoneyCoin to enhance stablecoin access across Africa aims to address financial challenges by integrating USD₮ into everyday commerce, promoting trade, and providing cost-effective payment solutions.
A Chainalysis report highlights that stablecoin adoption in Africa is rapidly accelerating, driven by practical uses such as cross-border trade and financial inclusion. This aligns with the collaboration’s goal to leverage USD₮ for facilitating trade and reducing transaction costs in African markets.
As per insights from African Business, experts emphasize that stablecoins will reshape intra-African trade by reducing costs and inefficiencies in traditional payment infrastructures. This supports the significance of Tether and HoneyCoin’s initiative to enhance stablecoin access, aiming to transform the financial landscape in Africa.
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