Ripple has teamed up with African payment infrastructure provider Chipper Cash to enhance cross-border transactions using blockchain technology. The partnership aims to offer faster, more affordable, and efficient settlements across the continent.
Blockchain-Enabled Payments Expansion
According to a statement released on 27 March, Chipper Cash will integrate Ripple Payments into its platform, enabling crypto-powered cross-border transactions. The collaboration is a key step in Ripple’s expansion across Africa, where the adoption of blockchain technology in remittances and payments continues to grow.
Reece Merrick, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa at Ripple, emphasised the significance of this move, noting that businesses and consumers in Africa are increasingly recognising the potential of blockchain technology.
Africa’s Growing Adoption of Blockchain in Remittances
The partnership comes amid a surge in blockchain adoption across Africa. A recent report by Chainalysis found that stablecoins now account for nearly half of all transaction volume in Sub-Saharan Africa. Another report from late 2024 highlighted that several emerging African economies have the potential to become digital asset hubs.
Chipper Cash. Source: Chipper Cash official website
Merrick stated that the integration of Ripple’s technology into Chipper Cash’s platform will facilitate quicker, more affordable cross-border payments while fostering economic growth and innovation in the markets they serve.
Financial Inclusion and Market Access
Chipper Cash’s co-founder and CEO, Ham Serunjogi, stressed that crypto-enabled payments can drive financial inclusion, accelerate access to global markets, and empower both businesses and individuals across Africa.
“By integrating Ripple, we can enable our customers to receive payments faster and at a lower cost,” Serunjogi said. The partnership builds on Ripple’s 2023 deal with Onafriq, which facilitated transactions between 27 African countries, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Ripple’s Global Expansion
Beyond Africa, Ripple has been making significant strides in the global payments sector. In March, the company secured a licence in Dubai to offer cryptocurrency-powered payments in the United Arab Emirates.
Additionally, Ripple’s recent legal victory against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has strengthened its market position. CEO Brad Garlinghouse described the ruling as a pivotal moment, stating that the company is now “in the driver’s seat” regarding its future strategy.
Neither Ripple nor Chipper Cash responded to inquiries before publication.
