Ripple has been focusing on its expansion in Australia throughout 2026, but recent developments suggest that the company may be eyeing a significant opportunity in Africa. The organization recently published a comprehensive overview of cryptocurrency regulations across different African nations, indicating a potential move into this burgeoning market.
In the last year, Sub-Saharan Africa has seen more than $205 billion in on-chain value, marking a remarkable 52% increase and positioning the region as the third fastest-growing cryptocurrency market globally. Ripple is already active on the continent through partnerships, including RLUSD collaborations and a custody agreement with one of Africa’s leading banks. Given Ripple’s recent acquisitions in Australia, Africa appears to be a promising next step.
The growth of Africa’s crypto market is staggering. With over $205 billion transacted in the last year, much of this activity centers around everyday uses, including remittances and saving strategies to combat local currency devaluation. Notably, over 8% of all cryptocurrency transfers in Africa are under $10,000, signaling that cryptocurrencies are becoming integral to daily life. Countries like Nigeria now play a significant role in this growth, accounting for $92 billion of the regional total.
Furthermore, Africa manages an impressive 70% of the global mobile money market, enabling hundreds of millions to conduct digital transactions without traditional bank accounts. For these individuals, engaging with stablecoins and cross-border cryptocurrency payments is simply an evolution of their ongoing activities.
This rapid growth has been accompanied by a wave of new regulations, prompting companies like Ripple to take the market seriously. For instance, South Africa has mandated licensing for crypto service providers as of June 2023, Nigeria introduced the Investments and Securities Act in 2025, and Kenya recently enacted its VASP Bill into law. Currently, eight African nations have specific regulations regarding cryptocurrency, with Ghana, Botswana, and Namibia actively developing their frameworks. This presents Ripple with more regulated avenues for entry into Africa than it had in the Asia-Pacific region just two years ago.
Ripple’s existing operations in Africa include five active partnerships, each serving a unique purpose. Chipper Cash, a cross-border payment application, boasts over 5 million users across seven African nations and the UK. VALR is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Africa, while Yellow Card provides stablecoin on-ramps and off-ramps across more than 20 African countries. These partners are now distributing Ripple’s RLUSD directly to both retail and institutional users. Additionally, Absa Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in Africa, utilizes Ripple’s custody services for its institutional clients, while Ripple is exploring a pilot project with Mercy Corps Ventures in Kenya to deliver drought relief aid more efficiently.
Despite these partnerships primarily utilizing RLUSD and fiat transactions, the potential for XRP’s utility in Africa is substantial. Traditional banking systems impose roughly 8.9% fees for sending $200 to Sub-Saharan Africa, with settlement times lasting days. Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) service leverages XRP as a bridge currency, allowing cross-border payments to be settled in seconds and at significantly reduced costs.
Currently, the majority of Ripple’s African partnerships operate without XRP directly. However, the high costs associated with remittances and the limited banking infrastructure in the region could drive institutions to adopt XRP-based ODL solutions, especially as regulatory frameworks across eight African nations are already established.
The future of Ripple’s involvement in Africa appears promising. While its current focus is primarily on RLUSD and custody arrangements, the introduction of a dedicated liquidity pool for XRP in Africa could trigger a shift. Trident Digital Tech Holdings is reportedly in the process of establishing a $500 million corporate XRP treasury aimed at enhancing liquidity for African cross-border payments, with a phased rollout expected to commence in mid-2026.
Should this liquidity be established, Ripple could move rapidly to activate ODL corridors with its partners across Africa. The potential legal clarity from future legislation, such as the CLARITY Act classifying XRP as a digital commodity, could further streamline the transition from fiat-dependent systems to those utilizing XRP. With current remittance costs averaging 8.9%, the incentive for a shift toward Ripple’s digital currencies is already evident, pending only the necessary infrastructure to support it.
