South African crypto exchange, Luno, has acquired Kenyan cross-border payments provider, GTXN, for an undisclosed amount in a move that gives the company greater control over the infrastructure used to move money across borders.

The deal is less about adding another payments business than bringing the payment rails in-house.

PRESS RELEASE | South African Crypto Exchange, Luno, Acquires GTXN, a Licensed Kenyan Fund Manager

GTXN provides foreign-exchange, collection, and payout services to businesses in East Africa. Its infrastructure allows Luno to connect its liquidity with local payment networks reducing reliance on multiple banking intermediaries that can add cost, delays, and complexity to cross-border transfers.

The acquisition gives Luno control over a part of the transaction flow that previously sat outside the exchange.

GTXN founder, Dan Kleinbaum, will remain chief executive of the business.

The acquisition also strengthens Luno’s push beyond crypto trading into stablecoins, institutional settlement, and cross-border payments. By combining digital-asset liquidity with regulated local payment infrastructure, Luno can participate in more of the transaction – from collecting funds in one market to settling them in another.

For Luno, GTXN is therefore less an acquisition of a fintech than an acquisition of the regulated rails needed to turn crypto liquidity into usable financial infrastructure.

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