STABLECOINS | 22% of Freelancers in Sub-Saharan Africa Already Receive Stablecoin Payouts, Reveal...
Workers across sub-Saharan Africa are showing strong demand for stablecoin payouts as limited banking access, cash-heavy economies, and cross-border payment friction create problems for digital workers, according to Stripe.
REALITY CHECK | Why Cash Still Dominates Many African Economies
A Stripe survey of 2,303 people across 20 emerging markets, including Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, found that 68% of independent workers in sub-Saharan Africa would accept stablecoin payouts, while 22% already receive them. The survey was conducted in late 2025 among gig workers, contractors, creators, freelancers, and marketplace sellers.
STABLECOINS | Over 50% of Global Freelancers Willing to Accept Stablecoin Payouts, Reveals Latest Stripe Survey
Stripe said 40% of Africa’s population remains unbanked and about 90% of financial transactions are conducted in cash. Against that backdrop, 72% of surveyed workers in sub-Saharan Africa said they already receive payouts through digital wallets while 38% identified receiving payments as their primary use case for stablecoins.
STABLECOINS | VISA is Reportedly Piloting Stablecoin Settlements for Cross-Border Mobile Money Payments in The Congo
The findings point to a payments problem rather than purely a cryptocurrency one.
Across the survey, 35% of workers cited high transaction or currency-conversion fees as their biggest payout problem while 26% cited delays. Stripe said international wires can take one to five business days and cost $15-$50 per transaction compared with stablecoin transfers that can settle nearly instantly at a cost of less than 10 cents, citing McKinsey data.
EXPLAINER | How South African Startup, Funti3r, Earns Recurring $5,000 Monthly Using Blockchain to Power the Future of Global Work
For African workers earning from global platforms, stablecoins can also provide access to dollar-denominated balances without requiring a traditional bank account abroad. But adoption still faces barriers: 40% of workers globally cited fraud or security concerns, 39% said they did not know where to acquire stablecoins safely, and 30% said converting them into local currency was difficult. Stripe’s survey found relatively high confidence in stablecoins among workers in sub-Saharan Africa with 65% agreeing that they are safe to use. The company said the challenge for platforms is therefore increasingly about making stablecoin payouts simple to receive, convert, and spend rather than requiring workers to navigate crypto infrastructure themselves. The survey covered Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa alongside other emerging markets, but its sub-Saharan Africa figures should not be treated as representative of the entire region. Stripe said country samples were approximately 100 respondents and skewed toward digitally literate, internet-connected populations.
PRESS RELEASE | PayPal Brings PYUSD Stablecoin to Users Across 70 Markets Worldwide and Expands Access in Africa
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REGULATION | EU Regulators Reportedly Question Binance Over Continued European Operations Despite...
European Union (EU) regulators are scrutinizing Binance’s continued access to customers in the bloc after the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange was required to wind down its business for failing to obtain a licence under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT). Binance is reportedly relying on a ‘reverse solicitation’ exemption which allows non-EU financial firms to serve customers who independently initiate a relationship with them. European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) officials have stressed that the exemption is narrowly defined and should not be used to circumvent MiCA licensing requirements.
REGULATION | Binance Users in Europe Can Now Transfer and Withdraw Crypto Assets Following MiCA License Denial
National regulators, including those in France, Germany, and Greece are examining Binance’s use of the exemption and have sought information from the exchange. Regulators could impose fines or take further enforcement action if they conclude Binance is operating outside the scope of the exemption.
REGULATION | BitPanda Fined €70,000 in Austria’s First Published MiCA Penalty
Binance told the FT it was working toward MiCA authorisation and complies with applicable requirements in the jurisdictions where it operates. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the FT report while Binance and ESMA did not immediately respond to its requests for comment. The dispute puts reverse solicitation under MiCA under closer scrutiny as regulators seek to prevent firms without EU-wide authorisation from continuing to serve European customers through exemptions intended for limited, customer-initiated relationships.
INSIGHTS | Why a MiCA Licensing Setback for the World’s Largest Exchange Matters
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CRYPTO CRIME | Crypto Hacks Surpass $700 Million in September Making It Worst Month of 2026 So Far
Cryptocurrency platforms and users lost about $767 million to hacks, exploits, and phishing attacks in September 2026 making it the costliest month for crypto security incidents so far this year, according to verified data sources.
Using data from 2 blockchain security firms: CertiK recorded 97 incidents during the month with a value of $768.4 million in losses, while PeckShield recorded 55 major incidents resulting in $766.5 million in losses over the month.
Two major incidents accounted for more than 90% of the losses.
BitGet lost about $387.5 million in a September 24 2026 attack involving its hot wallets.
MILESTONE | BitGet Says Stolen Funds Nearing $400 Million as Security Breach Unfolds
Blockstream’s Liquid Network suffered an exploit worth about $318.7 million earlier in the month.
CASE STUDY | Bitcoin Settlement Network, Liquid, Hit by Over $300 Million Exploit
CertiK said about $270.6 million of the September 2026 losses was returned or frozen, leaving roughly $495.8 million unrecovered based on its figures. The September 2026 surge highlights how crypto losses are increasingly tied not only to smart-contract vulnerabilities but also to wallet infrastructure, third-party security systems, and transaction-signing controls. September 2026’s total was more than three times August 2026’s reported losses of about $215 million, according to CertiK.
CRYPTO CRIME | This Top 20 Crypto Casino Just Lost ~$7 Million in a Crypto Hack
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CitigroupとCoinbaseは提携を拡大し、Citiの機関投資家向け顧客がステーブルコインによる決済を受け付けられるようにしました。これにより、デジタル資産の決済が、従来の法人向け銀行業務により近づきます。 この取り決めにより、CitiのSpring決済プラットフォームを利用する商店は、Coinbaseの決済インフラを通じて、チェックアウト時にステーブルコインを受け付けられるようになります。Coinbaseはデジタル資産を法定通貨に換算し、Citiは資金を決済します。これにより、銀行としての記録(bank of record)を担うCitiが、事業者がステーブルコインを直接保有または管理することなく、ステーブルコインでの受け取りが可能になります。
民主党が米上院の常設調査小委員会(Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations)に関して発表した報告書によると、テザー(Tether)のUSDTステーブルコインは、国際的な制裁の枠内で資金を移動させるために使われるイランの暗号資産ネットワークにおいて、重要な決済メカニズムになっている。 この報告書は、イランおよびイランの代理勢力とのつながりのために差し押さえ対象として制裁または標的にされた846の暗号資産ウォレットに関するブロックチェーン活動を分析した。その結果、84%のウォレットがUSDTのみ、またはほぼUSDTのみで取引を行っていたことが分かった。