Kora Launches One Rail to Bring Stablecoin Payments to African Merchants

Kora has launched One Rail, a new infrastructure layer enabling merchants to integrate stablecoins into their existing payment stacks. This move is critical for fintech professionals navigating the African market, as it bridges the gap between traditional fiat rails and digital assets to solve persistent liquidity and cross-border settlement friction across the continent.

What was announced

One Rail is designed as a significant expansion of Kora’s existing payments infrastructure, specifically engineered to support stablecoins. The solution allows merchants to collect, hold, convert, and settle funds in digital currencies in tandem with traditional fiat payment rails. By addressing structural challenges such as slow international settlement times and limited access to USD liquidity, the product targets African businesses operating across borders. Initially, the platform provides support for USDT and USDC, the two most prominent USD-backed stablecoins, with additional major USD-backed stablecoins to be added based on operational readiness and demand.

The technical implementation is tailored for teams that lack deep blockchain expertise. Developers can access these stablecoin features through the same Kora APIs and developer tools already in use. Key features include dedicated wallet generation for receiving payments, real-time tracking, and automated reconciliation through the primary Kora Dashboard. Furthermore, businesses can manage their liquidity by maintaining digital dollar balances or converting them into supported local fiat currencies. These funds can then be settled directly into local bank accounts using Kora’s established payout infrastructure, effectively streamlining the transition between digital and traditional finance.

"Cross-border commerce in Africa is hindered by high friction and remittance costs averaging 8–8.8% compared to the 6.49% global average. At the same time, stablecoin ownership in Africa is now at 78%"

Dickson Nsofor, CEO and Founder of Kora.

The companies involved

Kora operates as a pan-African payment infrastructure provider, positioning itself as a central link between the continent’s diverse markets and the global digital economy. The company focuses on building the underlying financial architecture that allows merchants to scale operations across borders without the typical friction associated with African financial systems. By providing a unified API, Kora simplifies the complexity of fragmented payment landscapes, offering tools for both local and international value transfer.

The firm has established itself as a key player in the African fintech ecosystem, competing in a space where infrastructure reliability is a primary differentiator. While many providers focus solely on fiat or mobile money, Kora’s move to integrate digital assets reflects a broader trend of infrastructure providers evolving to meet the specific liquidity needs of the region. The company’s role is increasingly defined by its ability to provide rails that are agnostic to the underlying currency, whether that be a local fiat denomination or a dollar-pegged digital asset, ensuring that businesses can maintain operational continuity regardless of local currency volatility.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has previously tracked Kora’s efforts to modernize payment systems within specific high-value sectors. In June 2026, the publication covered how Kora Partners with IATA to Streamline Airline Payments Across African Markets. That initiative was aimed at helping the International Air Transport Association (IATA) manage the complexities of airline ticket payments across various African territories, highlighting Kora’s strategy of tackling industry-specific payment friction. This latest expansion into stablecoins via One Rail follows a consistent pattern of the company identifying sectors where traditional banking infrastructure fails to provide sufficient speed or liquidity. By moving from airline-specific solutions to broader stablecoin infrastructure, the company is expanding its reach across the general merchant landscape.

What this means

The launch of One Rail signals a shift in the African fintech landscape where stablecoins are no longer just alternative assets but essential liquidity tools. For the industry, this move puts significant pressure on traditional correspondent banking networks that have historically struggled with the speed and cost of African remittances. The reported 78% stablecoin ownership rate suggests that the market has already moved ahead of institutional infrastructure, and Kora is now formalizing that reality for merchants. This raises critical questions for regulators regarding the oversight of digital-to-fiat conversion at scale, as the line between traditional banking and digital asset management continues to blur.