Flutterwave, a prominent African payments technology company, and Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain network, announced a strategic partnership today, June 4, 2026, aimed at advancing stablecoin-powered payments and settlements across Africa. This collaboration seeks to integrate Tempo as a blockchain settlement layer within Flutterwave’s Send App and Flutterwave for Business (F4B) platforms.
The initiative is designed to address the significant challenges of high costs and extended delays that characterize current cross-border transactions into and across the African continent. According to data from the World Bank, remittance fees for Sub-Saharan Africa average approximately 7%, exceeding the global average of 6% and falling short of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%. The existing reliance on intricate correspondent banking systems and foreign exchange chains often leads to settlement delays stretching across several business days, which can diminish liquidity and strain working capital for both businesses and households.
To mitigate these friction points in specific corridors, Flutterwave plans to integrate Tempo’s layer-1 blockchain network as a complementary settlement rail within its broader multi-chain payments infrastructure. This infrastructure already includes Polygon-based stablecoin settlement capabilities. Upon full deployment, this integration will facilitate wallet-to-wallet transactions using USDC and USDT, promising faster settlement times, enhanced network performance stability, and more predictable transaction costs for users. Tempo will function as an integral component of Flutterwave’s wider blockchain settlement infrastructure, supporting existing integrations and Flutterwave’s continued engagement with Polygon-based stablecoin payment flows. This approach provides additional settlement options tailored to the specific requirements and operational needs of various corridors.
The teams are currently focused on enhancing two primary Flutterwave products designed for different user bases. Tempo’s infrastructure, built for high-volume payment environments, offers rapid transaction finality and adheres to ISO 20022 standards. This alignment is expected to allow enterprises to seamlessly reconcile cross-border transactions within their existing financial and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The partnership underscores a broader global trend where stablecoins are evolving from specialized crypto instruments into practical payment rails that enhance settlement efficiency and provide greater access to global liquidity.
“We are building the infrastructure for how money should move in a modern, connected world–compliant, scalable, and designed for real-time global commerce. Our partnership with Tempo allows us to expand our existing payments ecosystem by adding additional practical stablecoin settlement options,” said Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave.