Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is officially landing in Africa, and Chipper Cash is at the centre of the rollout. The partnership, announced in early September 2025, also ropes in exchanges VALR and Yellow Card, but it’s Chipper Cash that stands out as Ripple’s key partner on the continent.
For Ripple, the tie-up gives RLUSD entry into one of the fastest-growing payments markets in the world. For Chipper Cash, it signals a turning point: the company is stepping beyond its roots in consumer remittances and moving into enterprise-grade financial infrastructure.
From Consumer App to Enterprise Rails
Chipper Cash built its reputation as a peer-to-peer app that made cross-border transfers simple for everyday users. Over time, it became one of Africa’s best-known fintech unicorns, with millions of customers across Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa.
Now the company is betting on stablecoins to take it into its next phase of growth. By integrating RLUSD, Chipper Cash is repositioning itself as a network enabler, laying rails that businesses, banks, and even governments can use. It’s a shift that mirrors the broader maturity of African fintech, where the focus is moving from apps and wallets to the infrastructure that will sustain the continent’s digital economy.
The Stablecoin – Why RLUSD Matters
RLUSD is Ripple’s U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin, launched on December 17, 2024 after receiving regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services. Issued through a licensed trust, it was designed with compliance in mind, positioning it differently from unregulated tokens already popular in Africa like USDT and USDC.
Since its debut, RLUSD has grown quickly, surpassing a $700 million market capitalization in less than a year. Its pitch is straightforward: a digital dollar that can be trusted by enterprises, regulators, and institutions, not just individual traders.
For Chipper Cash, integrating RLUSD gives it a regulated stablecoin that can support cross-border payments, serve as collateral, or sit in treasuries. That elevates its offering beyond peer-to-peer remittances and into the enterprise space.
Beyond Transfers – New Use Cases
RLUSD’s rollout isn’t just about moving money more cheaply. In Kenya, Mercy Corps Ventures is piloting climate risk insurance programs that use RLUSD to automatically pay farmers when drought or heavy rainfall hits. Smart contracts trigger payouts based on satellite weather data.
RLUSD is also being used for collateral in tokenized assets, and institutions are exploring its role in DeFi-style liquidity tools. These use cases show RLUSD aims to be more than a substitute for USDT or USDC. It’s being positioned as a stable, regulated asset that enterprises and social impact projects can rely on.
Why It Matters – Chipper’s Role in Africa’s Crypto Maturity
By adding RLUSD to its platform, Chipper Cash is doing more than giving users another payment option. It is signalling a shift in African fintech: from consumer-focused apps to infrastructure built for enterprises, governments, and cross-border trade.
For Ripple, Africa becomes the proving ground for a regulated stablecoin. For Chipper Cash, the partnership cements its role as a bridge between everyday users and institutional-grade financial systems.
The move reflects a broader maturity in the ecosystem. Fintechs that once competed on flashy apps are now racing to own the rails of digital finance and Chipper Cash wants to be one of the first to carry that weight.
