Kora, a pan-African payment infrastructure provider, has launched One Rail, a product that lets businesses accept and settle stablecoin payments through the same platform they already use for local currency transactions. The company announced the launch on 30 September.
What One Rail Does
Merchants can collect, hold, convert and settle funds in digital currencies alongside traditional payment methods. At launch, the product supports USDT and USDC, two stablecoins pegged to the US dollar. Eligible merchants in supported markets can generate dedicated wallets to receive payments, then track them in real time on the main Kora dashboard, where reconciliation is automated.
Businesses can also choose to hold dollar balances or convert them into supported local currencies. Funds can be settled to bank accounts, mobile wallets or stablecoin wallets through Kora’s existing payout infrastructure.
Built for Teams Without Blockchain Expertise
Kora is positioning One Rail as an extension of its core platform rather than a separate crypto product. Developers reach stablecoin features through the same APIs and tools they already use, so merchants do not need to manage blockchain infrastructure themselves. The company says it wants stablecoin payments to work like any other payment method.
Kora already connects local bank rails, mobile money wallets, card networks and now stablecoin rails in one platform. It serves businesses in markets including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt and the Central African region covered by GIMAC.
The Cross-Border Cost Problem
Kora’s chief executive, Dickson Nsofor, said cross-border commerce in Africa is held back by high friction and costs. He put average remittance costs on the continent at roughly 8 to 8.8 percent, against a global average of about 6.5 percent. These are the company’s figures, and One Rail is Kora’s answer to them. The pitch is faster settlement, lower costs and less operational complexity for businesses that sell across borders.
The use case is easy to picture. A Nigerian business with international customers can receive payment in USDC and choose whether to keep it in dollars or convert it to naira. That helps merchants who earn in local currency but pay suppliers in dollars.
What Is Still Unclear
Kora has not published pricing, conversion fees or a full list of countries where One Rail is live. It has also not given a timeline for supporting additional stablecoins. Availability is limited to eligible merchants in supported markets, and expansion will likely depend on regulatory approvals market by market.
Why It Matters
Stablecoin payment and treasury services are becoming a crowded space across Africa, with both local fintechs and global payments firms competing for the same merchants. Kora’s edge is its existing distribution among businesses already on its platform. The real test will be whether merchants adopt stablecoins for everyday settlement, and whether Kora’s pricing and approvals can keep pace with demand.