Kenyan Blockchain Startup Kotani Pay Raises Funding From Tether
TLDR
- Kenya-based fintech Kotani Pay has secured a strategic investment from the digital asset company Tether
- The firm builds on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure that connects Web3 users and businesses to local payment channels across Africa
- The investment from Tether supports the goal of widening access to digital assets, lowering transaction costs, shortening settlement times
Kenya-based fintech Kotani Pay has secured a strategic investment from the digital asset company Tether. The firm builds on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure that connects Web3 users and businesses to local payment channels across Africa.
Kotani Pay’s platform enables blockchain protocols to integrate with local payment systems, allowing enterprises and individuals to access global liquidity, transact across borders and reduce dependence on traditional banking rails. Its services include stablecoin settlements, SMS-based blockchain wallets, and APIs tailored to African markets.
The investment from Tether supports the goal of widening access to digital assets, lowering transaction costs, shortening settlement times and expanding access to global financial networks for underserved communities—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets.
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Key Takeaways
This partnership signals growing recognition of Africa’s potential as a market for blockchain-enabled payments and Web3 infrastructure. By backing Kotani Pay, Tether is betting on an ecosystem where local payment channels meet global digital asset rails—addressing long-standing barriers such as high remittance fees, currency instability and limited access to international liquidity. For Kotani Pay, the strategic investment provides a platform to scale in Kenya and beyond, tapping into diaspora flows, cross-border SMEs and Web3-native businesses that operate across Africa. The collaboration also highlights a shift away from speculative crypto towards utility infrastructure—on-ramps, off-ramps, regulatory compliance and local currency integration. Ultimately, this deal strengthens the building blocks of a more inclusive financial system in Africa, where blockchain technology complements traditional finance and opens new paths for trade, payments and economic participation.
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