Nala Secures $50M Credit Line for Stablecoin Payments

BREAKING NEWSMay 29, 2026 at 12:48 AM UTC

TLDR

Nala secures up to $50 million credit financing from Liquidity to boost its cross-border payment network expansion.
Founded in 2017, Nala serves more than 249 banks and 26 mobile money services across 16 countries, focusing on remittance and business payments.
The funding aims to support pre-funding transfers, enlarge payment corridors, and cater to larger enterprise clients, emphasizing growth over balance-sheet concerns.

Nala secured up to $50 million in credit financing from Liquidity to support its stablecoin-powered cross-border payment network. The facility starts with an initial $25 million tranche and can rise to $50 million or more through Mars Growth Capital, a joint venture between Liquidity and Japan’s MUFG Bank. Nala said the funding will help it pre-fund transfers, expand payment corridors and support larger enterprise clients.

The Tanzanian-founded fintech began in 2017 as a remittance app for the African diaspora before expanding into business payments through Rafiki, its enterprise infrastructure platform. The company says its network connects more than 249 banks and 26 mobile money services across 16 countries.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Fernandes said the company’s growth had created pressure around pre-funding, especially for one-way payment flows. Nala said it still holds more than half of the capital from its $40 million equity round in 2024, meaning the credit line is intended to fund expansion rather than cover balance-sheet stress.

The deal comes as fintechs handling large payment volumes turn to credit facilities instead of new equity. Stablecoin-based payment systems are gaining attention as businesses seek faster and cheaper settlement between emerging markets, Europe and the US. Nala did not disclose revenue or transaction volumes, but said several enterprise contracts are expected to go live later this year.

Key Takeaways

Nala’s credit facility shows how cross-border payment companies are changing their funding mix. Equity can help build products, teams and market entry, but payment businesses also need liquidity to pre-fund transfers and serve large customers. That need grows when payment flows move mostly in one direction, because the company must hold enough cash or stablecoin liquidity to settle transactions before it is reimbursed. Debt is better suited for that kind of working-capital need because it avoids dilution and can scale with transaction volume. The deal also shows how stablecoins are becoming part of business payment infrastructure, not only consumer crypto activity. For companies moving money across emerging markets, delays, fees and foreign exchange costs remain major problems. Stablecoin rails can help, but only if paired with compliance, local bank accounts, mobile money integrations and liquidity management. Nala’s next test will be turning the credit line into faster corridors, larger enterprise contracts and stronger unit economics without taking on liquidity or compliance risk it cannot manage.

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