MoneyGram and NALA Partner for Stablecoin-Powered Payouts in Africa and Asia
DUBAI, UAE — April 18, 2026 — MoneyGram and NALA announced a partnership on April 17, 2026, to utilize stablecoin settlement infrastructure for cross-border payouts into emerging markets in Africa and Asia. The collaboration will deliver near real-time settlements, lower FX costs, and 24/7 availability via direct integrations with local banks and mobile money providers.
Announcement Specifics
MoneyGram leverages NALA’s licensed Rafiki platform for on- and off-ramping stablecoins, enabling funds to settle in digital dollars and pay out in local currencies. The scope covers remittances to mobile wallets and bank accounts, payouts for global platforms and freelancers, treasury management, and cross-border business collections. Specific transaction volumes and rollout timelines remain undisclosed.
Stakeholder Perspectives
“Financial inclusion only matters if it works in the real world. With NALA, we’re leveraging stablecoin settlement infrastructure to improve payout speed, reduce FX costs, and expand our ability to serve customers across emerging markets.”
— Anthony Soohoo, Chief Executive at MoneyGram
Why it matters: This partnership enables MoneyGram to reduce reliance on pre-funded liquidity while improving operational efficiency in high-volume remittance corridors.
“Stablecoins are transforming global payments by providing a faster and more efficient settlement layer for cross-border transactions. By partnering with MoneyGram, we’re enabling a new generation of payouts into emerging markets combining the speed of stablecoin settlement with licensed local distribution infrastructure.”
— Benjamin Fernandes, Founder and Chief Executive at NALA
Why it matters: NALA’s infrastructure bridges global payment networks to local mobile money and banking ecosystems in underserved markets.
Industry Context
Stablecoins address persistent issues in cross-border payments, where traditional methods suffer delays and high fees averaging 6.49% for remittances. In 2026, stablecoin market capitalization exceeds $300 billion, with growing enterprise adoption driven by regulatory clarity and tokenized liquidity trends. Partnerships like this signal a shift from correspondent banking to blockchain rails, enhancing speed and capital efficiency.
Africa and Asia represent key remittance corridors where mobile money dominance creates opportunities for financial inclusion. This integration promises to lower costs for millions across high-volume flows between these regions and Western markets, expanding coverage and reliability for underserved populations.
Conclusion
This partnership positions MoneyGram and NALA at the forefront of stablecoin remittances, with scalable expansion potential across additional corridors and use cases amid accelerating fintech innovation in emerging markets.
Sources: Fintech News AE, MoneyGram Corporate, NALA, OpenDue, Tiger Research
