Making Crypto Spendable: Rach Finance Launches Payment Solution

For many Africans, particularly those in countries with volatile currencies, stablecoins like USDT and USDC represent a safe haven for digital assets. However, the practical challenge remains - how to spend these dollars-pegged cryptocurrencies when merchants typically require local currency.

Rach Finance aims to solve this problem with its new payment gateway that allows businesses to accept stablecoins while receiving settlements in their preferred fiat currency. The startup was founded by Keji Pius and Martins Chigoziem, who experienced firsthand the friction of trying to spend crypto in Zambia.

Growing Stablecoin Adoption in Africa

Stablecoin adoption is accelerating across Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 43% of all crypto transaction volume in 2024. The region received over $205 billion in blockchain transactions between July 2024 and June 2025 - a 52% year-over-year increase.

This growth is driven by both regulatory progress and practical use cases, with businesses increasingly using stablecoins for everyday operations like supply chain payments and liquidity management. McKinsey estimates that B2B stablecoin payments represent $226 billion annually globally - an amount poised to grow as more businesses recognize the benefits of digital currency.

Addressing a Hidden Demand

Pius notes that demand already exists but is largely invisible, with most merchants not advertising their willingness to accept crypto. By making this payment option visible, Rach Finance taps into a latent market of consumers who already hold stablecoins in their wallets.

“The customers were already there,” Chigoziem explains. “They’d been buying from him for years but had no idea they could pay with crypto until they saw the flyer. When they realized it was an option, they immediately opened their wallets.”

The startup is focusing initially on Nigeria and expanding across Africa as regulatory frameworks evolve and merchant adoption grows.