Flutterwave announced that Ripple has made a strategic investment in the company as part of its Series E fundraising round, which values Flutterwave at $3.2 billion.
The partnership is designed to accelerate stablecoin-powered payments across Africa by integrating Ripple’s USD-denominated stablecoin RLUSD, Ripple Payments, and the XRP Ledger into Flutterwave’s payment infrastructure.
Flutterwave said the investment supports the next phase of its long-term stablecoin strategy, connecting its cross-border settlement capabilities with enterprise-grade digital liquidity. The company said the integration will help African businesses reduce reliance on legacy payment systems and improve the speed, cost, and reliability of cross-border transactions.
The partnership focuses on three core areas: embedding RLUSD into Flutterwave’s payment rails and Send App remittance corridors as a settlement asset for high-volume channels; using the XRP Ledger for faster transaction clearing; and deploying a unified API that connects Flutterwave’s domestic network with Ripple Payments.
By combining local cards, mobile wallets, and bank transfers with Ripple’s blockchain-based payment technology, the companies aim to reduce delays and foreign exchange friction in African cross-border payments. Flutterwave said the combined platform will support real-time settlement, predictable pricing, and improved liquidity for businesses.
The investment follows Flutterwave’s broader growth across African payments infrastructure. The company has raised more than $500 million to date and has processed more than 1 billion transactions worth over $50 billion.
Flutterwave said the partnership will help unlock economic opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses and global enterprises operating across Africa, while positioning Nigeria and the broader continent as major participants in the adoption of digital asset payment infrastructure.
KEY QUOTES:
“Flutterwave has built one of the most advanced payments networks in Africa, and as its infrastructure evolves, stablecoins are becoming central to that story.”
“Our investment will establish RLUSD within that infrastructure, with Flutterwave driving stablecoin flows over the XRPL and deepening its role as a settlement layer for real-world payments across the continent. Together we also plan to bring Ripple Payments’ speed and efficiency to cross-border transactions in the region, opening up faster, lower-cost financial services to businesses and consumers at scale.”
Reece Merrick, Managing Director, MEA at Ripple
“This investment marks a pivotal moment in our journey, enabling us to significantly scale our infrastructure and expand our stablecoin-enabled payments roadmap.”
“By unlocking faster settlement and lower-cost cross-border payments, we are building a payment superhighway that connects African commerce directly to the global economy. This partnership is a catalyst for Nigerian and African sovereignty in the digital financial age, ensuring our markets are primary participants in the global digital asset revolution.”
Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave
