- Africa uses IOTA and stablecoins to modernize trade across 55 nations.
- Pilot programs in Kenya and Rwanda cut costs, paperwork, and border delays.
- ADAPT could unlock $70B in trade and double intra-African commerce by 2035.
Africa has taken a major step toward modernizing its trade infrastructure. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the IOTA Foundation have launched a digital trade project to make moving goods and payments across the continent faster and easier.
The Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) project is in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute and the World Economic Forum (WEF). Its mission is to build a shared, open-source digital backbone connecting all 55 African nations by 2035.
IOTA’s blockchain technology will form the backbone, while stablecoins like USDT will handle cross-border payments.
Stablecoin Rails Become Africa’s Shortcut to Modern Trade
The ADAPT initiative brings instant cross-border stablecoin payments, verified digital trade documents, and interoperable digital identities to Africa. Dominik Schiener, chairman of the IOTA Foundation, said the continent is moving from just fixing data issues to fully embracing digital finance.
“Now that we’ve digitized and authenticated trade documents, we can focus on trade finance,” Schiener said. The system will also support tokenized commodities, critical minerals, and USDT-based payments for exporters and importers.
The timing is ideal. Stablecoins now have clearer regulations in the U.S., Europe, Hong Kong, and some emerging markets. African governments see a chance to skip outdated systems and connect directly to modern payment networks.
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Currently, Africa loses over $25 billion a year in payment fees, plus billions more to document fraud. A typical shipment still needs 240 paper documents handled by 30 different parties, making trade slow, costly, and manual.
Early Results in Kenya and Rwanda Show Major Efficiency Wins
Pilot programs in Kenya and Rwanda have already delivered notable improvements:
- Kenyan exporters save ~$400 per month on printing and documentation.
- Paperwork for freight forwarders reduced by up to 60%.
- Border clearance times dropped from six hours to around 30 minutes.
- Kenya is projected to record 100,000 daily on-chain trade transactions once fully live in early 2026.
Schiener said this kind of efficiency shows how crypto infrastructure can move beyond market cycles into real-world economic impact.
“We could help a miner in Rwanda access on-chain trade finance at half the cost, getting paid instantly with low transaction fees using USDT,” he said. “This is how crypto evolves into real assets, real adoption, real value.”
$70B Boost to Intra-African Trade
ADAPT will begin with Kenya, Ghana, and a yet-to-be-announced North African nation before expanding to all AfCFTA states by 2035. The AfCFTA estimates that full digital integration could:
- Double intra-African trade
- Unlock $70 billion in additional trade value
- Generate $23.6 billion in yearly economic gains
- Reduce cross-border payment fees to under 3%
- Cut customs clearing from weeks to hours
Schiener described the development as the culmination of a decade-long effort to build real-world public infrastructure using IOTA.
“This is a very special day,” he wrote. “We founded IOTA to create real impact and now, after years of challenging work, our big and bold ideas are becoming reality.”
Related: Ripple Brings Institutional Crypto Custody To South Africa With Absa
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Source: https://coinedition.com/africa-targets-70b-intra-continental-trade-boost-with-iota-blockchain-and-usdt-payments/
