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Here are the highlights of what happened in African Fintech this week.
Authorities froze major exchange accounts following suspected fraudulent digital asset activities.
National regulators signed a landmark agreement to share data with banks.
New government mandates required mobile lenders to verify income before issuing loans.
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💸Fundraise and Exits
💰 Venture Funds
Nigerian Web3 startups raised $43 million throughout the year of 2025.
4 Fintech startups out of 15 joined the tenth Google for Startups cohort.
AXIAN Group invested $100,000 into thirty-three different African tech startup ventures.
Former Molten Ventures CEO launched a £50 million Southern African fund.
Speedinvest doubled down on Africa with a dedicated new investment fund.
🚀 Partnerships & Product Launches
Bokra secured Egyptian licenses to expand revenue based financing for startups.
Ecobank partnered with PayTic to modernize and automate back-office payment operations.
Credit Direct and vivo partnered to provide flexible smartphone financing plans.
ZuniQ secured a formal Payment Service Provider license from Canadian authorities.
👔 Leadership Lineup
Cross Switch appointed Gillian Koinange to lead East African growth.
📰 News of the Week
Kenyan authorities froze hundreds of crypto accounts amid a massive anti-fraud investigation.
Kenya’s DCI froze numerous Binance accounts under the 2025 VASP Act to combat money laundering and P2P fraud. This sudden enforcement left hundreds of traders without access to their operational savings, sparking a massive digital outcry over lack of transparency.
👀Eye Opener
PwC warned that poor cash discipline and weak operations caused Kenyan startups to fail. Same to most Africa startups.
📑 Read of the week
Onafriq: Stablecoins Could Reshape African Payments But Face Infrastructure, Regulatory Hurdles. (Read the report)
📖 Other News, Reads, and Media
M-TIBA ended health savings features and refunded users via M-PESA.
Flutterwave denied receiving a $75 million investment from the Nigerian government.
Absa Bank Kenya committed to annual $23.2 million digital technology investments.
Kenya mandated that lenders verify customer income before issuing mobile loans.
CBN and NCC signed an agreement to share telecom data with banks.
Ghana removed minimum capital barriers while tightening tech transfer and tax compliance.
Kenya’s diaspora remittances reached a record high of $448.5 million.
🪙 Stablecoin & Crypto Watch
🎥 Video Interviews/Discussions
In this interview, Benjamin Fernandes detailed the grit required to pivot NALA from a personal finance app into a global engine, successfully integrating Rafiki to power MoneyGram’s African stablecoin payouts.
🦉 Tweet of the Week
Binance accounts frozen in Kenya. Here is why.
Made in Tanzania 🇹🇿 with 💚
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