The ADI Foundation has teamed up with M-Pesa Africa to introduce blockchain technology to over 60 million monthly users, aiming to bolster financial inclusion and digital transformation across Africa.
This collaboration will deploy the ADI Chain platform in eight countries where M-Pesa operates–Kenya, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania–creating a robust digital rail for individuals and small businesses in emerging markets.
Building on M-Pesa’s success since 2007 in Kenya, which has enabled millions to access financial services via mobile phones, the partnership seeks to add blockchain capabilities to this foundation. The goal is to facilitate secure, compliant, and efficient cross-border transactions, digital asset use, and stablecoin adoption–especially critical given the high demand for crypto solutions in Africa, where over $50 billion worth of crypto transactions occurred in Nigeria alone over a year.
Huy Nguyen Trieu, Council Member of the ADI Foundation, highlighted that expanding blockchain infrastructure can drive further financial inclusion by providing the necessary digital backbone for both individuals and SMEs. “M-Pesa has been instrumental in financial inclusion. Our infrastructure can accelerate digital transformation by integrating blockchain,” he said.
M-Pesa’s existing mobile money platform is seen as a springboard for deploying blockchain solutions that support cross-border payments, currency hedging, and digital asset services. With 42% of sub-Saharan adults unbanked, adding blockchain capabilities addresses a critical gap by reaching populations traditionally excluded from formal financial systems.
The ADI Chain infrastructure is designed to meet the regulatory and operational challenges of African markets. It emphasizes compliance with local laws, security standards, and integration with existing payment rails, ensuring that institutions can adopt blockchain without sacrificing sovereignty or control. This platform will also support cross-border settlements for Abu Dhabi-based companies using the dirham-backed stablecoin, expected to launch in early 2026.
Technical architecture of ADI Chain features cutting-edge solutions like ZKsync’s Airbender, the first deployment of a zero-knowledge proof system at scale, ensuring security and privacy. The network benefits from partnerships with Alchemy (reliable RPC infrastructure), WalletConnect (wallet connectivity), and Covalent (blockchain data indexing), creating an institutional-grade ecosystem suited for emerging markets.
Founded in December 2024 by Sirius International Holding, the ADI Foundation operates from Abu Dhabi with a mission to build government-grade blockchain systems suitable for developing economies. Its collaborations span over 20 countries, with more than 50 projects underway to deploy compliant, secure, and scalable blockchain solutions.
By integrating blockchain into proven mobile money platforms like M-Pesa, the ADI Foundation aims to unlock new financial services, facilitate cross-border trade and remittances, and help bridge the financial inclusion gap across Africa’s underserved populations–all while adhering to local regulatory frameworks and operational needs.
