Stablecoin payments
Stablecoin infrastructure for Africa. CrissCross supports the full life cycle of stablecoin payments, allowing individuals to earn and spend in stablecoins, with fast and cost-effective on- and off-ramps between stablecoin and fiat currencies. Convert between fiat and stablecoin, pay in USDC or USDT, accept crypto payments, and run recurring stablecoin billing. All through one regulated API.
CrissCross provides the infrastructure that can enable stablecoin on- and off-ramps, stablecoin acceptance and local payouts.
Why CrissCross for stablecoin payments in Africa
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Cross-border payments into and across African markets are often slow, expensive and unpredictable. Traditional correspondent banking routes can take days and carry fees that stack up at every intermediary. For businesses paying suppliers, freelancers or employees across multiple countries, these friction points add up fast.
Stablecoins solve several of these problems at once. Because they settle on blockchain rails, payments clear in minutes rather than days. Because they bypass legacy correspondent networks, the cost per transaction drops significantly. And because stablecoins like USDC and USDT are pegged to the US dollar, businesses and recipients avoid the currency volatility that makes holding local currencies risky in high-inflation markets.
CrissCross connects the stablecoin world to the fiat world. We handle the conversion between stablecoin and local currencies at both ends, so businesses can benefit from the speed and cost advantages of blockchain settlement without requiring their recipients to hold crypto wallets or understand blockchain technology.
How it works
Moving between fiat and stablecoin shouldn't require multiple platforms and manual reconciliation. CrissCross provides a single integration point for converting global and local currencies to USDC or USDT, and back again.
Step 1: Fund with fiat or stablecoin
Deposit funds in your preferred currency. CrissCross supports USDC, USDT, and 20+ fiat currencies including ZAR, USD, EUR, NGN, KES and GHS.
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Step 2: Convert on demand
Use our on-ramp to convert fiat to stablecoin, or our off-ramp to convert stablecoin to local currency. Conversions happen in real time, with transparent pricing and no hidden spreads.
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Step 3: Pay out or accept payments
Send stablecoin directly to wallets, or settle into local bank accounts and mobile money wallets. For merchants, accept stablecoin payments from customers and receive settlement in fiat.
Stablecoin on- and off-ramp
Our on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure supports high-volume enterprise use cases. Whether you need to convert ZAR to USDC for treasury management, or off-ramp USDT to Kenyan shillings for local payouts, the process is handled through one API call with real-time execution.
Key capabilities
- Convert between 20+ fiat currencies and USDC/USDT
- Real-time execution with transparent FX rates
- API-driven for automated treasury workflows
- Compliant with AML/KYC frameworks across all supported markets
Stablecoin payments
With CrissCross, businesses can pay employees, freelancers, contractors and creators directly in stablecoin to their preferred wallets or exchange accounts. Recipients who prefer fiat can receive their payment settled into a local bank account or mobile wallet instead, with CrissCross handling the conversion automatically.
Common use cases
- Remote team payroll across multiple African countries
- Freelancer and creator payments
- Supplier and vendor settlements
- Affiliate and referral payouts
Stablecoin acceptance
For businesses selling to customers who hold stablecoins, CrissCross provides a hosted checkout that accepts USDC and USDT payments. Merchants receive settlement in their preferred fiat currency, removing the need to manage crypto wallets or handle conversion themselves.
This is particularly relevant for businesses serving the growing population of earners and savers in Africa who hold stablecoins as a store of value or receive their income in crypto. Rather than forcing these customers to off-ramp before purchasing, merchants can meet them where they are.
How merchant settlement works
- Customer pays in USDC or USDT via CrissCross hosted checkout
- CrissCross converts to the merchant's preferred settlement currency
- Merchant receives fiat in their bank account
- Full transaction reporting and reconciliation through the CrissCross dashboard
Recurring Stablecoin payments
Subscription businesses face a specific challenge with stablecoin payments: crypto wallets don’t support traditional direct debits. CrissCross solves this with a recurring payment flow that lets customers authorise ongoing stablecoin debits from their wallet.
This means SaaS platforms, membership services, content subscriptions and any other recurring billing model can offer stablecoin as a payment option. Merchants get settled in fiat on a schedule that matches their billing cycle.
Coverage
Coverage
Choose from 20+ crypto and fiat currencies, and global corridors. If you have any requirements in African currencies, we are able to support your payment needs.
Stablecoin payments and regulation in South Africa
South Africa’s regulatory framework for crypto assets has matured significantly. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) declared crypto assets as financial products in October 2022, bringing crypto service providers under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act. The Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group (IFWG) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) have continued to develop a regulatory approach that balances innovation with consumer protection.
For businesses, this evolving regulatory clarity makes South Africa one of the more favourable markets in Africa for stablecoin adoption. Stablecoins like USDC and USDT are increasingly used for cross-border trade settlement, treasury management and remittances.
CrissCross operates within this regulatory environment as a licensed Money Services Business, ensuring that all stablecoin transactions are compliant with applicable AML/KYC requirements. Businesses using CrissCross for stablecoin payments in South Africa benefit from infrastructure that is built for compliance from the ground up, not bolted on after the fact.
Use cases
Remittance operators and MTOs
Reduce corridor costs and settlement times by using stablecoins as an intermediary layer for cross-border transfers. Collect in fiat, settle via stablecoin, and pay out in local currency at the destination.
Fintechs and neobanks
Offer your customers stablecoin wallets, on/off-ramp capabilities and cross-border payment features without building the infrastructure yourself. CrissCross's API handles conversion, compliance and settlement.
E-commerce and marketplaces
Accept stablecoin payments from a growing crypto-native customer base. Settle in fiat so your finance team doesn't need to manage crypto holdings.
Payroll and HR platforms
Enable employers to pay distributed teams across Africa in stablecoin or local currency, with one integration and one reconciliation flow.
Trading platforms and exchanges
Use CrissCross’s on and off-ramp infrastructure to offer your users seamless fiat entry and exit points across African currencies.
FAQs
Advanced data protection + compliance
CrissCross employs rigorous data security controls and operates as a registered Money Service Business (MSB) in Canada under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA).
Our policies move through constant iteration and undergo rigorous testing in order to ensure that we proactively mitigate any potential threats to payment- and client data.
