Nigerian fintech OnePurze launched cross-border payments and stablecoin services on 8 September 2026 across more than 20 countries in Africa and the Americas. An analysis by The Condia shows how much the service, like many others, depends on the licences held by its partners.
Where it says it operates
OnePurze lists the US, Canada and Haiti; South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi; Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia; Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon; and Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Benin in West Africa.
It promises no hidden fees or exchange-rate markups, a fee of $10 on a $1,000 USDT transfer to the US (1%), and delivery “in less than an hour” in supported corridors. For comparison, the World Bank put the average cost of sending money to sub-Saharan Africa at 8.37% in 2024, though on smaller $200 transfers.
The regulatory picture
- Nigeria: the CBN’s international money transfer guidelines bar fintechs from running these services themselves; they may partner with licensed operators. OnePurze says it works through its partners’ licences while seeking its own approvals.
- Francophone West Africa: in the BCEAO monetary union, payment providers need a licence in each country. OnePurze says it has no direct link to BCEAO payment rails, and the BCEAO still has no formal crypto framework.
- Ghana: the Bank of Ghana requires virtual asset and custodial wallet providers to be licensed or registered, and has warned unauthorised firms against mass marketing.
- Kenya: new virtual asset rules were published on 22 July, and existing operators must comply by 4 November 2026.
Why partner risk matters
A customer’s money moves only as long as the partner’s licence and banking relationships hold. Chipper Cash paused US operations for two months after a bank partner ended its relationship, and the collapse of US fintech middleman Synapse froze about $200 million in customer funds.
What users should check
- Which licensed company actually holds and moves your money in each country.
- How refunds work if a transfer fails, and how long they take.
- Whether stablecoin services are authorised where you live.
Source: The Condia.
