VALR Expands Crypto Access Across Africa With Mobile Money Integration

VALR is expanding crypto accessibility across Africa through a new integration with Onafriq, enabling millions of users to fund crypto accounts directly using mobile money—marking a major step toward real-world adoption across the continent.

Bridging Mobile Money With Crypto

Through this partnership, VALR users can now deposit funds using local currencies via mobile money platforms—eliminating the need for traditional bank accounts. The integration connects to Onafriq, which operates one of Africa’s largest payment infrastructures, reaching nearly 1 billion mobile wallets across 43 countries.  This creates a seamless on-ramp from everyday financial tools into crypto markets.

Built Around How Africa Already Moves Money

Mobile money is the backbone of finance across much of Africa, often used more than traditional banking systems. Platforms like M-Pesa and MTN MoMo dominate daily transactions, from payments to remittances.  By integrating directly with this infrastructure, VALR is aligning crypto adoption with existing user behavior—rather than forcing users to adapt to new systems.

This allows users to:

• Deposit funds in local currencies
• Convert into stablecoins or crypto instantly
• Access global markets without a bank

Unlocking Financial Inclusion at Scale

The move is especially impactful in regions where banking access is limited. Mobile money already serves billions globally, processing over $1.6 trillion in transactions annually, making it a natural gateway for crypto adoption. 

With this integration, users across Africa can now access:

• Bitcoin and over 100+ crypto assets
• Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs)
• Lending, staking, and payments via VALR Pay

This effectively transforms mobile phones into full financial hubs—combining payments, savings, and investing.

Part of Africa’s Rapid Crypto Growth

This expansion comes as Africa emerges as one of the fastest-growing crypto markets globally, driven by real-world use cases like remittances, inflation hedging, and cross-border payments. As regulation improves and infrastructure expands, companies like VALR are positioning themselves at the center of this growth.

Why This Matters

This move highlights a key shift in how crypto adoption is unfolding globally.

The bigger takeaway:
Crypto adoption in Africa isn’t being driven by speculation—it’s being built on top of real financial needs. By connecting directly to mobile money, VALR is helping turn crypto into a practical financial tool for millions, not just an investment asset.