Rift

Settlement network and infrastructure for moving money across African and emerging market corridors.

Rift is a settlement network and infrastructure for moving money across African and emerging market corridors, where sending money between neighboring countries is still slow, expensive, and routed through correspondent banks abroad.

Businesses and individuals on Rift hold stablecoin-backed balances and pay directly into mobile money wallets and bank accounts across multiple African markets in seconds. Under the hood, Rift combines non-custodial wallet infrastructure, KYC and KYB onboarding, on/off-ramps through licensed local partners, and a settlement ledger that nets flows across each corridor.

Instead of every payment individually crossing a border and converting through the dollar, opposing flows cancel on our ledger with only the net residual settling in stablecoins. This makes stablecoins the neutral clearing asset between local currencies rather than a replacement for them - a version of digital dollar settlement that works for regulated institutions and the regulators watching them.

Payments that used to take three to five days and cost 5%-10% settle in seconds at a fraction of the cost, while the capital institutions normally lock away in overseas accounts is freed up. And because every payment is recorded with amount, rate, and timestamp, businesses build a verified transaction history (i.e., consent-based credit data that banks and lenders can underwrite against).

What we offer:

Wallet and payment infrastructure that institutions can integrate through a single API under their own brand.
On/off-ramps and settlement across African corridors with stablecoins as the settlement asset.
Compliance by design with non-custodial architecture as well as enclave-secured keys, KYC/KYB, and data residency aligned with local law and the emerging VASP regimes.
A netting engine that shrinks the liquidity and pre-funding each corridor requires - especially with thin, hard-to-serve corridors.

We work with importers and distributors paying suppliers across East and West Africa, businesses paying international suppliers in markets like China and Turkey, aggregators bundling high-frequency cross-border trade, and payment platforms and financial institutions that want cross-border rails without building them from scratch.

Use Cases

Cross-Border Payments

Rift lets businesses and individuals pay across African borders in seconds, directly into mobile money or bank accounts, without the days-long delays and 5%-10% cost of correspondent banking. Senders hold stablecoin-backed balances; Rift handles the on-ramp, the stablecoin leg, and the off-ramp through licensed local partners so users never touch crypto or manage FX. Opposing flows net on our ledger and only the residual settles in stablecoins, which makes payments cheap, instant, and viable even on thin corridors. Every transaction is recorded, giving businesses a verified history they can use as credit data. Available through apps and as API infrastructure with KYC/KYB built in.

Treasury & Liquidity Management

Businesses and payment companies operating across multiple African markets normally have to pre-fund accounts in every country they serve, locking up working capital in idle local-currency floats and dollar accounts abroad. Rift's netting engine and shared settlement model shrink that requirement: because opposing corridor flows cancel and only the residual settles in stablecoins, partners hold far less capital against the same volume. That frees up cash that was previously trapped and gives treasury teams real-time visibility into positions across corridors instead of reconciling across scattered accounts and correspondents.

Stablecoin On/Off-Ramping

Users and businesses can convert between local currencies and stablecoins through Rift's licensed partner network, providing a compliant, KYC'd entry and exit point to digital dollars in markets where that access is otherwise fragmented or informal.

Wallet Infrastructure

Rift offers non-custodial wallet infrastructure - ERC-4337 smart accounts with enclave-secured keys - that fintechs and institutions embed under their own brand via one API. Users onboard with passkeys or social login - not seed phrases - with KYC/KYB built in. Wallets hold stablecoins across chains like Base and Ethereum and pay directly into mobile money and bank accounts. Partners get wallets, compliance, ramps, and cross-border settlement in a single integration, launching in weeks without building key management or holding the full license stack themselves.

Last updated on Jul 09, 2026

This site contains content and information, including links to other sites and resources, that was prepared by third parties ("Third Party Content") who are not affiliated with Circle or any of its affiliates (collectively "Circle"). Circle makes no representations on the accuracy, suitability, or validity of Third Party Content. As such, Circle is neither responsible nor liable for any Third Party Content, including any errors, omissions, or delays, or for any actions taken in reliance upon any Thirds Party Content. Reference to any specific company, product, service, or website of any third party does not constitute an implied or express endorsement, recommendation, favoring or validation by Circle. All content provided is for educational and informational purposes only. Circle shall not be liable for any damage or loss relating to use of, or reliance upon, the Third Party Content.

Settlement network and infrastructure for moving money across African and emerging market corridors.

Use Cases

Ready to connect with Rift?