If you have not chosen what to learn in 2026, start with this.
We live in a world where food arrives in minutes, files move in seconds, and teams build products across continents in real time.
Yet money still behaves as if it were travelling by ship.
If you send funds from your GTB account in Nigeria to a small bank in the US, that money does not move directly. It passes through a chain of correspondent banks, each introducing delays, fees, and reduced visibility along the way.
This system worked because it prioritised safety and trust. But in an economy where speed is leverage, it is now misaligned with how the world operates.
That is where stablecoins come in.
Not as a rebellion against banks or a speculative toy, but as a new settlement rail beneath the existing financial system.
Here is what changed.
In April 2023, stablecoin transaction volume crossed $10 trillion for the month, roughly equivalent to Mastercard’s global volume. By late 2024, monthly settlement exceeded $15 trillion. Peak days now rival ACH in the United States or UPI in India.
These are not fintech apps. They are the backbone of national economies.
When a new global network begins to operate at this scale, it signals a structural shift.
A stablecoin is a digital form of money designed to hold a stable value, typically one dollar. It moves on open networks rather than private bank ledgers, allowing value to move globally in minutes instead of days.
Africa is not on the sidelines. Companies like Flutterwave, Chipper, Yellow Card, Onafriq, and AZA Finance are already integrating this layer into their infrastructure, often invisibly to the user.
In practice, a payment still starts in naira, dollars, or euros. A regulated partner converts it to a digital dollar in the background, moves it across a global network, and converts it back into local currency. The recipient gets paid faster, often within minutes.
For businesses, this changes the equation.
Treasury becomes real-time instead of batch-based.
Cash stops sitting idle in transit.
Cross-border pricing becomes predictable.
Global suppliers can be paid instantly.
For consumers, the shift will be subtle.
A remittance arrives the same day, not next week.
A freelancer receives payment without tracking multiple intermediaries.
Your favourite brands quietly add new rails.
Most people will never think about the plumbing. Just as they do not think about the internet when they send a message.
In 2026, understanding stablecoins is not a crypto skill.
It is a payment skill.
A treasury skill.
A cross-border strategy skill.
Choosing not to learn it is like insisting on fax in the age of email. You can still do things the old way. It will just take longer, cost more, and introduce unnecessary friction.
Money is finally learning how to move like the rest of the world.
About the Author
Engr. “Ola” Daramola is an entrepreneur, engineer, and fintech founder committed to building reliable financial infrastructure that connects Africa to the global economy. His journey reflects the power of discipline, education, and purpose-driven leadership. Ola completed his secondary education in Nigeria, where he developed a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a belief in excellence that would shape his future path. He went on to study Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, graduating with a First Class degree, and later earned a Master’s degree from the University of Nottingham. He completed his secondary education in Nigeria in 2004, where he developed the discipline, curiosity, and work ethic that went on to shape his academic and professional journey.
He began his professional career in the UK and Europe, working in offshore and pipeline engineering. This early exposure to large-scale infrastructure projects and complex systems built his foundation in execution, precision, and accountability. He later returned to Nigeria to work with the Dangote Group, where he contributed to major infrastructure developments, including internal road networks at the Dangote Oil Refinery.
