Shifting trade policies accelerate Africa’s adoption of Stablecoins

GLOBAL trade discussions often remain at a high level, focusing on geopolitics and national strategy. But across Africa and emerging markets, the real-world impact is felt in the liquidity of local markets.

- Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card.

For countless businesses, the most pressing challenge is consistent access to U.S. dollars. Now, as new trade policies like US. tariffs enter the picture, they risk deepening this dollar scarcity, making it even harder for businesses to operate globally.

In this environment, the rapid adoption of dollar-backed stablecoins is not a political statement, but a pragmatic response to a clear economic need.

When tariffs are imposed on a nation's key exports, such as on automotive and agricultural goods from Zambia or textiles from Lesotho, it can reduce the inflow of U.S. dollars into the national economy.

This puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves, which in turn reduces the availability of dollars through conventional banking channels.