Ugandan fintechs take payments and credit beyond crypto—and beyond home

For a business moving money across Africa, the obstacle is often the gap between currencies, banks and mobile-money systems. Ugandan fintech companies are building services to bridge those gaps, using digital assets not just for trading but for payments, settlement and credit. Their next challenge is taking those services into more markets, according to Nile Post Uganda (direct).

That push forms the backdrop to the Africa Blockchain Festival, scheduled for October 15–17 at Nairobi’s Sarit Expo Centre. Organisers expect more than 3,000 delegates from over 20 countries, bringing founders and developers together with investors, financial institutions and policymakers. For Ugandan firms seeking partners and funding, the gathering offers a regional audience for products designed to work beyond their home market.

Moving money between separate systems

Kampala-linked MUDA illustrates the shift. It describes itself as a liquidity infrastructure company: a provider of tools that help businesses access and move money through the digital economy. Its services include collections and payouts, virtual accounts, stablecoin wallets and conversion of digital assets into currencies used by local banks or mobile-money services. Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to track a reference value. MUDA supports USDC, USDT and cNGN, and says its platform spans more than 50 corridors, or routes for moving funds between markets.

MUDA says its platform operates across more than 50 payment corridors.

The business problem is straightforward, even if the infrastructure is not. Transfers between African currencies and financial systems can be slow and expensive. MUDA’s approach connects conventional financial networks with digital assets. Another Kampala-based company, Equator Finance, which trades as EQPay Finance Ltd, offers digital-asset settlement—the completion of transfers—alongside stablecoin liquidity, directly negotiated trading, remittances and cross-border payments. It says it serves Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa from Uganda, with settlement corridors involving the Gulf, China and Japan.

Credit becomes another route to expansion

Ugandan-founded tisini is working on a different part of the financial chain. It combines artificial intelligence and credit analysis with blockchain, a shared digital record of transactions. In November 2025, it entered a strategic partnership with Sphere Labs to integrate its credit intelligence with SphereNet, a blockchain network built for financial applications. The agreement was formalised in Kampala during the All Africa Pensions Summit, hosted by the National Social Security Fund and partners.

According to Sphere Labs, the partnership is intended to support intelligent credit systems and open investment routes tied to African credit assets through tokenisation, which represents assets as digital tokens. It combines tisini’s credit analytics with Sphere’s cross-border payment and tokenisation infrastructure. The potential attraction for businesses is making credit information and financial assets easier to access, transfer and invest in through digital systems.

These applications sit at the centre of the Nairobi festival’s agenda. Sessions will cover blockchain infrastructure, stablecoins, real-world assets and regulation of blockchain-based internet services, alongside investor forums, startup showcases and technical discussions. Yellow Card’s Kenya and Uganda country manager, Isaac Wabuge, is among the speakers listed for the 2026 edition.

Expansion still means navigating different currencies, banks, payment platforms and regulatory requirements. Regional connections can help firms find the partners and investors needed to manage that complexity. The next test is whether the Nairobi gathering helps Ugandan companies turn their cross-border ambitions into partnerships that support wider operations—not simply greater visibility.