Circle (CRCL) Partners With Nvidia-Backed Cassava to Expand USDC in Africa

TLDR

• Circle (CRCL) partnered with Sasai Fintech, a unit of Nvidia-backed Cassava Technologies, in its first African deal.
• The partnership brings USDC to roughly 30 African markets via the Sasai money-transfer app.
• The deal targets cross-border payments and aims to reduce the impact of local currency depreciation.
• USDC circulation stood at $75.3 billion at the end of 2025, with Circle reporting Q4 revenue up 77% year-over-year.
• Wall Street holds a Moderate Buy consensus on CRCL with an average 12-month price target of $129.11.

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Circle Internet Group (CRCL) has struck its first partnership in Africa, teaming up with Sasai Fintech — a subsidiary of Nvidia-backed Cassava Technologies — to bring USDC to around 30 countries across the continent.

The deal integrates USDC into the Sasai remittance app, which already has a foothold across Africa’s mobile-first markets. Users will be able to send money locally and across borders using the dollar-backed stablecoin.

The move targets two real problems for African businesses and consumers: the cost of cross-border remittances and the risk of holding local currencies that can lose value quickly. Stablecoins like USDC offer a way to sidestep both.

Circle Internet Group, CRCL

Cassava Technologies founder Strive Masiyiwa called the deal a step forward for the continent’s digital economy. He said it would “open up more business opportunities and drive financial inclusion” across Africa.

Circle’s USDC Eyes High-Growth Corridors

Circle co-founder and chairman Jeremy Allaire pointed to Africa as a key growth region. He described it as a major opportunity to extend USDC into “high-growth payments corridors,” citing Africa’s young, tech-forward population as a driver of demand for faster and cheaper money movement.

USDC had $75.3 billion in circulation at the end of 2025. Circle also reported strong Q4 2025 results, with revenue up 77% year-over-year, giving the company some momentum heading into this expansion.

The total stablecoin market hit a record high of around $316 billion following the outbreak of the Iran war, according to DefiLlama. That backdrop has pushed more attention toward stablecoins as a tool for stability in uncertain times.

Circle is also a member of Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program, which puts it alongside other established names in the payments space.

Regulatory Uncertainty Still Looms

Despite the growth, Circle is operating in a shifting regulatory environment. U.S. lawmakers are working on legislation that would classify stablecoins as payment instruments — and one proposed change could stop stablecoins from paying automatic interest to holders.

That kind of rule change could affect how users interact with USDC and similar products. How that plays out remains an open question.

Separately, stablecoin payments firm TransFi recently raised $19.2 million in a Series A round to expand in similar markets, a sign that competition in this space is picking up.

Wall Street currently holds a Moderate Buy consensus on CRCL, based on 11 Buy ratings, six Holds, and one Sell. The average 12-month price target sits at $129.11, implying roughly 3.9% upside from current levels.

CRCL stock was down about 1.9% on Monday morning despite the announcement.

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