Yellow Card Equity Funding Surpasses $120m as Global Stablecoin Push Gathers Pace

By Francisca Anuforo

Yellow Card has raised $40 million in strategic funding, pushing its total equity financing beyond $120 million as the Africa-rooted stablecoin infrastructure company accelerates its expansion into global markets.

The latest round, announced on August 4, attracted investors including SC Ventures, the innovation and investment arm of Standard Chartered, Sony Innovation Fund, Polychain Capital and Blockchain Capital.

Yellow Card said the new capital will support the expansion of its Global USD Accounts, strengthen its stablecoin payment infrastructure and support its expansion into Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

The company currently operates in more than 50 markets, providing stablecoin payments, fiat settlement rails, wallet services and local stablecoin issuance.

For Yellow Card, the latest funding marks another phase in its transition from an Africa-focused crypto company to a global financial infrastructure provider.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, Group Vice President of Operations and Managing Director of Yellow Card Nigeria, Lasbery Oludimu, said the company’s expansion strategy goes beyond establishing operations in additional countries.

“Our growth is not simply about entering more countries. We are building the infrastructure, regulatory footprint and partnerships required to connect businesses across markets reliably and compliantly. Africa remains central to that story, even as we expand globally,” she said.

The company is increasingly positioning stablecoins as a payments and financial infrastructure tool for businesses rather than simply an asset associated with cryptocurrency trading.

Oludimu said businesses are adopting stablecoins to move money, manage treasury operations and participate more efficiently in international commerce.

“Stablecoins are increasingly moving beyond being viewed simply as a crypto product. They are becoming practical infrastructure for businesses that need more efficient ways to move money, manage treasury and participate in global commerce,” she said.

Yellow Card’s Global USD Accounts are a key part of this strategy. The product provides businesses with dollar-denominated accounts connected to the company’s broader stablecoin infrastructure.

According to Yellow Card, the service is already used by customers including Visa and Western Union.

The company plans to use the new capital to scale the product and strengthen the payment rails connecting businesses across its network.

Yellow Card has also established partnerships with major global payments and financial services companies, including Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, Thunes and MoneyGram.

The participation of Standard Chartered and Sony in the latest funding round also points to increasing institutional interest in stablecoin infrastructure.

SC Ventures participated alongside Sony Innovation Fund and existing investors including Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, Valar Ventures and Third Prime Ventures.

The company said the backing from both traditional financial institutions and technology-focused investors reflects the growing recognition of stablecoins as a component of modern financial infrastructure.

Regulatory expansion has also become a key part of Yellow Card’s global strategy.

In June, the company secured regulatory AML affiliation in Switzerland as a supervised financial intermediary through its wholly owned Swiss subsidiary.

Yellow Card said the Swiss entity will serve as a regulated point of contact for banking partners, institutional clients and corporate customers seeking access to its stablecoin infrastructure across Africa, the United States, Latin America and other emerging markets.

Oludimu said the Swiss development was part of a broader regulatory strategy rather than an isolated expansion.

“Switzerland is the latest step in a deliberate, market-by-market regulatory expansion strategy, not a one-off; more licenses and registrations are in progress,” she said.

Yellow Card said its regulatory portfolio includes the first VASP licence issued on the African continent, as well as a Crypto Asset Service Provider and Third-Party Payment Provider licence in South Africa.

The company also holds a CASP licence in Botswana and is registered as a Money Services Business with the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

It maintains regulatory registrations in several other jurisdictions, including the European Union.

Despite its global ambitions, Africa remains an important market for Yellow Card.

The company sees the continent’s challenges around cross-border payments, access to global currencies and international transactions as areas where stablecoin infrastructure could have significant impact.

“Africa remains central to that story, even as we expand globally,” Oludimu said.

She added that the company’s objective was to build infrastructure that allows businesses to connect across jurisdictions rather than simply establish a presence in individual countries.

Yellow Card is also strengthening its governance and compliance systems as it scales. The company has received seven nominations across five categories at the 2026 Morgans Governance, Risk Management and Compliance Financial Crime Awards in the Africa Edition.

The nominations cover areas including organisational governance and compliance, with members of the company’s compliance team also recognised.

Yellow Card said its compliance framework includes Know Your Customer processes, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls, sanctions screening, fraud prevention, transaction monitoring and anti-bribery measures.

The company was also included in Fortune’s inaugural Crypto Innovators list in June.

With more than 50 markets, over $120 million in total equity financing and partnerships across the global financial ecosystem, Yellow Card is betting on a future where stablecoins play a larger role in moving money across borders.

For the company, the opportunity is particularly significant in emerging markets where businesses continue to face challenges accessing foreign currencies and efficient international payment channels.

“Our focus is on building that infrastructure responsibly and ensuring African businesses are part of this evolution,” Oludimu said.