Sub-Saharan Africa received an estimated $54 billion in stablecoin value in the 12 months to June 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Total received: $125 billion in on-chain value.
  • Stablecoin value: $54 billion, representing 43.2%.
  • Bitcoin comparison: Stablecoins received more than twice Bitcoin’s value.
  • Key driver: Currency depreciation and limited dollar access.

Sub-Saharan Africa received an estimated $125 billion in on-chain value in the 12 months to June 2024. Stablecoins accounted for 43.2%, equivalent to about $54 billion. That was more than twice Bitcoin’s share and larger than any other cryptoasset category.

Across economies facing currency depreciation and restricted access to foreign exchange, dollar-pegged stablecoins are serving purposes beyond speculation. Individuals and businesses use them to preserve dollar-denominated value, receive international payments and settle cross-border transactions. Stablecoins are increasingly becoming part of the region’s financial infrastructure.

Source:

Chainalysis; Intelpoint calculations

Period:

July 2023–June 2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Stablecoins are the most frequently transacted asset for outbound payments among Nigerian users (38.3%), outpacing bitcoin (27.3%)
  • Stablecoins lead the market, accounting for 38.3% of all crypto sent, highlighting Nigerians’ preference for stability and dollar-backed assets.
  • Bitcoin ranks second at 27.3%, showing it remains a major channel for store-of-value transfers and remittances.
  • Altcoins like SOL, ADA, SHIB, and DOGE (15.4%) attract younger and experimental users but remain secondary to stable assets.
  • Ethereum (10.2%) and BNB (8.9%) maintain moderate transaction volumes, suggesting users favor low-fee and widely accepted tokens for transfers.
Over 40% of surveyed Nigerian crypto users are students
  • Students are the largest crypto-holding group (43.6%), underscoring the youthful nature of Nigeria’s crypto community and their early adoption of digital finance.
  • Entrepreneurs follow closely (25.7%), showing strong participation from self-employed Nigerians, traders, business owners, and hustlers who use crypto for investment and business flexibility.
  • Traditional employees make up 17.4%, indicating growing acceptance of crypto beyond informal or youth circles, even among salary earners.
  • Freelancers and gig workers (5.6%) also feature, reflecting crypto’s role in global online work and cross-border earnings. Unemployed and retired individuals remain a small minority, under 3.5% combined.
Over 60% of surveyed Nigerian crypto traders earn less than $50 per month, with $10–$50 the most common profit range (36%)
  • About 60% of users make less than $50 per month, showing crypto activity is mostly at a small, retail scale.
  • The $10–$50 band (36%) is the single largest group, reflecting frequent, low-value trading or incremental investment returns.
  • Only about 30% of users earn between $50 and $500, suggesting that consistent moderate returns are less common.
  • Less than 3% of users earn above $1,000 per month, confirming that the Nigerian crypto market remains largely retail-driven rather than dominated by professional or institutional traders.
About 44% of Nigerian crypto users mostly send crypto, primarily for investments and payments
  • 56.1% of users mostly send crypto, compared to 43.9% who mostly receive it, showing an active transaction culture.
  • Investing in other platforms or projects leads as the top reason for sending crypto (29.2%), indicating strong speculative and wealth-building motives.
  • Every 1 in 4 users (25.1%) use crypto for daily transactions like bills and subscriptions, showing rising integration into everyday finance.
  • Cross-border payments (7.7%) and donations (4.6%) remain small but notable niches, signaling growing utility beyond trading.
Over 60% of Nigerians use crypto for savings and long-term investing
  • Wealth-building dominates motivation: 45.4% cite “active wealth building” as their primary motive, and an additional 21.8% cite “long-term financial security”.
  • Payments and utility are minor drivers: Only 3.3% report “daily utility” and 2.2% “digital commerce” as their chief motive for using crypto.
  • Hedging and cross-border flows matter: 8.7% use crypto for currency hedging, and 4.1% for cross-border payments, showing a dual role of investment plus international value flows.
  • Nigerian retail users treat crypto like a conventional financial instrument rather than only as a means of payment or speculation.
Over 65% of surveyed Nigerian crypto users transact below ₦50,000; less than 3% move above ₦1 million
  • Nearly two-thirds (67%) of all crypto transactions in Nigeria are below ₦50,000, reflecting widespread use among everyday retail users.
  • The ₦15,000–₦25,000 band (28.2%) is the single largest group, showing consistent, small-scale engagement rather than high-value speculation.
  • Around 25% of users transact between ₦50,000 and ₦250,000, suggesting a growing middle class of more confident, mid-level investors.
  • Less than 3% of users transact above ₦1 million, confirming that Nigeria’s crypto market remains primarily retail-driven, not institutional or high-net-worth.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved