Persistent inflation and limited access to hard currencies are the unlikely accelerants behind the boom. For many, crypto is not an investment choice but a necessary tool for preserving savings and accessing global markets.
Summary
- Sub-Saharan Africa’s crypto economy surged 52% to $205 billion in annual flows, Chainalysis reports, making it the world’s third-fastest-growing region.
- Inflation, currency shortages, and grassroots demand are fueling adoption, with Nigeria and South Africa leading in both retail and institutional activity.
- Bitcoin dominates purchases, while stablecoins like USDT are gaining traction as substitutes for scarce U.S. dollars in cross-border trade and savings.
According to the latest Chainalysis data, on-chain activity across Sub-Saharan Africa soared past $205 billion for the twelve months ending June 2025, marking a 52% increase from the previous year.
The growth cements the region’s status as the planet’s third-fastest-growing crypto economy, now positioned right behind the Asia-Pacific and Latin America markets. A particularly sharp surge drove the trend last March, researchers noted, when a sudden Nigerian currency devaluation triggered a flight to crypto and pushed monthly volume to a staggering $25 billion.
A surge powered by grassroots and institutions alike
Chainalysis data reveals that small-value transfers are the bedrock of this expansion. Over 8% of all on-chain value transferred in Sub-Saharan Africa consisted of transactions under $10,000. This figure significantly outpaces the global average of 6%, underscoring deep grassroots adoption where digital assets are integrated into everyday financial activities.
While retail activity forms the foundation, institutional momentum is concurrently building, particularly within the region’s two largest economies. In Nigeria, which leads by a wide margin with $92.1 billion in received value, institutional activity is increasingly visible beneath the surface.
The report notes high-value stablecoin transfers facilitating trade flows for sectors like energy and merchant payments between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, establishing crypto as a vital settlement rail where traditional finance is falling short.
South Africa, the region’s second-largest market, boasts a model of institutional maturation driven by regulatory clarity. With hundreds of licensed virtual asset service providers, the country has cultivated a formal ecosystem that attracts institutional players.
Notably, major financial institutions, such as Absa Bank, are now in advanced stages of developing crypto custody and stablecoin offerings, signaling a pivotal shift from theoretical exploration to active product development for a sophisticated clientele.
Bitcoin and USDT adoption
The data also highlights how token preferences mirror local realities. In Nigeria and South Africa, Bitcoin (BTC) retains an outsized role compared to other markets. It accounted for 89% of fiat purchases in Nigeria and 74% in South Africa, far above the 51% seen in U.S. dollar transactions.
Alongside BTC, stablecoin adoption, particularly USDT, is more pronounced than in Western markets, accounting for 7% of purchases in Nigeria. This reflects their critical role as a digital dollar substitute for savings and informal foreign exchange access in economies facing stark official versus black market rate disparities.
