MoneyBadger
MoneyBadger is a South African crypto payment infrastructure provider that connects Bitcoin and Lightning wallets to merchants via QR codes and PSP integrations, delivering instant ZAR settlement across 650,000+ locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersStellenbosch, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What MoneyBadger does
MoneyBadger is a South African Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment infrastructure provider, headquartered in Stellenbosch and operating as MoneyBadger (Pty) Ltd. Founded in 2022 by former Luno and SnapScan executives, the company builds a payment layer that connects consumer crypto wallets — including exchange wallets from Luno, VALR, Binance, Bybit, and AltCoinTrader, plus 13+ Lightning Network wallets — to merchant point-of-sale systems via a proprietary QR-code translator and a REST API. The platform integrates with all major South African payment service providers (Ozow, Peach Payments, Zapper, Scan to Pay, Ecentric, Electrum), enabling merchants to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies while receiving settlement in South African Rand, Bitcoin, or stablecoins; MoneyBadger absorbs volatility risk between customer payment and merchant settlement.
The product surface spans in-store QR payments, e-commerce plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Prestashop, direct API integration for high-volume merchants (R10M+ monthly volume), Lightning refund support (LUD-18 / Lightning Address capture), cross-border supplier payments on stablecoin rails (Tron, Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base), and ZAR-to-crypto revenue conversion for treasury use cases. Distribution is achieved almost entirely through the PSP channel, with anchor customers including Pick n Pay (1,500+ stores, R1M+/month processed), South African Airways, Travelwings, Dis-Chem, Clicks, Game, Bootlegger Coffee, Krispy Kreme, and TicketPro. Notional merchant reach exceeds 650,000 locations through the Scan to Pay partnership.
Monetization is primarily through the spread between crypto-conversion rates and ZAR-settlement rates on PSP-routed volume (with no additional fee charged to merchants beyond standard PSP pricing), supplemented by negotiated enterprise API contracts for high-volume merchants and bespoke professional services for cross-border and treasury implementations. The company operates under FSCA exemption as an active Crypto Asset Service Provider, with FSP licence application 53482 in progress, and is led by a co-founder who chairs the Crypto Asset Association of South Africa (CAASA). As of mid-2025, MoneyBadger had raised US$400,000 in pre-seed funding led by P1 Ventures and processed R18.97 million in cumulative crypto payment volume (73% Bitcoin).
MoneyBadger firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MoneyBadger
- Legal name
- MoneyBadger (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://moneybadger.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MoneyBadger is a South African crypto payment infrastructure provider that connects Bitcoin and Lightning wallets to merchants via QR codes and PSP integrations, delivering instant ZAR settlement across 650,000+ locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MoneyBadger industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cryptocurrency Payment Processing
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers) (FSADAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs (FSADAIAA), Settlement, Reconciliation & Merchant Treasury Tools (Crypto) (FSADAIAK), Payment Orchestration, Routing & Smart Transaction Management (Crypto) (FSADAIAJ)
Keywords
Where MoneyBadger is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stellenbosch
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
MoneyBadger business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction Fee Revenue Share: MoneyBadger earns revenue by adding crypto payment capabilities to existing payment service provider relationships. Merchants pay their PSP's standard fees (Peach Payments 1.5% + R1.50, Zapper 2.9%, Ozow from 1.5%), and MoneyBadger handles conversion and Rand settlement behind the scenes at no additional cost. Revenue comes from the spread between crypto conversion rates and settlement rates.
- Enterprise API Integration: For large enterprises with R10M+ monthly volume, MoneyBadger offers direct API integration with negotiated rates and dedicated account management, bypassing PSP layer.
- Custom Treasury & Cross-Border Solutions: Custom Bitcoin and stablecoin treasury systems and cross-border settlement on crypto rails for businesses with specific compliance and integration needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Peach Payments crypto transactions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Ozow crypto transactions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Zapper Standard Plan |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Zapper Business Plan |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Direct Integration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
MoneyBadger product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MoneyBadger operates a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment infrastructure platform that enables South African merchants to accept crypto payments in-store and online with instant settlement in South African Rand. The platform connects customer crypto wallets (including 13+ Lightning wallets and major exchange wallets like Luno, Binance, VALR, Bybit) to merchant point-of-sale systems through proprietary QR code translator technology, integrating with all major South African payment service providers including Ozow, Peach Payments, Zapper, and Scan to Pay to reach 650,000+ merchant locations.
Product overview
MoneyBadger is a Bitcoin-centric payments infrastructure provider offering a unified platform for cryptocurrency payments in South Africa. The core MoneyBadger Platform connects customer wallets (including exchange wallets from Luno, Binance, VALR, Bybit, AltCoinTrader and 13+ Lightning wallets) to merchant point-of-sale systems via QR code scanning, with the MoneyBadger API enabling direct platform integration and ready-made e-commerce plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Prestashop. The platform integrates with major payment service providers including Ozow, Peach Payments, Zapper, Scan to Pay, Ecentric, and Electrum, providing access to over 650,000 merchant locations. Merchants receive settlement in South African Rand, stablecoins, or Bitcoin. Additional modules include Lightning Refunds for return processing, Cross-Border Supplier Payments for international B2B transactions, and Revenue Conversion for automated crypto treasury management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MoneyBadger Platform Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment infrastructure enabling merchants to accept crypto payments in-store and online with settlement in South African Rand, stablecoins, or Bitcoin. Connects customer wallets (Lightning and exchange wallets) to merchants through QR code scanning and integrates with major payment networks.
- MoneyBadger API REST API enabling online stores and payment platforms to integrate crypto payments directly. Supports Lightning Network transactions and major wallet providers with ready-made plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Prestashop. Includes Scanner API for QR code processing with refund address support.
- MoneyBadger Mobile App Free mobile application for scanning South African QR codes (Zapper, Scan to Pay, Pick n Pay) to decode payments and route to Lightning wallets. Available on iOS and Android. Supports adding tips to payments and automatic Lightning refund address collection.
- Cross-Border Supplier Payments Recurring outbound crypto payment service enabling South African businesses to pay overseas suppliers via stablecoins (USDT, USDC) or Bitcoin with Written Mandate Instruction compliance. Supports multiple networks (Tron, Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Base) with Travel Rule compliance.
- Revenue Conversion Service Service converting ZAR sales revenue to Bitcoin or USD stablecoins. Enables merchants to automate or on-demand convert card, EFT, and voucher revenues into crypto without requiring a foreign bank account.
Quantifiable outcome
- 66% of Bitcoin owners want to spend Bitcoin
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use MoneyBadger
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MoneyBadger technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration24 records
Feature4 records
MoneyBadger partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- BybitmajorBybit Pay expanded to South Africa through MoneyBadger integration, enabling QR-based crypto payments at hundreds of thousands of merchants. Users can pay with Bitcoin, stablecoins, and 20+ digital assets. Bybit is world's second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume with 80M+ users globally.
- OzowcoreOzow integrated cryptocurrency as a primary payment solution powered by MoneyBadger. Customers can pay directly from crypto wallets including Bitcoin Lightning and major exchange wallets (Luno, VALR, Binance) with instant settlement in South African Rand. Integration available to all Ozow merchants. Ozow is a licensed System Operator and Third-Party Payment Provider with PASA.
- Scan to PaycoreIntegration enables South Africans to spend Bitcoin at over 650,000 merchant locations via Scan to Pay QR codes. Users can pay with Bitcoin using Luno, VALR, or MoneyBadger app via Binance or Lightning wallets. Merchants include Clicks, Dis-Chem, Game, Engen, Shell, Makro, and others.
- ZappercorePartnership enables Bitcoin payments at 31,000+ Zapper merchants including restaurants, fuel stations, and retailers. Users can pay with Bitcoin via Binance, Luno, VALR, or MoneyBadger app. Over 400 Wimpy restaurants and major chains included. Transactions complete in seconds with no additional fees from Binance.
- Peach PaymentscorePartnership enables Peach Payments merchants to accept Bitcoin and other crypto assets. First purchases were for spades at a hardware store and light fittings at a lighting retailer, demonstrating mainstream adoption. Merchants include TicketPro (first online ticketing company). Peach Payments operates in Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa.
- Pick n PaycoreFirst major client. Pick n Pay debuted crypto payments in February 2023, becoming first African retailer to offer Bitcoin at till. Currently processing R1 million+ monthly in crypto transactions across 1,500+ stores including hypermarkets, supermarkets, clothing and express shops. Payments via Electrum POS integration.
- LunocoreLuno wallet integration allows users to pay at Pick n Pay, Zapper, Scan to Pay, and other MoneyBadger-enabled merchants. Luno has 5+ million South African users. Co-founded by MoneyBadger CEO Carel van Wyk.
- VALRcoreVALR wallet integration for Bitcoin payments. CEO Farzam Ehsani: 'You can now spend Bitcoin using VALR Pay at over 31,000 Zapper merchants in South Africa.' VALR has 1+ million South African users.
- BinancecoreBinance Pay integration enables Bitcoin payments at Zapper merchants (31,000+), Scan to Pay (650,000+), and other MoneyBadger-enabled locations. Binance has 300M+ global users and 2M+ South African users. No additional fees charged for Bitcoin payments.
- TravelwingsmajorTravelwings enables Bitcoin and USDT payments for flights, hotels, tours, and visa services through Peach Payments/MoneyBadger integration. Coupon code CRYPTOFIRSTDOM (R50 off domestic) and CRYPTOFIRSTINT (R150 off international) for first-time crypto payments.
- South African AirwaysmajorSAA accepts Bitcoin for flight bookings processed through MoneyBadger with Ozow settling funds to the airline. Airline faces no crypto volatility risk. Described as potential inflection point for African travel payments.
- Blink (Bitcoin Beach Wallet)coreBlink (formerly Bitcoin Beach Wallet) has MoneyBadger integrated for direct QR code scanning at merchants. Custodial Lightning wallet built on open-source Galoy platform.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MoneyBadger competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Strike: Global Bitcoin Lightning payment processor enabling merchants to accept and settle in fiat or BTC. Most directly comparable to MoneyBadger on Lightning rails and instant settlement, although Strike operates at global scale rather than a single African market.
- OpenNode: Bitcoin and Lightning payment processor for merchants and platforms with API integrations and instant settlement. Closely comparable to MoneyBadger's API-first Lightning gateway and merchant settlement model.
- BitPay: Long-standing crypto payment gateway serving global merchants with multi-coin acceptance and fiat settlement. Comparable to MoneyBadger as a merchant-facing crypto acquirer with settlement into local currency.
- Coinbase Commerce: Crypto payment gateway from Coinbase enabling merchants to accept BTC, ETH, stablecoins, and other digital assets with conversion to fiat. Comparable as a global crypto merchant acceptance and conversion platform.
- BTCPay Server: Open-source, self-hosted Bitcoin and Lightning payment processor. Comparable to MoneyBadger's Lightning and Bitcoin merchant acceptance model, particularly for direct API-driven integrations.
Emerging players
- Luno Pay: Luno's own crypto payment feature enabling Bitcoin payments at Pick n Pay and other merchants in SA. Comparable to MoneyBadger on the SA consumer side and shares founder lineage, but competes for the same merchant relationships.
- VALR Pay: VALR's exchange-embedded crypto payment feature for spending BTC at Zapper merchants in SA. Comparable as a wallet-side crypto payment alternative leveraging the same Zapper infrastructure MoneyBadger integrates.
Broad incumbents
- Binance Pay: Exchange-embedded zero-fee crypto payment service from Binance with 300M+ global users enabling payments at merchants via QR. Comparable on consumer reach and zero-fee positioning; a potential disintermediation risk rather than a direct head-to-head competitor in SA today.
- Bybit Pay: Bybit's QR-based crypto payment service (20+ digital assets including BTC and stablecoins) that recently expanded to South Africa via MoneyBadger integration. Comparable as a global exchange-backed crypto payment network with overlapping SA merchant reach.
Others
- Voltage (Lightning Network Infrastructure): Lightning Network infrastructure provider offering node hosting, payments, and enterprise tooling. Comparable as enabling infrastructure in the Lightning ecosystem that MoneyBadger's stack depends on, rather than a direct merchant competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MoneyBadger social profiles
Digital presenceMoneyBadger compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
MoneyBadger financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MoneyBadger leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
MoneyBadger funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MoneyBadger M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MoneyBadger
What does MoneyBadger do?
MoneyBadger operates a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment infrastructure platform that enables South African merchants to accept crypto payments in-store and online with instant settlement in South African Rand. The platform connects customer crypto wallets (including 13+ Lightning wallets and major exchange wallets like Luno, Binance, VALR, Bybit) to merchant point-of-sale systems through proprietary QR code translator technology, integrating with all major South African payment service providers including Ozow, Peach Payments, Zapper, and Scan to Pay to reach 650,000+ merchant locations.
Is MoneyBadger a public or private company?
MoneyBadger is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was MoneyBadger founded?
MoneyBadger was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MoneyBadger based?
MoneyBadger is headquartered in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does MoneyBadger make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fee Revenue Share is the primary driver. The others are enterprise API Integration and custom Treasury & Cross-Border Solutions.
Who are MoneyBadger's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Strike, OpenNode, BitPay, Coinbase Commerce and BTCPay Server. Emerging players are Luno Pay and VALR Pay. Broad incumbents are Binance Pay and Bybit Pay. Voltage (Lightning Network Infrastructure) is listed as an others.
Does MoneyBadger have an API?
Yes. MoneyBadger provides a simple and secure REST API for online stores and payment platforms to integrate crypto payments. The API supports Lightning Network transactions and all major wallet providers. Integration options include Scanner API (with optional refund_address field), LUD-18 payerData endpoint for Lightning Address collection, and X-REFUND-LIGHTNING-ADDRESS HTTP header for wallets without LUD-18 support. Ready-made plugins available for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Prestashom. Direct POS integration also supported. Staging environment available with API key access on request. Developer documentation is at docs.google.com/document/d/1vgnjapmNCJ4ROrozkONhDXw2-dDGu8IPlBFhRmGQoOM/edit.
What industry is MoneyBadger in?
MoneyBadger's product category is Cryptocurrency Payment Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAIAB, Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers), with a secondary code of FSADAIAA, Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6200.