What Kotani Pay does

Kotani Pay is a Nairobi-headquartered fintech infrastructure company that operates a blockchain-to-fiat payment gateway connecting Web3 protocols and decentralized applications to local African payment channels. Founded in 2020, the company targets two primary customer segments: enterprise Web3/fintech businesses seeking on-ramp/off-ramp infrastructure for their end users, and underbanked African consumers (refugees, gig workers, smallholder farmers) who need to convert between stablecoins (USDC, USDT, cUSD, USDGLO) and local fiat currencies. The company claims to have reached over 15,000 beneficiaries across humanitarian, gig economy, and agricultural use cases, with named enterprise integrations including Valora (digital asset wallet) and Viction (blockchain network).

The company's core technology stack centers on a public REST API (v3) integrating 15+ blockchain networks (Polygon, Celo, Optimism, Stellar, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Cardano, Solana, Tron, Base, Lightning Network, among others) with all major African mobile money operators (M-PESA, MTN Money, Airtel Money, Orange Money) and South African bank rails (Ozow, Capitec Pay, FNB). A distinguishing technical capability is its USSD/SMS-based blockchain wallet that enables non-internet blockchain transactions on basic mobile phones via STK push and 4-digit PIN security, addressing the connectivity gap in African markets. The platform supports deposits, withdrawals, on-ramp, off-ramp, bulk payments, payment links, settlements, webhooks, and KYC/AML compliance flows, with authentication via JWT magic links and Bearer tokens, and tiered rate limits per endpoint. Compliance certifications include SOC 2, SOC 1, PCI DSS, and PCI PA-DSS, alongside an FSCA Financial Service Provider license (#53594) in South Africa.

Kotani Pay operates an API-first B2B distribution model, monetizing through transaction fees on crypto-fiat conversions (claims 4x cheaper than traditional payments with sub-1-minute settlement), white-label API licensing for enterprise customers, and per-transaction fees on bulk disbursements. The company has raised approximately $4.2M+ in cumulative funding from investors including the Stellar Development Foundation, Celo, UNICEF Innovation Fund, P1 Ventures, DCG/Luno, Flori Ventures, and Tether (strategic investment in October 2025). It maintains offices in Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda, with operating presence also in Nigeria (via the acquired Fuhlstack subsidiary) and South Africa.

Name

Kotani Pay

Legal name

Kotani Pay

Website

https://kotanipay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kotani Pay is a Nairobi-based fintech infrastructure company operating a multi-chain blockchain-to-fiat payment gateway that connects Web3 protocols and dApps to African mobile money networks (M-PESA, MTN, Airtel, Orange) and bank rails across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blockchain Payment Infrastructure

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs (FSADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms (BPAMAFAL), On/Off-Ramp Providers (Fiat↔Crypto) & Cash-In/Cash-Out Networks (FSADAIAE), Enterprise Payments & Tokenized Money (stablecoins, tokenized deposits, CBDC rails) (FSAPAIAJ)

Keywords

• Blockchain payment infrastructure
• Crypto-fiat conversion
• Stablecoin settlement
• Mobile money integration
• On-ramp off-ramp

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. On-Ramp/Off-Ramp Transaction Fees: Kotani Pay charges transaction fees for converting between cryptocurrencies and local fiat currencies. The company claims transaction costs are 4x cheaper than traditional payment systems. Revenue is generated through spread on exchange rates and per-transaction fees for on-ramp (fiat to crypto) and off-ramp (crypto to fiat) services.
2. API/Platform Licensing: White-label API services for enterprise customers integrating Kotani Pay's infrastructure. Businesses pay for API access and usage of the platform's payment channel integrations.
3. Bulk Payment Services: Bulk disbursement services allowing businesses to send payments to multiple recipients. Revenue generated through per-transaction fees and potential volume-based pricing for high-volume integrators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kotani Pay is a blockchain-powered payment infrastructure that connects Web3 protocols, dApps, and fintech companies to local African payment channels via APIs. The platform enables crypto-to-fiat conversion (on-ramp/off-ramp) between stablecoins (USDC, USDT, cUSD, USDGLO) and local currencies through mobile money networks (M-PESA, MTN Money, Airtel Money, Orange Money) and bank transfers, including a USSD-based blockchain wallet for users without internet connectivity.

Product overview

Kotani Pay operates as a modular fintech infrastructure platform providing blockchain-to-fiat bridge services across Africa. The core offering consists of four interconnected product lines: Stablecoin Settlement Solution (for dollar liquidity and stablecoin-fiat conversions), Blockchain-Powered APIs (white-label developer integration tools), SMS-based Blockchain Wallet (USSD-accessible non-custodial wallet), and On-Ramp/Off-Ramp Services (crypto-fiat conversion). These core products are augmented by Payout Services, Bulk Payments, Payment Links, and Settlement Services modules. The platform supports 15+ blockchain networks including Polygon, Celo, Stellar, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Optimism, Solana, Tron, Base, and Lightning Network, connecting to local payment channels such as M-PESA, MTN Money, Airtel Money, and Orange Money across multiple African currencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stablecoin Settlement Solution Provides businesses with stablecoin-to-fiat conversion and settlement services, offering deep liquidity for cUSD, USDT, USDC, USDGLO, and Dai with settlement times under 1 minute. Designed for businesses needing dollar liquidity and crypto-fiat payment rails in Africa.
• Blockchain-Powered APIs White-label REST API enabling DApp wallets and blockchain networks to connect to local African payment channels, supporting deposits, withdrawals, onramp, offramp, settlements, bulk payments, payment links, and webhook notifications. Targeted at Web3 businesses and developers.
• SMS-based Blockchain Wallet Non-custodial blockchain wallet accessible via USSD/SMS without internet connectivity, enabling users to send, receive, and cash out digital assets directly to mobile money wallets. Designed for unbanked populations and users without internet access.
• On-Ramp/Off-Ramp Services Seamless digital asset conversion service enabling users to convert between cryptocurrencies (USDC, USDT, cUSD, USDGLO) and local fiat currencies across Africa via mobile money or bank transfer, with STK push payments and USSD support.
• Payout Services Affordable last-mile payout services for blockchain-based businesses, enabling mass disbursements to mobile money wallets and bank accounts with deep stablecoin liquidity. Targeted at Web3 platforms needing reliable payout infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4x lower transaction costs compared to traditional payment systems
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• UNICEF Venture FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Supported the AidLink pilot project, a blockchain-based digital cash transfer system tested in Nairobi, Kenya. The pilot involved 49 participants and successfully transferred and converted digital assets to local currency using blockchain infrastructure and mobile money conversion. Project aims to develop AidLink into a scalable tool for humanitarian cash transfers.
• Mercy Corps VenturessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2025Partnership to pilot innovative DeFi-enabled products for smallholders and Buy Now Pay Later services for MSMEs in Kenya, supporting agricultural finance innovation.
• Celo FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Celo blockchain and cUSD stablecoin. Celo Dollars are used as the primary stablecoin for transactions, pegged to the U.S. dollar to reduce currency volatility risks for users.
• M-PESA (Safaricom)coreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with M-PESA mobile money platform enabling cash-in/cash-out services for Kenyan users. STK push payments and USSD support for transactions.
• MTN MoneysupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with MTN mobile money networks across African markets for mobile money deposits and withdrawals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bitnob: Bitnob is a direct African crypto-fiat payments peer offering stablecoin on/off-ramps, remittances, and merchant payments across multiple African countries. It competes head-to-head with Kotani Pay for the same on-ramp/off-ramp wedge into M-PESA, MTN, and Airtel Money.
• Yellow Card: Yellow Card is a pan-African crypto exchange and payments platform with on/off-ramp services across 20+ African countries. It overlaps directly with Kotani Pay's developer-facing stablecoin ramp and B2B payments product.
• NoOnes (formerly Paxful): NoOnes is a peer-to-peer crypto trading and remittance platform with strong presence in Africa. It overlaps with Kotani Pay's off-ramp and remittance use cases, particularly for unbanked and informal-economy users.
• Chipper Cash: Chipper Cash is a pan-African cross-border payments and remittance platform that has expanded into crypto. It targets many of the same mobile-money and remittance use cases as Kotani Pay, including USSD-style accessibility and gig worker payouts in Africa.

Broad incumbents

• MoonPay: MoonPay is a global crypto on-ramp/off-ramp and payments provider used by most major Web3 applications. It is a broader incumbent targeting Africa among many other regions, competing for the same developer customer base that Kotani Pay serves.
• Transak: Transak is a global crypto payment gateway and on/off-ramp provider integrated into hundreds of Web3 dApps. It is a broader incumbent that increasingly targets African corridors, competing for the same white-label API and developer-led customers as Kotani Pay.
• Onramper: Onramper is a fiat-to-crypto aggregator that routes users to multiple ramp providers. It is a broader incumbent competing for the same Web3 developer customers and increasingly covers African payment methods, which may disintermediate single-provider ramps like Kotani Pay.
• M-PESA (Safaricom): M-PESA is East Africa's dominant mobile money network and Kotani Pay's most important distribution partner. It is a broad incumbent that has explored its own crypto and stablecoin capabilities and could become a direct competitor if it launches a first-party on/off-ramp.

Emerging players

• Circle (USDC issuer): Circle is the issuer of USDC, one of the stablecoins Kotani Pay supports. Circle is increasingly building direct ramp and distribution capabilities globally and into Africa, positioning it as a potential direct competitor to Tether-aligned ramps like Kotani Pay.

Others

• Stellar Development Foundation: Stellar is one of the core blockchain networks Kotani Pay integrates and a prior grant provider. It is adjacent — a network/ecosystem partner — but increasingly offers its own on/off-ramp services and Anchor network that could overlap with Kotani Pay's product.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kotanipay
• GitHubgithub.com/kotanipay
• Facebookfacebook.com/kotanipay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kotanipay

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors18 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kotani Pay