Kenya Blockchain and Crypto Conference to Convene Fintech Leaders, Banks, and Stablecoin Innovators

Fintech leaders, banking executives, telecoms, regulators, and key players in the stablecoin and blockchain ecosystem will gather in Nairobi on 14th and 15th May 2026 for the 4th edition of the Kenya Blockchain and Crypto Conference (KBCC 2026)- powered by OKX.

Now in its fourth year, KBCC has grown into one of Africa’s most influential platforms for conversations at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy. The 2026 edition is themed “Stablecoins, Payments and the Future of Africa’s Digital Economy,” reflecting a clear shift in the industry from experimentation to real-world application.

Stablecoins especially USDT have emerged as one of the most practical and widely adopted use cases of blockchain technology globally. In 2025 alone, USDT processed over $13 trillion in transfer volume globally, averaging $35 billion in daily transfers and serving an estimated $576 million users worldwide.

This positionings stablecoins as a new frontier to traditional payment systems in terms of speed, transparency and efficiency. Across Africa, stablecoins are increasingly being used for cross-border payments, remittances, treasury management, and merchant settlements. Just as an example USDT usage across African nations grew 18.6% year-on-year in 2025, with Kenya among the leading markets on the continent.

“Africa, with mobile money for the last 15 years, has been at the forefront of digital wallet and digital wallet commerce. The addition of stablecoin flows is a natural extension of what has always become commonplace with African consumers.

Where the industry has to focus is to enable, with least friction, stablecoins, mobile money wallets, digital wallets, to enable commerce to take place where the African consumers wish it to take place.

PawaPay runs on top of that infrastructure every day. Stablecoins and digital assets build on it, improving how money moves between markets and how liquidity is managed.
Adoption will be led by businesses solving real problems on the ground, particularly the innovators building in Africa’s most dynamic economies.” Dave Evans, CTO, PawaPay.

This shift is being driven not just by technology, but by real business needs: faster settlement, lower costs, and the ability to operate seamlessly across borders.

“The true ‘Stablecoin Revolution’ isn’t about the technology itself; it’s about real-world utility and institutional-grade access. Our mission at HoneyCoin is to make the medium of exchange irrelevant to the speed of business.

 

Whether an enterprise is settling in fiat or leveraging our stablecoin-compatible treasury tools, they deserve T+0 settlement and rates that beat the global benchmarks. We are building a world where geography is no longer a financial barrier, ensuring that the 2,000+ businesses that trust us can operate globally from day one,” David Nandwa, CEO, HoneyCoin.

Financial institutions and fintech companies are also beginning to integrate stablecoin infrastructure into their operations. Banks are exploring stablecoins for faster settlement and liquidity management, while fintechs are leveraging them to reduce foreign exchange costs, enable 24/7 payments, and improve access to global financial systems.

“As the largest crypto exchange in Africa by trade volume and the premier digital asset infrastructure provider on the African continent, we are excited to build out our presence in the Kenyan market and partner with KBCC to advance discourse around crypto, payments, as well as agentic finance, and the opportunities these innovations can unlock in Africa and beyond,” said Ben Caselin, CMO, VALR.

The appeal of stablecoins lies in their ability to combine the stability of fiat currencies with the speed and efficiency of blockchain networks. Key advantages include near-instant settlement, lower transaction costs, improved transparency, and the ability to operate across borders without reliance on fragmented correspondent banking systems.

Beyond speed and cost, stablecoins are also proving their credibility as a regulated, accountable form of value transfer.

 

Tether, the issuer of USDT, works with 310+ law enforcement agencies across 64 countries including the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and DOJ, has assisted in over 2,000 cases, and frozen more than $4 billion in illicit funds. Sanctions-related illicit activity in stablecoins fell 60% between 2024 and 2025 TRM Labs,2 a signal that the infrastructure is maturing and would be impossible to implement with traditional finance.

 

For the financial institutions and regulators engaging at KBCC, this is the context that matters: accountability is not an afterthought for USDT, it is built into its foundation, protecting consumers and businesses from fraud, illicit flows, and money laundering.

As adoption grows, platforms like KBCC are becoming critical spaces for engagement between regulators, builders, and industry leaders working to shape the future of the sector.

“We are proud to participate in the Kenya Blockchain and Crypto Conference for the fourth year. It has been impressive to see KBCC grow from a close-knit crypto community into a leading platform for innovation, dialogue, and collaboration across the digital economy. What makes KBCC especially valuable is the opportunity to engage with builders, regulators, and industry leaders shaping the future of the sector.

 

With the recent progress in regulation, we look forward to seeing even greater participation from diverse industries as more businesses come to learn, connect, and explore the potential of blockchain technology,” said Felix Macharia, CEO and Co-Founder, Kotani Pay.

The KBCC 2026 program reflects these developments, with sessions focused on payments infrastructure, regulation, stablecoin adoption, and real-world implementation. Discussions will bring together policymakers, financial institutions, technology providers, and builders to explore how these systems can scale responsibly across African markets.

Building on the success of the 2025 edition, which attracted 1,633 attendees, over 70 speakers, and generated more than 8 million in hashtag reach, KBCC 2026 is expected to further strengthen its position as a key platform for shaping Africa’s digital financial future.

The conference will feature keynote sessions, panel discussions, regulator roundtables, and breakout sessions focused on payments, policy, infrastructure, and capital, providing a comprehensive view of how stablecoins and blockchain technologies are being deployed across the continent.

Some of the notable speakers include: Tom Wang, General Manager Emerging Markets at OKX, Sitah Lang’o, Head of East & West Africa at SWIFT, Daniel Mainda, CEO, Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority, Apollo Sande of Luno, Peter Mwangi, Country Manager, VALR amongst others.

The conference this year has been sponsored by OKX, Tether, VALR, Honeycoin, Bitget Kotani Pay, Luno, YoguPay Pawapay amongst others.