M-Pesa Taps ADI Chain for Blockchain Rails; ADI Tokens Hold $1.38
The Abu Dhabi-backed L2 secures its first major utility partner, targeting cross-border settlement for M-Pesa’s 60 million monthly users.
M-Pesa Africa, the mobile money giant processing payments for over 60 million users, announced a strategic agreement with the Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation to integrate blockchain infrastructure across eight African markets. The ADI token traded at $1.38 (+2.5%) following the disclosure, valuing the project at approximately $144 million.
The Infrastructure Play
This integration marks the first institutional blockchain deployment for M-Pesa, a joint venture between Safaricom and Vodacom that dominates African fintech. The deal outlines a deployment framework for ADI Chain, an EVM-compatible Layer 2 network using ZKsync technology, across Kenya, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Technical integration focuses on two specific vectors:
- Cross-Border Settlement: Utilizing ADI’s rails to reduce friction in remittance corridors.
- Stablecoin Pegs: Laying the groundwork for a UAE Dirham-backed stablecoin, issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and regulated by the UAE Central Bank.
Sovereign-Grade Compliance
Unlike permissionless DeFi protocols, ADI Foundation operates as a “sovereign-grade” entity backed by Sirius International Holding, a subsidiary of the $240 billion UAE conglomerate IHC. The partnership explicitly targets the regulatory gap that has stalled previous crypto adoption in the region.
“The foundation’s infrastructure can act as the building blocks to accelerate digital transformation,” noted Huy Nguyen Trieu, Council Member at ADI Foundation.
The move targets a high-velocity market; Nigeria’s SEC recently reported $50 billion in crypto transaction volume over a 12-month period. By leveraging M-Pesa’s existing user base, ADI bypasses the user acquisition bottleneck that plagues most L2s, gaining direct access to a demographic where 42% of adults remain unbanked.
