Lipaworld, a stablecoin powered financial platform for individuals and businesses in emerging markets, plans to support ZARU, a South African rand stablecoin. The planned integration is designed to give Lipaworld Business customers access to the rand alongside global stablecoins such as USD Coin (USDC) and Euro coin (EURC).

What the partnership covers

Lipaworld plans to support ZARU as its first South African rand stablecoin. Through Lipaworld Business, business customers would hold and transfer ZARU, and move between ZARU and supported global stablecoins.

A stablecoin is a digital asset designed to hold a steady value against a reference asset, such as a currency. Most stablecoins track the US dollar. ZARU tracks the South African rand.

Why local currency stablecoins matter

Dollar stablecoins can settle cross border payments faster than many traditional methods. A business that earns and spends in rand still converts currency at each end of the payment. A rand stablecoin lets that business hold and move value in the currency it already uses.

Local currency and dollar stablecoins complement each other. Together they connect domestic and global financial systems.

“Stablecoins are changing how money moves globally, but we believe local currencies need to be part of that future. Working with ZARU allows us to connect the South African rand to Lipaworld’s global payments infrastructure and build more practical use cases for digital rand payments.” Jonathan Katende, Co-founder and CEO, Lipaworld

What business customers could do with ZARU on Lipaworld

Once the integration is live, Lipaworld Business customers could use ZARU to:

• Hold and transfer ZARU through Lipaworld Business

• Move between ZARU and supported global stablecoins

• Pay suppliers and run payroll in rand

• Move rand denominated value at any hour on blockchain infrastructure

Businesses that want to understand how these payments work can read our guide to stablecoin payments for business. Lipaworld and ZARU will share launch details as the integration progresses.

About Lipaworld

Lipaworld builds financial infrastructure for individuals and businesses across emerging markets. Its platform offers stablecoin wallets, cross border payments, business payments, invoicing and local payout infrastructure. Lipaworld aims to connect the Global South to the global financial system using stablecoins and modern payment rails. To book a demo, visit the Lipaworld website here.

About ZARU

ZARU is a South African rand stablecoin designed to give individuals and businesses a digital way to hold and move rand.

BlockTower South Africa (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider (FSP No. 55172).