The ADI Foundation has announced a new partnership with M-Pesa to roll out blockchain infrastructure to markets where the mobile money platform operates.
The collaboration outlines a framework for deploying ADI Chain, a regulatory-focused blockchain network, across eight countries where M-Pesa is active. These include Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania. Both organisations have framed the initiative as an infrastructure-level collaboration rather than an immediate consumer-facing rollout.
The ADI Foundation partnership seeks to introduce blockchain capabilities behind the scenes, particularly for institutional use cases such as cross-border settlement and SME payments.
“M-Pesa has been amazing in terms of financial inclusion,” said Huy Nguyen Trieu, a council member on the ADI Foundation’s board of advisers. “Our view is that we can push it further again by providing the right digital infrastructure, both for individuals and SMEs.”
Notably, the announcement does not suggest that M-Pesa users will directly interact with blockchain or cryptocurrencies. Instead, blockchain is positioned as an underlying layer that could improve efficiency, compliance and interoperability within existing mobile money systems.
ADI Chain is designed specifically to address regulatory and institutional concerns that have slowed down the adoption of blockchain in Africa. The infrastructure embeds compliance requirements at the protocol level, integrates with existing payment rails and applies security standards intended to meet government and central bank expectations.
Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO of M-Pesa Africa said the partnership reflects the company’s interest in emerging technologies that could enhance financial services across its footprint.
“We are excited to partner with ADI Foundation to tap into their expertise around new technologies and how these can transform financial services,” Lopokoiyit said.
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