Flutterwave Selects Polygon as Its Default Blockchain for Cross-Border Payments

TLDR: Flutterwave adopts Polygon for scalable, low-cost cross-border stablecoin payments

Flutterwave has selected Polygon as its default blockchain network for a new cross-border payments product built on stablecoin settlement.
The collaboration targets enterprise platforms such as Uber and Audiomack, with consumer remittances planned in later phases.
Polygon was chosen for its fast settlement, low transaction costs, and ability to support real-world payment volumes at scale.
The rollout begins with enterprise customers in 2025 and expands to consumer remittances in 2026.

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Flutterwave and Polygon launch blockchain-based cross-border payment infrastructure

Flutterwave, a payments infrastructure provider operating across Africa with more than 40 billion dollars in total payment volume processed, has chosen Polygon as the default blockchain for its cross-border payments product.

The initiative is designed to enable instant, low-cost stablecoin payments across more than 30 African countries. By combining Flutterwave’s distribution and enterprise reach with Polygon’s onchain settlement infrastructure, the collaboration aims to modernize how value moves across borders for businesses and individuals.

The rollout is phased. Enterprise customers gain access first through Flutterwave for Business in 2025, followed by consumer remittance flows through the Send App in 2026.

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Polygon addresses high fees and slow settlement in African cross-border payments

Cross-border payments in Africa are often slow and expensive, with traditional systems taking days to settle and fees that can exceed eight percent of transaction value. These inefficiencies impact platforms, merchants, and workers who rely on frequent international transfers.

By integrating Polygon’s blockchain infrastructure, Flutterwave aims to reduce both cost and settlement time. Onchain settlement allows transfers to complete in seconds rather than days, while significantly lowering the cost of moving value across borders.

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How Flutterwave uses Polygon for stablecoin-based cross-border payments

Stablecoin settlement for international transfers

The cross-border payments product is built around stablecoins, enabling value to move internationally without exposure to local currency volatility. Stablecoins provide a practical foundation for cross-border payments, particularly in regions where traditional banking infrastructure struggles to support digital commerce efficiently.

Polygon’s low transaction fees and fast confirmation times make stablecoin settlement viable for both large enterprise payments and smaller, frequent transfers.

Real-world payout use cases including Uber driver payments

The announcement highlights real-world payout scenarios enabled by this infrastructure, including Uber driver payouts. These payment flows illustrate how blockchain-based settlement can support everyday economic activity rather than purely experimental use cases.

Examples such as paying drivers and merchants in Lagos and Nairobi demonstrate how instant, low-cost settlement can materially improve how platforms operate across borders.

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Why Polygon was selected as the default blockchain for Flutterwave

Low and predictable transaction fees for payment platforms

Payment infrastructure requires cost predictability to operate at scale. Polygon offers low and stable transaction fees, allowing Flutterwave to design cross-border payment flows that remain affordable even during periods of high activity.

Fast settlement and reliability at real-world scale

Polygon provides near-instant settlement and consistent network behavior. These characteristics are essential for cross-border payment systems where delays, congestion, or unpredictable performance can disrupt operations and trust.

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Polygon payments momentum across institutions and consumer applications

The Flutterwave collaboration aligns with broader signals that Polygon is being used for real-world financial activity at scale.

Polygon processes half of all US USDC transfers in the 100 to 1,000 dollar range, a transaction band commonly associated with everyday payments rather than large, infrequent transfers.

Polygon is also used for institutional financial products, including BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, demonstrating that the network supports regulated, large-scale asset issuance alongside payment flows.

In addition, consumer-facing applications such as Polymarket generate significant onchain transaction volume, reinforcing Polygon’s ability to support sustained public usage at scale.

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What Polygon and Flutterwave set up for the future of cross-border payments

Scalable blockchain rails for enterprise and consumer payments

By combining Flutterwave’s reach with Polygon’s settlement infrastructure, the collaboration establishes a foundation for scalable, blockchain-based cross-border payments that can serve enterprises, platforms, and consumers.

Programmable payment infrastructure for global platforms

Onchain settlement enables more automated and programmable payment workflows, reducing operational overhead and improving efficiency for payment providers operating across borders.

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FAQs

1. What is Flutterwave used for in cross-border payments

Flutterwave is a payments infrastructure platform that enables businesses and individuals to send, receive, and settle payments across multiple countries. It supports enterprise payments, merchant payouts, and international money movement, particularly across Africa and emerging markets.

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2. Why did Flutterwave choose Polygon for cross-border payments

Flutterwave chose Polygon because it offers fast settlement, low and predictable transaction fees, and scalability suitable for high-volume payment flows. These characteristics are critical for cross-border payment systems that need reliable performance at scale.

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3. How do stablecoins improve cross-border payments

Stablecoins improve cross-border payments by maintaining value stability while enabling near-instant settlement on blockchain networks. They reduce friction caused by currency volatility, high remittance fees, and slow traditional settlement systems.

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4. How does Polygon reduce cross-border payment costs

Polygon reduces costs by enabling low-fee transaction processing and efficient onchain settlement. This allows payment providers and merchants to move value without relying on multiple intermediaries or incurring high operational overhead.

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5. What are examples of real-world payment use cases for this infrastructure

Examples include enterprise cross-border payments and gig economy payouts such as Uber driver payments in cities like Lagos and Nairobi, where fast and affordable settlement improves everyday economic activity.

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6. What signals show Polygon is being used for real-world finance

Signals include high stablecoin transaction activity in everyday payment ranges, institutional tokenized fund issuance such as BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, and consumer applications like Polymarket generating large transaction volumes.

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