Cardtonic Launches in Kenya with USD and Sh Wallets

In Short

Cardtonic has launched in Kenya.

Kenyans get USD and Sh wallets, multi-currency conversion, virtual card funding, gift card trading, bill payments like airtime and data, and M-Pesa withdrawals.

The company says the Kenya rollout builds around local mobile money infrastructure through partnerships.

What Happened: How Cardtonic Set Up Wallets And Payouts In Kenya

Cardtonic, a fintech company, has launched in Kenya with what it calls “USD and Sh wallets infrastructure.” The company says the move supports its goal of serving customers “irrespective of their geo.”

The Standard reported that Cardtonic built the Kenya launch around existing mobile money infrastructure. Cardtonic partnered with M-PESA, which the report describes as Kenya’s dominant mobile money service, to enable conversion of “global digital funds to local cash” for Kenyan users. The company also partnered with international billers to provide utility services, including airtime and data.

On day one, Cardtonic says new accounts come with a dedicated USD wallet and a Sh wallet. Users can maintain up to five distinct currency wallets per account.

Cardtonic says users can do instant currency conversions between Sh, USD, NGN, GHS, and ZAR for free, with no minimum or maximum transaction limits. It also says users can fund a virtual dollar card directly from their USD wallet and withdraw funds back to it instantly.

For funding wallets, Cardtonic says users can use stablecoins, specifically USDT or USDC, and it also mentions gift card payouts. The launch includes buying and selling gift cards, although the settlement currency is “yet to be confirmed.” Users also get a Sh rate calculator with KES rates and a currency switch feature for real-time updates.

Why It Matters: More Ways To Hold Dollars And Cash Out Locally

Cardtonic’s Kenya launch combines foreign currency wallets with local cash out through M-Pesa withdrawals. For users, that means holding value in USD and converting across several currencies inside one account.

The focus on stablecoin funding, meaning crypto tokens designed to track the value of fiat currencies like the US dollar, also adds another way for users to top up wallets alongside gift card payouts. Cardtonic positions the Kenya rollout as part of a broader push for “borderless infrastructure,” following its earlier expansion into Ghana in 2020 and its ongoing expansion into South Africa.