Blockfinex expands across Africa, boosts P2P Liquidity, USDR Access

Global cryptocurrency exchange Blockfinex has announced a sweeping expansion of its African operations, unveiling a stronger peer-to-peer (P2P) trading ecosystem, wider distribution of its USD-backed stablecoin DollarCoin (USDR), and major infrastructure upgrades aimed at meeting rapidly rising demand across the continent.

The company said the expansion reflects its long-term commitment to Africa, one of the world’s most active digital asset markets where crypto adoption is fuelled by the need for stable currency access, inflation hedging, cross-border payments, and global trading opportunities.

Founder and CEO Danny Oyekan described the move as a significant scale-up rather than a new market entry. He said Africa has always been central to the company’s global strategy, noting that the objective is to match the sophistication of its African users with equally robust infrastructure.

“We’re not entering, we’re scaling,” he said, adding that “Users in African markets are among the most sophisticated and practical in the world when it comes to digital assets. Our goal is to give them the infrastructure they deserve: stable, fast, compliant, and built for real use cases.”

A central component of the expansion is a complete revamp of the Blockfinex P2P trading marketplace, currently one of the most relied-upon channels for crypto transactions across Africa due to foreign exchange restrictions and inconsistent access to formal banking systems.

The company is enlarging its buyer and seller networks, deepening local liquidity by adding region-specific partners, improving escrow and dispute resolution systems, and broadening local currency settlement options. It is also introducing verified merchant programmes and OTC storefronts to offer a more trusted and streamlined alternative to the fragmented P2P platforms dominating several African markets.

Blockfinex is simultaneously widening access to DollarCoin (USDR), its regulated and fully USD-backed stablecoin. The company said USDR will be distributed more broadly through P2P channels, OTC partners, and direct exchange integration.

It described the stablecoin as a reliable tool for African users seeking protection against local currency volatility, noting that USDR also supports cross-border transfers, merchant payments, global trading, and secure digital savings.

To support the rising number of African users who depend on its platform, Blockfinex is upgrading its trading infrastructure to better reflect local realities.

The improvements include faster execution speeds despite regional network limitations, deeper liquidity for key trading pairs such as USDR, expanded features for mobile-first traders, and a more localised onboarding process for new users.

According to the company, these upgrades will improve the trading experience for both everyday retail users and high-volume market participants.

Blockfinex added that it will continue investing in partnerships, merchant integrations, liquidity development, and educational programmes across West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.

It said these long-term commitments align with its broader mission to expand secure, compliant digital financial infrastructure across emerging markets.