Nairobi Securities Exchange Partners with Tether to Test USDT Settlements in a $26.4 Billion Market

cryptonews.ruPublicado a 2026-07-30Actualizado a 2026-07-30

Resumen

The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tether to explore blockchain-based financial infrastructure in Kenya. Key areas of collaboration include asset tokenization on Tether's Hadron platform, testing of instant settlement mechanisms, fractional share trading, and the potential use of USDT as a digital settlement layer to enhance market liquidity. The partnership also aims to optimize AML/KYC processes for the local regulatory environment and will involve educational programs for brokers and retail investors. This initiative aligns with NSE's broader strategy to integrate digital assets, following a 2024 MoU with Valour Inc. and Sovfi Inc. to list digital asset-based Exchange Traded Products (ETPs). NSE CEO Frank Mwiti stated the goal is to modernize market infrastructure while maintaining regulatory compliance. Founded in 1954, the NSE is a leading African exchange with a market capitalization of approximately $26.4 billion.

The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and digital asset firm Tether have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore asset tokenization, blockchain-based settlements, and investor education within Kenya's financial market.

The partnership aims to modernize Kenya's capital market infrastructure using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Under the agreement, both organizations plan to test mechanisms for instant settlements and fractional securities trading through Hadron — Tether's asset tokenization platform, intended for both local and diaspora investors.

The Tether agreement comes amid broader efforts by the exchange to integrate digital assets into its trading ecosystem. In 2024, the exchange signed a memorandum of understanding with exchange-traded product issuers Valour Inc. and Sovfi Inc. to facilitate the creation, issuance, and trading of exchange-traded products (ETPs) based on digital assets. The goal of this collaboration was to introduce new financial products and list Valour's ETPs on the Nairobi bourse, aiming to broaden the investor base and increase liquidity.

As part of the agreement with Tether, the initiative will also focus on streamlining Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes tailored to Kenya's regulatory environment. Additionally, both parties plan to assess the feasibility of using USDT as a digital settlement layer to enhance liquidity.

To promote product adoption among retail and institutional investors, Tether and the exchange will launch structured knowledge transfer programs, including workshops and training sessions for brokers registered on the NSE and retail investor groups.

"The use cases of digital assets are evolving: from cryptocurrencies to real applications and ultimately to cross-border institutional finance," stated Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino. "Our goal is to optimize operations and ensure efficient, transparent, accountable, and sustainable processes while protecting data and privacy."

This collaboration aligns with the exchange's 2025–2029 strategic plan, which aims to expand market access and modernize trading infrastructure.

"By collaborating with Tether, we are exploring innovative technologies that can modernize market infrastructure, enhance operational efficiency, and broaden investor access, all while maintaining the highest standards of market integrity and regulatory compliance," said Frank Mwiti, CEO of the Exchange.

Founded in 1954, the NSE is one of Africa's leading financial markets with a market capitalization of approximately $26.4 billion. The exchange provides platforms for trading equities, debt securities, and derivatives, and is a member of the Futures Markets Association and a partner exchange under the United Nations-led Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.

Preguntas relacionadas

QWhat is the main objective of the partnership between the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and Tether?

AThe main objective of the partnership is to modernize Kenya's capital market infrastructure using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). This involves exploring asset tokenization, blockchain-based settlements, and investor education, with a specific aim to test instant settlement mechanisms and fractional securities trading through Tether's Hadron platform.

QWhich specific Tether platform will be used for testing asset tokenization and fractional securities trading in this initiative?

AThe initiative will use Tether's Hadron platform, which is designed for asset tokenization, to test instant settlement mechanisms and fractional securities trading for both local and diaspora investors.

QBesides exploring settlements, what other key areas will the NSE-Tether partnership focus on regarding regulatory compliance?

AThe partnership will also focus on optimizing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes tailored to Kenya's regulatory environment. Additionally, they plan to assess the feasibility of using USDT as a digital settlement infrastructure layer to enhance liquidity.

QAccording to the article, what broader strategic goal of the NSE does this collaboration with Tether support?

AThis collaboration aligns with the NSE's strategic plan for 2025–2029, which is aimed at expanding market access and modernizing trading infrastructure.

QWhat is the approximate market capitalization of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) as mentioned in the article?

AThe Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) has a market capitalization of approximately $26.4 billion.

Lecturas Relacionadas

Qualcomm Chip Price Hike Deals a Blow to Android Phones

Qualcomm has officially announced a new round of price increases for its entire chip portfolio, effective September 1. The hikes, reaching up to 18% for the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, follow similar moves by MediaTek, intensifying cost pressures on the already strained smartphone industry. CEO Cristiano Amon confirmed the plan, citing the need to offset rising industry-wide costs and restore declining profit margins. Qualcomm's Q3 FY2026 results showed a 25% drop in net profit, with mobile revenue plunging 20% year-over-year, hitting its lowest level since 2021. The surge in AI computing demand has led memory manufacturers to prioritize HBM production, creating a shortage in general-purpose DRAM and NAND Flash chips. Their prices soared by 93%-98% and 55%-60% respectively in Q1 2026, causing the memory cost share in smartphones to jump from 10%-15% to over 30%. Coupled with the soaring cost of advanced nodes like TSMC's 2nm and packaging, overall chip costs have reached historic highs. These upstream pressures are forcing downstream smartphone brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo to cut orders for mid-to-low-end models by up to 20% and use cost-saving measures like older chipsets. Reportedly, the Snapdragon 8E5 will be repurposed as a "long-lasting" chip for sub-brand phones in H2 2026. Amid this cost crisis, the Android market remains sluggish. Q2 2026 smartphone shipments in China fell 4.3% year-over-year, marking five consecutive quarters of decline. Major Android brands saw market share drop, while Huawei and Apple, with their in-house chip advantages, gained share. Qualcomm is diversifying into automotive and IoT sectors to reduce reliance on smartphones, but these new segments cannot yet fill the mobile revenue gap. Industry observers warn that the full impact of component cost hikes will hit in the second half of 2026, likely leading to higher-than-expected price increases for Android flagships and a further contraction in the Chinese smartphone market.

marsbitHace 4 min(s)

Qualcomm Chip Price Hike Deals a Blow to Android Phones

marsbitHace 4 min(s)

Breaking: GPT-5.6 Prices Slashed Effective Today

OpenAI has announced significant price cuts for its GPT-5.6 model API, effective immediately. The entry-level **GPT-5.6 Luna** sees the most drastic reduction, with input prices dropping 80% to $0.20 per million tokens and output prices falling to $1.20 per million tokens. The mid-tier **GPT-5.6 Terra** is reduced by 20%, now costing $2.00 (input) and $12.00 (output) per million tokens. The flagship **GPT-5.6 Sol** maintains its original price but introduces a new **Fast mode**, offering speeds up to 2.5 times faster for double the cost. The company attributes these price reductions to efficiency gains achieved through **GPT-5.6 Sol's own involvement in optimizing its production systems**. The model assisted in rewriting GPU kernels and improving speculative decoding, leading to a 20% reduction in end-to-end service costs and over 15% improvement in token generation efficiency. OpenAI emphasizes this process remained human-led. A key focus of the降价 is to lower the barrier for running **AI agent workflows**. By making the capable, tool-calling Luna model significantly cheaper, OpenAI aims to enable more frequent use in cost-sensitive, high-volume tasks like code review and monitoring. This creates a potential feedback loop: model-assisted efficiency gains lead to lower costs, which enables broader agent deployment, which in turn drives further optimization. The new pricing and features will also apply to Codex and ChatGPT Work subscriptions. The changes intensify competition in the large language model market, with OpenAI directly challenging rivals like Anthropic to respond.

marsbitHace 33 min(s)

Breaking: GPT-5.6 Prices Slashed Effective Today

marsbitHace 33 min(s)

South Koreans' 'Gambling Nature' is Actually Forced by Life

This article explores how systemic pressures in South Korea, rather than inherent "gambling" tendencies, drive widespread speculative financial behavior. It begins by noting the high frequency of flights from South Korea to Macau, symbolizing the search for outlets beyond domestic restrictions. The core argument is that ordinary life goals—stable employment, home ownership, and financial security—have become increasingly tied to asset markets due to structural economic factors. South Korea's development model, historically reliant on corporate leverage (chaebols), has evolved into a society where household debt and personal leverage are normalized as pathways to social mobility. Key mechanisms discussed include: * **Housing Policy:** Government measures to improve affordability, like extending mortgage terms to 50 years and the unique *jeonse* (key money) rental system, embed high leverage into the housing market. * **Financial Products:** The recent approval and explosive popularity of single-stock 2x leveraged ETFs (e.g., on Samsung and SK Hynix), easily accessed via mobile apps, lowered barriers to high-risk trading. * **Social Pressure:** Media narratives around soaring corporate profits (e.g., SK Hynix) and employee bonuses create a fear of missing out, pushing individuals to use leverage to "catch up." The article concludes that this "leveraged life" is a product of institutional history and policy choices. When traditional paths to success feel constrained, and policy facilitates debt-based solutions for housing and investment, speculative behavior becomes a rational, if risky, strategy for many. The rapid cycle of regulatory approval for leveraged ETFs followed by a market crash and official apology in mid-2026 exemplifies the system's inherent contradictions. Ultimately, the "bet" is not just on assets, but on using future earnings to secure a place in the present society.

marsbitHace 34 min(s)

South Koreans' 'Gambling Nature' is Actually Forced by Life

marsbitHace 34 min(s)

US Senators sent revised ethics rules to White House for CLARITY Act: Report

Two U.S. senators, Democrat Ruben Gallego and Republican Thom Tillis, have sent revised ethics guidelines to the White House concerning the cryptocurrency market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act. The changes reportedly shift enforcement of a ban on federal officials issuing or sponsoring tokens from the U.S. Attorney General to state authorities, addressing concerns from lawmakers about the initial draft. Gallego emphasized the need to strengthen provisions on ethics, consumer protection, and market integrity. The revisions aim to gain support from Senate Democrats, whose votes are needed to reach the 60-vote threshold for passage, as Republicans hold a narrow majority.

cointelegraphHace 3 hora(s)

US Senators sent revised ethics rules to White House for CLARITY Act: Report

cointelegraphHace 3 hora(s)

Charles Hoskinson Announces Major Cardano Update: '60 Times More...'

Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano ($ADA), has announced a major upcoming update called Leios, which he claims will increase the network's performance by approximately 60 times. He emphasized Cardano's decentralized governance, stating the community can collectively decide the network's future, allocate resources, vote, and implement changes without a central authority. Hoskinson acknowledged that while Cardano is technologically stronger now than in 2024, it has lost market position, brand value, and industry respect. He pledged to take immediate steps to restore $ADA to a leading path. He expressed dissatisfaction with the ecosystem's branding, marketing, and adoption efforts but affirmed that Cardano is a resilient "marathon" project that will persist regardless of market conditions.

cryptonews.ruHace 3 hora(s)

Charles Hoskinson Announces Major Cardano Update: '60 Times More...'

cryptonews.ruHace 3 hora(s)

Trading

Spot