The African-built fintech expands access to global gift card trading and dollar-based financial services with automatic USD wallets, stablecoin support, virtual cards, and instant currency conversion.
Lagos, Nigeria, October 23rd, 2026, Cardtonic, an African-built fintech platform specializing in gift card trading and digital financial services, has announced a major expansion of its global offering, enabling users worldwide to sign up and access a USD wallet automatically.
The launch marks a significant shift from the traditional model of localized fintech services, where users are often restricted to domestic bank accounts, local currency settlements, and region-specific payment infrastructure. With its new global sign-up offering, Cardtonic is expanding access to dollar-based settlements, allowing users to trade gift cards and receive payouts in USD, subject to applicable eligibility and compliance requirements.
Rather than simply adding another country to its supported markets, Cardtonic is addressing a fundamental limitation in cross-border digital finance: the ability to access and use money in a globally accepted currency, regardless of location.
Bringing Dollar Settlement to Global Users
Digital asset and gift card trading platforms have historically operated within geographic and regulatory boundaries. While users may trade digital assets or gift cards denominated in US dollars, the proceeds are often paid out in local currency through domestic banking systems.
This structure can limit access for international users, particularly those who want to preserve the dollar value of their earnings or use their funds for global digital commerce.
Cardtonic’s latest launch addresses this challenge by making USD settlement a central part of its product experience. Users can access a dollar wallet upon registration and receive eligible gift card trading proceeds in USD, reducing their dependence on local-currency payout systems.
The move also expands the platform’s utility beyond the traditional remittance corridor, positioning Cardtonic to serve a broader international audience seeking flexible ways to trade gift cards, manage dollar balances, and make digital payments.
Key Features of Cardtonic’s Global Sign-Up Offering
The expanded Cardtonic experience introduces a range of features designed to support international users and cross-border transactions.
Automatic USD Wallet Creation: Users receive a USD wallet upon signing up, with support for up to five wallets per account.
Global Gift Card Trading: Eligible users can trade gift cards and receive payouts in USD, subject to applicable regional and compliance requirements.
Stablecoin Funding and Withdrawals: Users can fund their USD wallets with supported stablecoins, including USDC and USDT, and withdraw through supported stablecoin wallet addresses.
Virtual Dollar Cards: Users can create virtual dollar cards, fund them from their USD wallets, and transfer eligible remaining balances back to their wallets.
Free and Instant Currency Conversion: The platform supports conversion between several currencies, including USD, Nigerian naira (NGN), Ghanaian cedi (GHS), Kenyan shilling (KES), and South African rand (ZAR). Cardtonic offers free and instant conversion, with few conversion limits.
Cardtonic Transfers: Users can transfer funds to other Cardtonic users across supported currencies, enabling recipients to receive funds in their preferred available currency.
Enhanced KYC Experience: An updated identity verification process provides users with flexible document submission options, depending on their region. Accepted documents may include international passports, driver’s licences, national identity cards, and residence permits.
Mobile-First Access: Cardtonic’s services are accessible through its mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play, with an emphasis on usability and customer support.
Together, these features position the platform as more than a gift card trading service, extending its role into dollar-based payments and digital financial services.
USD Settlement: A Critical Shift for Digital Finance
For many fintech platforms, international expansion has traditionally meant entering new markets one country at a time, adapting to local banking infrastructure, and building payment systems around domestic currencies.
Cardtonic’s approach focuses on a different part of the problem: settlement.
Gift cards are frequently denominated in dollars, but users do not always receive their proceeds in the same currency. For international customers, converting payouts into local currency can introduce additional steps, costs, and exposure to exchange-rate fluctuations.
By enabling eligible users to settle gift card trades in USD, Cardtonic aims to reduce this friction and give customers greater flexibility over how they use their funds.
Users can access supported virtual card services for digital purchases or use available withdrawal and transfer options. This creates a more direct connection between gift card trading and the wider digital economy, where dollar-denominated payments are widely used.
The launch reflects a broader opportunity for African-built fintechs to design products for international users from the outset, rather than limiting their services to local payment ecosystems.
Regulatory Compliance Underpins Global Expansion
Cardtonic’s global ambitions are supported by regulatory and operational groundwork intended to strengthen its ability to serve customers across markets.
As part of this effort, the company registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC). The registration forms part of its broader approach to operating within applicable regulatory frameworks.
The company has also worked to strengthen its internal processes, including know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, transaction monitoring, and risk assessment. These measures support a more robust compliance framework as the platform expands its reach.
Commenting on the milestone, Emmanuel Sohe, CEO of Cardtonic, said:
“A major milestone towards our goal of building a business with the infrastructure and ambition to serve every customer irrespective of their geo.”
The company’s compliance efforts are an important part of its international expansion strategy, helping establish the operational foundation needed to support a broader customer base while addressing the requirements of relevant markets.
Expanding Access Beyond Geographic Boundaries
Cardtonic’s global sign-up launch represents a strategic step in the evolution of African-built fintech products. By making dollar settlement central to its offering, the company is seeking to reduce the barriers international users face when converting digital assets into usable funds.
The combination of USD wallets, gift card trading, stablecoin support, virtual cards, currency conversion, and peer-to-peer transfers creates a more integrated financial experience within a single platform.
As digital commerce continues to cross national borders, the ability to receive, hold, convert, and spend funds across currencies is becoming increasingly important. Cardtonic’s latest offering seeks to meet that demand by giving eligible users access to dollar-based financial services without relying exclusively on domestic-currency settlement.
The launch underscores the company’s ambition to build a financial platform that serves customers across geographies while maintaining the compliance and operational standards required for international growth.
About Cardtonic
Cardtonic is an African-built fintech platform that provides gift card trading and digital financial services. The platform enables users to trade supported gift cards and access services such as USD wallets, virtual dollar cards, stablecoin funding and withdrawals, currency conversion, and peer-to-peer transfers, subject to availability and applicable requirements.
Through its mobile-first platform, Cardtonic aims to make digital financial transactions more accessible, convenient, and flexible. Its global expansion reflects a broader ambition to connect users with dollar-based financial services and support participation in the increasingly borderless digital economy.
