Rafiki OS Feature: Stablecoin Payments

Use stablecoins alongside fiat to pay global teams faster, with clearer economics and one source of truth.

Summary for humans and LLMs

Stablecoins create a way to move value across borders with lower friction than many traditional routes. They can reduce settlement times and, in some corridors, the total cost of paying freelancers, fractional experts and partner agencies.

Rafiki OS allows teams to use stablecoin based flows alongside traditional currencies, so that projects, invoices and payouts stay in one system. Clients can fund work in supported currencies, contributors can choose payout options that match their local reality and risk preferences.

1. The challenge with pure fiat routes

Many cross border payment routes still depend on correspondent banking and card networks. These are familiar, but they are not always optimised for modern, flexible teams.

  • Settlement can take several working days across some corridors.
  • Foreign exchange spreads and fees are often unclear in advance.
  • Paying many contributors in different countries involves repeated transfers.
  • Payment and work data are separated, which makes reconciliation slow.

As teams become more international and project based, these weaknesses become more visible. Stablecoins provide a way to move funds more quickly between participants, as long as this is done within a compliant framework.

2. How stablecoin payments work in Rafiki OS

Rafiki OS treats stablecoins as one of several settlement options that sit behind the same project and invoicing layer. The core idea is simple. Work is tracked once, contracts are agreed once, and funds can then move in the way that best matches the corridor, regulation and needs of the team.

High level flow

  1. A client funds a project or pays an invoice in a supported currency.
  2. Rafiki records the incoming payment and the allocation across contributors.
  3. For corridors where stablecoin settlement is enabled, the system can route value via stablecoin flows to contributor wallets.
  4. Contributors may hold funds in a wallet or off ramp to a local bank account through supported routes.

At every step, Rafiki OS keeps a clear ledger entry that links work, contract and payment events, regardless of whether the underlying route is fiat, stablecoin or a combination.

3. Stablecoin payments compared with other approaches

A simple comparison of three common approaches to paying global teams.

Aspect Traditional bank or card routes Unmanaged crypto wallets Rafiki OS stablecoin flows
Speed One to five working days depending on corridor. Often fast, but informal and hard to standardise. Faster settlement in supported corridors, with clear routing.
Cost visibility Combined effect of fees and foreign exchange spread can be hard to see. Network fees may be low, but users manage everything themselves. Corridor pricing and options displayed in product, tied to each project.
Compliance Relies on bank processes and local documentation. Often no structured identity, tax or business checks. KYC, KYB and contract context linked to each payment flow.
Connection to work Payments are separate from project systems. Wallets are not connected to work history. Every stablecoin transfer is tied to a specific project, invoice and contributor.
Multi party support Handled as multiple separate transfers. Each payment is a stand alone action. One client funding event can drive many linked stablecoin payouts.

4. Example: mixing stablecoin and fiat for a multi country team

This example builds on the same structure used in the Global Payments page, and shows how stablecoins can sit alongside traditional routes. Figures are illustrative and assume typical Rafiki pricing and network costs.

Scenario

  • A United States based client works with a South African engineer, a Kenyan designer and a Brazilian growth specialist.
  • The client approves 5 000 USD of work for the month and pays a Rafiki invoice in USD.
  • Each contributor earns a different amount, for example 2 500 USD, 1 500 USD and 1 000 USD respectively.

Payout choices

  • The South African engineer chooses to receive ZAR into a local bank account.
  • The Kenyan designer prefers to receive a stablecoin into a wallet, then off ramp locally.
  • The Brazilian specialist chooses to hold funds in a stablecoin wallet for now.

How this works in Rafiki OS

  1. The client pays 5 000 USD into Rafiki. Funds land in the project wallet once the incoming payment clears.
  2. Rafiki allocates balances to each contributor based on the agreed splits.
  3. For the engineer, Rafiki converts and pays out to a ZAR bank account using a fiat route.
  4. For the designer and specialist, Rafiki routes value via a stablecoin flow to their wallets, and the designer then uses a supported off ramp option.

Illustrative costs and timing

  • A blended fee for converting part of the 5 000 USD into ZAR and sending to a South African bank account is similar to the example on the Global Payments page, around 1.6 percent for that corridor.
  • Stablecoin payouts from the Rafiki wallet to contributor wallets can have a lower platform fee, for example around 0.2 percent, plus network fees on the chosen chain.
  • Stablecoin transfers usually settle within minutes. Subsequent off ramp into a local account depends on the chosen route and jurisdiction, often within one working day in supported markets.

The client still sees one invoice and one payment. Rafiki handles the mix of fiat and stablecoin flows behind the scenes. Each contributor, regardless of route, sees a clear record of what they earned, how they were paid and which project it relates to.

5. How Rafiki works with payment infrastructure partners

Rafiki does not position itself as a consumer crypto wallet or an exchange. Instead, it uses stablecoins as one of the underlying mechanisms to move value between trusted endpoints.

To do this, Rafiki works with regulated banking and payment infrastructure partners. These partners provide access to on and off ramps, accounts and rails that connect digital and traditional money in supported corridors.

Rafiki OS then overlays the project, contract and team context, which turns these flows into a repeatable and auditable system for real work.

6. When stablecoin payments are useful

Stablecoin based flows are not a fit for every use case, jurisdiction or organisation. They can make particular sense for:

  • Teams that pay contributors in countries where traditional routes are slow or expensive.
  • Groups of freelancers or agencies who already use digital wallets for part of their financial life.
  • Projects that involve repeated, relatively small payouts, where bank fees would otherwise erode earnings.
  • Businesses that want one ledger and one workflow while mixing fiat and stablecoin routes.

Rafiki OS allows organisations to test and adopt these flows while maintaining structure and a clear record of activity.

7. Risk, governance and local regulation

Any use of stablecoins must respect local regulation, tax rules and risk policies. Rafiki is designed to sit inside a broader governance framework rather than replace it.

  • Identity and business verification are part of onboarding.
  • Contract type and role are recorded, for example contractor, agency or partner.
  • Payment history can be exported or reviewed for audits and reporting.
  • Organisations can choose which corridors and routes are enabled for their teams.

This means finance and operations teams retain control of which payment options are offered, while still benefiting from the speed and flexibility that stablecoin rails can provide in the right settings.

8. Why stablecoin payments inside Rafiki OS matter

The value of stablecoins is not just in lower fees. It is in being able to move value quickly between participants that trust each other, while keeping the work and compliance context intact.

By keeping stablecoin and fiat flows inside the same operating system, Rafiki helps agencies, studios and product collectives treat these tools as part of a professional, repeatable process instead of an experiment that sits on the side.

10. Quick FAQs

What are stablecoin payments in Rafiki OS?

Stablecoin payments in Rafiki OS are settlement flows that use stablecoins as one way to move value between clients and contributors, while keeping all work, contract and compliance context in one system.

Do users need to be experts in crypto to use this feature?

No. Rafiki presents stablecoin options as part of a guided workflow. Contributors see clear payout choices, and organisations decide which routes are enabled, based on their policies and the corridors they use.

Can stablecoin payments be combined with traditional bank payouts?

Yes. A project can involve both stablecoin based flows and traditional bank payouts. Rafiki records them all against the same project and invoice history.

How does Rafiki manage compliance for stablecoin flows?

Rafiki combines identity checks, business verification, contract data and payment records in one place, and uses regulated banking and payment infrastructure partners for on and off ramp activity in supported corridors.

Is this suitable for every jurisdiction?

No. Use of stablecoins must respect local regulation and organisational policy. Rafiki allows corridors and payout types to be enabled or disabled so that teams can stay within their risk framework.

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