Mastercard has announced a partnership with Busha, a pan-African digital asset exchange, to expand Mastercard Crypto Credential across Africa and bring greater trust and simplicity to digital asset transfers.

Effective immediately, all eligible Busha users in Nigeria can use a unique Crypto Credential alias, expanding the network of verified users and making it easier to send and receive cryptocurrency across participating exchanges and wallets within the Crypto Credential ecosystem. The rollout makes Busha one of the first digital asset exchanges in Africa to enable Crypto Credential for its users, reinforcing both companies' commitment to making digital asset transactions more trusted, simpler, and more accessible. For now, the rollout covers eligible users in Nigeria; given that Busha also operates in Kenya and that the credential only reaches endpoints on participating platforms, the breadth of the network across Africa will be shaped by how many more exchanges and wallets adopt it.

Mastercard Crypto Credential gives users greater confidence that funds are being directed to a trusted recipient by connecting them to endpoints that have met Mastercard's verification standards. It also replaces lengthy blockchain addresses with a simple, verified alias that users can easily share in order to receive digital assets. Before a transaction is completed, the solution confirms that the recipient can receive the specific digital asset on the intended blockchain, reducing the likelihood of failed or misdirected transfers.

Gabriel Swanepoel, division president, Africa at Mastercard, said: "Digital asset transfers should be as intuitive and trusted as other forms of digital payments. Mastercard Crypto Credential gives users and institutions greater confidence that they are sending funds to verified endpoints while making transactions simpler through easy-to-use aliases. By partnering with Busha, one of Nigeria's leading digital asset platforms, every verified Busha user is reachable simply using their email or phone number. Together, we are supporting responsible innovation and advancing secure, trusted digital asset infrastructure across Africa."

The aliases work across participating exchanges and wallets in the Crypto Credential ecosystem, enabling Busha users to transact not only with one another but also with users on other supported platforms. Because verification happens at the platform level, eligible verified Busha users do not need to complete any additional setup; their Crypto Credential is issued automatically as part of their Busha account. That structure also illustrates how the credential is distributed: rather than issuing credentials to individuals directly, Mastercard relies on participating platforms to verify their own users, with interoperability extending to every endpoint that meets its verification standards.

Michael Adeyeri, co-founder and CEO of Busha, said: "At Busha, we are focused on making digital assets more practical, accessible and trusted for everyday users, and our collaboration with Mastercard helps us achieve this. By enabling eligible users to transact using verified aliases, Mastercard Crypto Credential can make the experience simpler and more intuitive while reinforcing the security and compliance standards that users expect from Busha. We are proud to help bring this capability to Nigeria and support the responsible growth of the digital asset ecosystem across Africa."

As digital assets gain momentum across Africa for investing, remittances, and cross-border commerce, trusted and easy-to-use infrastructure will be critical to accelerating mainstream adoption. Aliases and pre-transaction verification speak to that need at the two points where digital asset payments are exposed to error — funds reaching the wrong recipient and assets sent to a wallet that cannot hold them — making the capability particularly relevant for remittance and cross-border payment flows. The introduction of Mastercard Crypto Credential reflects Busha's broader mission to make digital finance more intuitive, accessible, and secure for everyday users.

Busha is a pan-African digital asset exchange and one of Nigeria's first SEC-licensed digital asset platforms. Operating across Nigeria and Kenya, it provides consumers and businesses with access to traditional savings, crypto trading, crypto-backed loans, and stablecoin-powered business infrastructure. Through Busha Business, companies, fintechs, and developers can access licensed payment infrastructure for cross-border payments, stablecoin treasury, merchant payments, and API integration. Trusted for its compliance-first approach, deep liquidity, and user experience, the company is at the forefront of driving responsible innovation in Africa's digital financial ecosystem.

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Together with its customers, the company is building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper, supporting a wide range of digital payment choices to make transactions secure, simple, smart, and accessible. Its technology, innovation, partnerships, and networks combine to deliver products and services that help people, businesses, and governments realise their greatest potential. More information is available at www.mastercard.com.

Source: TechNext24