Circle Internet Group, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed issuer of the dollar-backed USDC stablecoin, has appointed Gillian Darko, a former Yellow Card executive, as its Vice President and Head of Africa, deepening its push into the continent\u2019s expanding digital payments market.<\/p>\n
The move comes as Circle seeks to expand<\/a> stablecoins\u2019 use in cross-border payments, remittances, and business transactions across emerging economies.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m more than thrilled to announce that I\u2019ve joined Circle as Vice President, Head of Africa,\u201d Darko wrote<\/a> in a LinkedIn post on Monday. \u201cI love this ecosystem. I love stablecoins. And I am bullish about the future of digital finance on this continent.\u201d<\/p>\n Darko previously served as Group Vice President of Strategy at Yellow Card, where she helped shape the company\u2019s commercial expansion, revenue strategy, and partnerships with banks, telecom operators, and global financial institutions. She joined Yellow Card in 2024 as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy before rising through its leadership ranks. She left the company in October 2026.<\/p>\n Her appointment also strengthens Circle\u2019s regional leadership, signalling that Africa is emerging as an important market for dollar-backed stablecoins, even as several African regulators move to tighten oversight of foreign issuers. Nigeria\u2019s proposed rules require<\/a> foreign issuers to secure regulatory recognition, while Kenya\u2019s framework gives the Central Bank the authority to suspend or delist<\/a> non-compliant foreign-issued stablecoins.\u00a0<\/p>\n Such restrictions could disrupt access to dollar liquidity for merchants and businesses that are reliant on stablecoins for cross-border trade and settlement. Between 2022 and 2026, stablecoin transfers through peer-to-peer (P2P) channels in Sub-Saharan Africa surged more than sixfold<\/a> to $14.6 billion, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.<\/p>\n Circle, the US company that trades on the NYSE under the ticker \u201cCRCL,\u201d has been expanding its partnerships across the continent. In March, the company partnered<\/a> with Sasai Fintech, part of Cassava Technologies, the pan-African technology group owned by Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, to broaden access to USDC through African payment networks.\u00a0<\/p>\n