Tether Partners with Zanzibar to Boost Digital Asset Adoption and Financial Literacy

Tether has entered into a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Zanzibar e-Government Authority (eGAZ) to enhance digital asset adoption and financial literacy in East Africa. This partnership aims to reach underserved markets by combining education, innovation, and real-world blockchain applications. The collaboration will focus on blockchain education, stablecoin integration, and helping Zanzibar develop compliant systems to support the region’s growing digital economy.

Education is a key component of the agreement. Tether will collaborate with eGAZ and local academic institutions to organize workshops, seminars, and public sector events on blockchain, Bitcoin, stablecoins, and peer-to-peer technologies. The goal, as stated by Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, is to shift interest in blockchain from “casual curiosity to structured growth.” These programs are designed to equip stakeholders, from students to government workers, with the tools to engage with blockchain technology meaningfully and responsibly.

Another significant aspect of the Tether Zanzibar partnership is the potential integration of Tether’s stablecoins into Zanmalipo, Zanzibar’s official government payment platform. Tether will assess how USD₮ (its dollar-pegged token) and XAU₮ (its gold-backed token) can improve payment accessibility and financial inclusion across the region. If approved, these integrations could allow Zanzibar residents to make local payments with digital dollars and digital gold, helping people hedge against inflation, access digital services, and engage with global markets more easily.

The partnership will also support institutional and legal development. Seif Said, Director General of eGAZ, called the MoU a remarkable moment that aligns Zanzibar with the global movement towards digital asset adoption. The MoU sets out a framework for legal and regulatory reforms that will support innovation while being compliant with international standards. This could serve as a testing ground for responsible blockchain policy in East Africa, especially as other countries in the region explore their own stablecoin and CBDC frameworks.

Beyond government services and education, the Tether Zanzibar partnership includes plans for local entrepreneurship through blockchain-focused events and private-sector forums. Tether and eGAZ will co-host public awareness programs, hackathons, incubators, and training for fintech startups. This ecosystem-building will stimulate grassroots innovation, giving developers and founders in Zanzibar a way to build real-world solutions on top of stablecoin infrastructure.

This partnership is part of Tether’s broader push into Africa. Tether recently backed Shiga Digital, a fintech company deploying stablecoin tools at scale in Africa. It also has partnerships with over 100,000 cash-to-crypto retail locations across the region. By combining localized education, payment integration, and regulatory cooperation, Tether is embedding USD₮ and XAU₮ into emerging economies as daily-use digital currencies, rather than speculative tools.

The Tether Zanzibar partnership is a practical example of how blockchain and stablecoins are being introduced to emerging economies. Rather than relying on hype or speculative narratives, Tether is working with governments like Zanzibar’s to build real infrastructure—educational, legal, and financial—that supports inclusion and responsible digital growth. With pilot integration of USD₮ and XAU₮ on the table and education rolling out, Zanzibar could soon be a case study on how stablecoins can complement public sector systems in the Global South.