Circle Internet Group has appointed Gillian Darko as its Vice President and Head of Africa, placing a former Yellow Card executive in charge of supporting the company’s expansion across the continent.

Table Of Content

Experience in digital finance
Circle’s African expansion
Growing stablecoin activity

Darko announced the appointment on LinkedIn, writing: “I’m more than thrilled to announce that I’ve joined Circle as Vice President, Head of Africa.” She added that she remained optimistic about the future of digital finance on the continent.

Experience in digital finance

Darko previously served as Group Vice President of Strategy at Yellow Card, a company that provides infrastructure for accessing and transferring stablecoins. She joined Yellow Card in 2024 as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy and left the company in October 2026.

During her time at Yellow Card, Darko helped shape the company’s commercial expansion, revenue strategy and partnerships with banks, telecom operators and global financial institutions. Her earlier career included roles at JPMorgan Asset Management, PwC and JUMO.

She has also held board and governance responsibilities in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

Circle’s African expansion

Circle is described as a New York Stock Exchange-listed issuer of the dollar-backed USDC stablecoin, trading under the ticker CRCL. The company issues USDC through regulated affiliates, while Yellow Card provides infrastructure for stablecoin access and transfers.

The appointment comes as Circle seeks to increase stablecoin use in cross-border payments, remittances and business transactions across emerging economies. In March, Circle partnered with Sasai Fintech to broaden access to USDC through African payment networks. In July, its venture arm invested in Flutterwave to support the integration of USDC settlement into Flutterwave’s payment infrastructure.

Darko’s responsibilities will include helping extend USDC’s reach across African payment networks while navigating regulatory requirements. Nigeria’s proposed rules require foreign issuers to secure regulatory recognition. In Kenya, the framework gives the Central Bank authority to suspend or delist foreign-issued stablecoins that do not comply.

Growing stablecoin activity

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reported that stablecoin transfers through peer-to-peer channels in Sub-Saharan Africa rose more than sixfold between 2022 and 2026, reaching $14.6 billion in 2026.

Circle reported that USDC circulation stood at $73.3 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2026, a 19% year-over-year increase. The company also reported a 151% rise in quarterly on-chain transaction volume to $14.8 trillion.

Africa’s fragmented payment systems, currency volatility and limited access to dollars have created opportunities for digital asset providers, although regulatory requirements vary across markets.

Cassava Technologies, described as a pan-African technology group owned by Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, is among the organizations connected to the wider African technology and financial ecosystem referenced in the appointment’s context.