How to Buy and Send Bitcoin in Africa With Bitnob

Sending money across African borders typically costs around 8% in fees and can take days to arrive. Bitnob, a Nigeria-based fintech platform, offers an alternative that uses Bitcoin's infrastructure to move money in minutes at a fraction of the cost.

The platform operates in nine African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin Republic, Togo, and Uganda. Here's how it actually works.

Setting Up Your Account

Download the Bitnob app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After creating an account, you'll need to complete identity verification to comply with local regulations. The platform uses two-factor authentication and data encryption, which is standard security practice but worth confirming is enabled on your account.

Funding your account varies by country. Kenyan users can deposit via M-Pesa. Nigerian users can fund with local currency through bank transfers. If you already hold stablecoins, you can deposit USDC or USDT via the TRC20 (Tron) network, which typically costs under $1 in network fees.

Buying Bitcoin

The actual purchase process is straightforward:

1. Open the Bitnob app
2. Navigate to 'Actions' then 'Accounts'
3. Swipe to your BTC Wallet
4. Tap 'Buy'
5. Enter the USD amount you want to purchase
6. Confirm the transaction

Bitnob advertises zero fees on Bitcoin purchases, though you should always check the exchange rate offered against market rates to understand the true cost. The platform also supports dollar-cost averaging if you prefer to buy smaller amounts regularly (say, $10 weekly) rather than timing the market.

Sending Money Across Africa

This is where Bitnob's value proposition becomes clearest. To send Bitcoin or USDT to someone in another African country:

1. Tap 'Transfer' on the homepage
2. Select 'Transfer to Bank or Momo'
3. Choose the recipient's country
4. Enter the amount
5. Confirm the transfer

The funds convert to local currency instantly. Your recipient doesn't need to understand cryptocurrency or even have a Bitnob account; the money arrives in their bank account or mobile money wallet.

International Remittances From the U.S.

In late 2022, Bitnob partnered with Strike, a U.S.-based Bitcoin payments app, to enable remittances from America to Africa using the Lightning Network. U.S.-based family members can send money that arrives in African bank accounts or mobile money wallets within minutes.

This addresses a real pain point. Traditional remittance services to Sub-Saharan Africa charged an average of 8% in fees during Q1 2021, and SWIFT transfers could take days. Lightning Network transactions arrive in seconds.

The Tradeoffs

Bitnob isn't without limitations worth considering.

First, you're trusting a centralized platform with your funds. Unlike holding Bitcoin in a personal wallet where you control the keys, Bitnob custodies your cryptocurrency. This is convenient but introduces counterparty risk.

Second, the nine-country coverage, while growing, still leaves significant gaps across the continent. If you need to send money to countries not on the list, you'll need alternatives.

Third, regulatory environments for cryptocurrency vary across Africa and continue to evolve. What works today may face restrictions tomorrow, though Bitnob states it complies with current regulatory requirements.

Beyond Basic Transfers

The platform offers additional features worth knowing about. Virtual USD cards let you spend your Bitcoin or stablecoin balance at merchants that accept dollar payments. This can be useful for online shopping on international platforms.

For developers, Bitnob provides an API to build payment solutions, virtual cards, Bitcoin wallets, and trading interfaces into other applications. The company hosted a developer conference in Lagos in October 2025 with plans to expand to other African cities.

Making Your Decision

Bitnob makes sense if you regularly send money across African borders and want to avoid the fees and delays of traditional remittance services. It's particularly useful if you're already comfortable with cryptocurrency or willing to learn.

If you're sending money infrequently or your recipient is in a country Bitnob doesn't serve, the onboarding process may not be worth it. And if you're philosophically committed to self-custody of your Bitcoin, you'll want a different solution.

For many Africans dealing with fragmented payment infrastructure and expensive cross-border transfers, though, Bitnob represents a practical improvement over the status quo. The technology is complex under the hood, but the user experience is designed to hide that complexity entirely.