In Cameroon, Mercy Corps Ventures and REasy piloted a stablecoin-based cross-border payment solution for micro-merchants. Reaching over 900 traders, the pilot enabled them to move more than US$5 million in inventory purchases from Asia while reducing transaction costs by 75%. Sixty-four percent of participants reported higher revenues, with nearly a quarter seeing profit increases above 20%. Results point to strong demand for faster, more affordable payment rails that can strengthen small business resilience amid climate and market shocks.

This call for proposals invites early‑stage startups to join Mercy Corps Ventures’ Ventures Lab in tackling financial exclusion through AI. With up to $50,000 in equity‑free funding, we’re looking for solutions that expand access to credit, insurance, savings, and remittances for unbanked, climate‑vulnerable populations in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Apply by December 1, 2025.

In Ghana, Mercy Corps Ventures partnered with Haraka and Grameen Foundation to test blockchain-powered microloans for women’s savings groups. No apps, no crypto wallets, no collateral. The result? Faster, cheaper credit in local stablecoins helping over 500 borrowers — 90% of them women — grow businesses and build resilience.

Mercy Corps Ventures partnered with Quipu and Anzi Finance to pilot a DeFi credit solution for Colombian microentrepreneurs. Using AI‑driven credit scoring and decentralized stablecoin capital, the pilot issued 313 loans averaging $108 to underserved entrepreneurs—86% reported better climate resilience, and 80% saw income growth.

Mercy Corps Ventures, in partnership with Anzi Finance, Origino, PrimaryX, and Grassi, is launching a groundbreaking pilot to use blockchain-backed grain tokenization and credit guarantees

Mercy Corps Ventures, together with Regini Finance and Mr. Green Africa, is piloting a stablecoin-based savings tool accessible through WhatsApp and USSD. This tool enables informal waste collectors in Kenya to start saving from as little as $2.70 and strengthen their financial resilience against inflation, climate shocks, and income volatility.

Based on 800+ proposals across four funding rounds, our latest insights from the Crypto For Good Fund IV highlight where and how web3 builders are advancing financial and climate resilience in emerging markets—from ReFi and humanitarian aid to MSME finance and on/off ramps.

The GSR Foundation is backing Mercy Corps Ventures through Lido Impact Staking, unlocking a regenerative, crypto-native way to fund global development. This partnership enables capital to stay in ETH while directing staking rewards to support real-world solutions for underserved communities.

Mercy Corps Ventures has partnered with BlockBima, Fortune Credit, Shamba Network, and RiskShield to launch a pilot in Kenya testing blockchain-powered parametric rainfall insurance embedded in microloans for MSMEs.