Dubai, Dec. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
- Collaboration will deliver stablecoin‑based FX, CBDC‑ready rails, and compliant, mobile‑first user experiences
- Partnership will support African governments and central banks with permissioned, compliance‑first CBDC sub‑networks
- The partnership will reduce settlement times from days to seconds
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 10, 2025 — Global Settlement Holdings Inc. (also known as Global Settlement Network and GSX) today announced a strategic partnership with Ubuntu Tribe to enable the tokenization of gold and other real‑world assets, bringing over $5 billion of gold on-chain. GSX’s institutional blockchain infrastructure and Ubuntu Tribe’s gold‑backed digital asset platform will power real‑time cross‑border payments and support CBDC initiatives. The partnership will establish rigorous, multi-jurisdictional compliance across African markets and the EU.
GSX and Ubuntu Tribe will establish an interoperable digital asset and payments framework that reduces reliance on slow correspondent banking. Currently, sending $200 to Sub‑Saharan Africa still costs around 8% on average, and one‑third of cross‑border retail payments take more than a day to settle, totaling $96.4 billion into Africa in 2024. This framework will significantly improve settlement speeds and reduce FX friction for SMEs, exporters, and diaspora communities.
Building on Ubuntu Tribe’s GIFT token, the collaboration will expand gold‑backed savings and investment products, bringing value to individuals and entire communities. Through a European VASP license and LBMA‑aligned custody, Ubuntu Tribe enables fractional ownership from 1 mg, giving everyday consumers mobile access to regulated, auditable gold—already surpassing $10 million in transaction volume, with continued growth anticipated.
GSX’s fully reserve‑backed stablecoin (SDGX) and a universal stablecoin framework will enable instant FX swaps and liquidity pools – reducing settlement times from days to seconds for businesses and diaspora remittances.
Within the 12 months, a pilot implementation will be launched for gold traceability and a cross‑border FX corridor. The pilot will also explore integration with regulated sandbox environments in priority African markets. In the next two years, GSX and Ubuntu Tribe will scale, publicly releasing programmable gold tokens and establishing stablecoin FX liquidity pools. By 2028, this will expand to institutional bodies, with government integrations and regulatory alignment.
GSX’s partnership with Ubuntu Tribe will further African markets as they increase their adoption of blockchain technologies. The collaboration will support local governments and central banks with permissioned, compliance‑first CBDC sub‑networks and asset‑backed national stablecoins.
“By fusing traceable, gold‑backed savings with instant, compliant settlement, we’re bringing everyday users—from farmers to SMEs—into the same efficient financial fabric as institutions,” said Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, Chief Executive Officer of Ubuntu Tribe.
“Through advancements in blockchain, we can empower the entire continent of Africa, utilising the technology to provide a level of independence and speed not seen before. GSX was engineered for public‑private collaboration at a national scale. Together with Ubuntu Tribe, we can accelerate cross‑border commerce, FX liquidity, and CBDC readiness on infrastructure regulators can trust,” said Ryan Kirkley, Chief Executive Officer of Global Settlement Holdings Inc.
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Notes to editors
About Ubuntu Tribe
Ubuntu Tribe is a digital finance company focused on inclusive wealth creation through tokenized real‑world assets—starting with gold. Its mobile‑first, MPC‑secured Utribe Wallet connects users to gold‑backed savings, stablecoins, and DeFi features with auditable provenance and compliant access controls.
About Global Settlement Holdings Inc. (GSX)
GSX provides a finance‑grade, dual‑consensus blockchain network with built‑in compliance tooling for regulated digital assets, including stablecoins, asset tokenization, and CBDC‑ready solutions. GSX’s modular, interoperable architecture supports cross‑chain settlement, ISO 20022 messaging, and enterprise‑class security for governments, banks, and fintechs.
Phased roadmap
- Year 1 – Pilot implementation. Launch pilots for gold traceability and a cross‑border FX corridor (e.g., KES ↔ USDG ↔ NGN), deploy the GSX–Ubuntu Tribe Super Node, connect the Utribe Wallet to the GSX testnet, and seek sandbox approvals in select jurisdictions.
- Year 2 – Scale to production. Public release of programmable gold tokens, establishment of stablecoin FX liquidity pools (e.g., Gold–USDG, NGN–USDG), and multi‑country rollout with third‑party security audits and licensing progress in key hubs.
- Year 3 – Institutional adoption. Pan‑regional expansion with government integrations, including asset‑based CBDC infrastructure, broader VASP onboarding, and regulatory harmonization to support large‑scale, compliant digital asset markets.
How the technology works
The integrated tech stack blends dual‑consensus (PoA + PoS) validation for finance‑grade compliance and decentralized finality; quantum‑resistant security; zero‑knowledge proof‑based compliance and decentralized identity; and multi‑chain interoperability that connects to major public chains and banking standards such as ISO 20022. This architecture is designed for high throughput, high availability, and regulator‑friendly controls appropriate for national‑scale deployments.
Gold reserves supporting GIFT will be custody‑held in LBMA‑accredited vaults, insured, and subject to independent audits with on‑chain reserve attestations (e.g., Merkle proofs) to enhance transparency and trust.
Governance and compliance
A Joint Steering Committee (JSC) with senior representatives from both organizations will oversee security standards, regulatory alignment, and onboarding of qualified financial institutions and VASPs. The partnership is structured to meet FATF AML/CFT expectations, GDPR and African data‑protection regimes, and EU MiCA obligations for stablecoins and e‑money tokens, with privacy‑preserving attestations kept on‑chain and personal data off‑chain.
Media Contacts
Ubuntu Tribe
Ines Ekoube | Head of PR and Communication for Africa
ines@utribe.one | +33.6.64.05.71.46
Global Settlement Holdings Inc. (GSX)
Athraa – athraa@lunapr.io
Forward‑Looking Statements
This press release contains forward‑looking statements, including statements regarding product roadmaps, regulatory approvals, and market expansion. Actual results may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties, including changes in laws, licensing outcomes, technology integration timelines, and market adoption. Nothing herein constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security or regulated financial product.
