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Global Mobile Money Industry Hits Record Growth in 2025, Surpasses $2 Trillion Transaction Milestone

By
Ojukwu Emmanuel
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0

The global mobile money industry reached new heights in 2025, marking a pivotal moment in its evolution. With record-breaking growth in users, transactions, and agent networks, the sector not only expanded its global footprint but also deepened its impact on financial inclusion, especially across emerging markets.

According to GSMA, “The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2026″, the mobile money industry recorded unprecedented growth last year, with total registered accounts reaching 2.3 billion, representing a 13% increase from the previous year. The sector added 268 million new accounts, marking the largest annual increase in absolute terms to date.

Sub-Saharan Africa remained the primary driver of this expansion, contributing over two-thirds of the total growth. East Asia and the Pacific accounted for approximately 15% of new accounts, while South Asia contributed 12%.

Active usage also surged significantly. Monthly active (30-day) accounts rose by 15% to 593 million, the highest growth rate since 2021. An additional 77 million users engaged with mobile money services on a monthly basis, representing the largest increase in active users since the industry’s inception.

East Africa led this growth, contributing nearly half of the new active accounts, followed by West Africa (16%), Southeast Asia (12%), and South Asia (10%). Agent networks expanded rapidly to support this growth. By 2025, there were 30 million registered mobile money agents globally, a 16% increase from 2024.

Of these, 11 million were active monthly, reflecting a 17% rise year-on-year. East Africa accounted for 53% of new active agents, followed by Central Africa (13%), West Africa (10%), South Asia (9%), and Southeast Asia (9%).

Mobile money agents continued to play a critical role in digitising cash economies. In 2025, agents facilitated cash-in transactions worth $430 billion, representing a 20% increase from the previous year, the fastest growth rate in four years.

Notably, the number of active agents has grown faster than active users since 2021, reducing the average number of customers per agent from 28 to 19. This shift allows agents to provide more personalised support and improved service delivery.

A major milestone was achieved in 2025, as total transaction values flowing through mobile money wallets exceeded $2 trillion. While it took the industry two decades to reach the $1 trillion mark, it doubled that figure in just four years.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers dominated transaction value, accounting for 42%, followed by cash-based transactions (37%) and ecosystem transactions (21%). After several years of declining average transaction values, 2025 saw a reversal of this trend.

Transaction values grew by 23%, outpacing the 16% growth in transaction volumes. This shift led to an increase in the average transaction size, following a drop from $18.6 in 2021 to $15.9 in 2024.

Cash remains the primary entry and exit point within the mobile money ecosystem, although digital alternatives are gaining traction. In December 2025, just over half of incoming funds were cash-based, reflecting a slight decline from the previous year.

Bank-to-mobile transfers increased by 1.5 percentage points, signaling growing integration between traditional banking systems and mobile money platforms. On the outgoing side, the share of cash withdrawals declined by two percentage points, while mobile-to-bank transfers rose by three percentage points, offsetting the reduction.

The total value of funds circulating within the ecosystem reached $56 billion, a 20% increase year-on-year. Merchant payments accounted for a growing share of this circulation, rising by three percentage points to 26%.

International remittances via mobile money also saw strong growth. In 2025, $45 billion in remittances were processed, a 23% increase from the previous year. Transaction volumes grew even faster, rising by 28% to 381 million.

Sub-Saharan Africa dominated this segment, accounting for three-quarters of global remittance value, with West Africa contributing 39% and East Africa 28%. However, the fastest growth rates were recorded in East Asia and the Pacific (32%), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (27%) and South Asia (25%).

The availability of international remittance services expanded significantly, with 85% of mobile money providers offering the service in 2025, up from 77% in 2023. User behavior trends show that more people receive international transfers than send them.

On average, 86,000 users per provider received remittances in June 2025, an 11% increase, while the number of users sending remittances declined slightly by 2% to 26,000. Regulatory differences continue to influence this pattern, with 80% of providers citing supportive inbound remittance policies compared to 57% for outbound transfers.

Bill payments also remained a key use case for mobile money services. Users spent nearly $100 billion on bill payments in 2025, reflecting an 8% increase from the previous year. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for over two-thirds of the total bill payment value.

However, faster growth rates were observed in other regions, including Latin America and the Caribbean (18%), South Asia (14%), and East Asia and the Pacific (13%), compared to 6% growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.

With 97% of mobile money providers offering bill payment services, adoption remains widespread. On average, each provider processed bill payments for nearly one million unique users in June 2025. Electricity payments emerged as the most common bill payment category by value, highlighting the role of mobile money in facilitating essential everyday transactions.

Overall, the mobile money industry in 2025 demonstrated strong momentum, deeper financial integration, and increasing global relevance, positioning it as a cornerstone of digital financial inclusion worldwide.

SpaceX Reportedly Prepares to Launch Landmark IPO Within Days

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

SpaceX is moving closer to a long-anticipated public debut, with plans to file its initial public offering prospectus later this week or next week, a step that could culminate in one of the largest capital raises in market history.

According to a person with direct knowledge of the process, who spoke to The Information, advisers on the transaction expect the company to seek to raise more than $75 billion, placing the offering in rare territory alongside the biggest listings ever attempted. The final structure remains under discussion, but allocations to individual investors could exceed 20%, an unusually large share that signals an effort to tap strong retail demand alongside institutional capital.

The prospective listing arrives at a moment when investor sentiment toward the space economy is shifting. What was once viewed as a speculative frontier is increasingly being reframed as core infrastructure, underpinned by declining launch costs, the rapid scaling of satellite constellations, and a growing intersection with data-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence.

That shift was evident in early market reactions. Shares of space-linked companies, including Rocket Lab, Planet Labs, and AST SpaceMobile, edged higher in premarket trading following news of the potential IPO, reflecting expectations that a SpaceX listing could reprice the sector and draw fresh capital into adjacent businesses.

At the center of the offering is a company that has redefined the economics of spaceflight. Since its founding in 2002 by Elon Musk, SpaceX has established itself as the dominant launch provider globally, leveraging reusable rocket technology to cut costs and increase launch frequency. Its Falcon 9 system has become the workhorse of the industry, while the Starship programme is intended to extend that model to heavier payloads and deeper space missions.

Parallel to its launch business, SpaceX has built a rapidly expanding communications platform through Starlink, which now stands as a significant and recurring revenue stream. The network’s scale and global reach have positioned it as both a commercial service and a strategic asset, with applications ranging from rural connectivity to defense communications.

The IPO would offer investors exposure to both segments, but the longer-term narrative extends further. SpaceX is increasingly positioning itself at the intersection of aerospace and digital infrastructure, with ambitions that include the development of orbital data systems. As demand for computing power surges, particularly from AI workloads, the concept of hosting data infrastructure in space, where energy and cooling constraints differ from terrestrial environments, is gaining attention.

That direction has been reinforced by the company’s recent acquisition of xAI, Musk’s AI venture, in a transaction that valued SpaceX at around $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion. The deal suggests a deliberate alignment between space-based assets and AI capabilities, potentially creating an integrated platform spanning data generation, transmission, and processing.

The scale of the planned fundraising reflects the capital demands of that vision. Starship development alone is considered one of the most ambitious engineering efforts in the industry, while maintaining and expanding the Starlink constellation requires continuous investment in satellites and launch capacity. A public listing would provide access to deeper pools of capital, while also introducing new scrutiny from shareholders.

There are also broader market implications. A SpaceX IPO could draw in investors from outside the traditional aerospace sector, including those already active in Tesla, where Musk’s influence has cultivated a large and engaged retail base. Such crossover interest could amplify demand for the offering and reshape how space companies are valued relative to other high-growth technology firms.

Still, the scale of the proposed raise will test market appetite at a time when investors are balancing enthusiasm for transformative technologies with caution over valuations and capital intensity. SpaceX’s dual identity, as both a revenue-generating enterprise and a long-horizon innovation platform, is challenging that assessment.

The listing is expected to mark a defining moment for the commercial space industry, establishing a public market benchmark for a sector that has largely operated in private capital markets. More broadly, it would signal that space is no longer a peripheral bet, but an emerging pillar of the global technology and infrastructure industry.

Iran Reportedly Moves to Charge Ships for Safe Passage Through Hormuz as War Costs Mount

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

Iran is reportedly moving to formalize control over the Strait of Hormuz with proposed legislation to charge vessels for safe passage, a step that signals both a geopolitical escalation and a mounting fiscal strain from nearly a month of war.

According to state-aligned media, lawmakers are drafting a bill that would require ships transiting the narrow waterway to pay tolls in exchange for security guarantees. The proposal, expected to reach parliament within days, is being framed domestically as a way to institutionalize Iranian oversight of one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

But behind the legal framing lies a more immediate pressure: money.

Iran’s economy is absorbing the cost of sustained military operations, damage to infrastructure, and the disruption of trade flows. Analysts say the push to monetize passage through Hormuz is widely understood as an attempt to recoup war-related losses and stabilize strained state finances at a time when conventional revenue streams are under pressure.

Traffic through the strait has effectively collapsed since hostilities began, with tanker movements dropping to near zero as attacks, mines, and insurance withdrawals made passage untenable for most operators. The U.S.’ call to allies to support its attempt to enforce free passage through the strait has failed.

That disruption has removed millions of barrels from the global market and triggered one of the sharpest energy shocks in recent years. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally flows through the chokepoint, making even partial restrictions enough to jolt prices and supply chains.

Crude prices have surged well into triple digits, with ripple effects spreading across shipping, aviation, and food markets. The broader economic fallout is already being felt far beyond the Gulf, with rising fuel costs feeding into inflation and industrial input prices across multiple regions.

Against that backdrop, Tehran’s proposal can be read as an attempt to convert geopolitical leverage into direct revenue. By offering “secure passage” for a fee, Iran would effectively commercialize the very risk it has helped create—turning a military chokepoint into a financial instrument.

There are indications this may already be happening informally. Market participants have reported instances of vessels paying large sums to navigate the strait under heightened risk, though such claims remain difficult to independently verify. The proposed legislation would bring these arrangements into the open, providing them with legal and political cover.

Even so, the plan faces formidable resistance. Gulf producers, whose economies depend on uninterrupted exports, are unlikely to accept any framework that places transit under unilateral Iranian control. Regional officials have already warned that any attempt to restrict or monetize access could trigger a broader confrontation over freedom of navigation.

Energy executives have been more direct in their assessment. The head of Abu Dhabi’s national oil company described any curbs on Hormuz traffic as “economic terrorism,” warning that the consequences would be felt globally through higher fuel, food, and consumer prices.

There are also legal constraints. The strait has long been governed by international maritime norms that guarantee transit rights, limiting the ability of any single state to impose tolls or conditions without provoking a coordinated response.

Yet Iran’s calculus may be shifting under the weight of war. With infrastructure damaged, exports constrained, and fiscal buffers thinning, the incentive to extract value from its geographic position has grown stronger.

The risk for global markets is that what begins as a revenue measure could entrench a new layer of instability. Even the perception of restricted access to Hormuz has historically been enough to drive sharp price swings. A formal toll regime, particularly one enforced under wartime conditions, would introduce a persistent risk premium into energy markets.

Currently, the proposal remains at the drafting stage. But its implications are already clear. The Strait of Hormuz is no longer just a strategic lever in a regional conflict; it is becoming a financial one. And as the war drags on, the cost of passage, whether measured in dollars or disruption, appears set to rise.

Natural Gas Unusually Low Occupancy Rate can Create a Tighter Supply-Demand Balance 

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
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0

Natural gas markets: ending inventory levels (storage occupancy) that are unusually low can create a tighter supply-demand balance, leaving less buffer against unexpected demand spikes; cold winters, higher power-sector use from data centers/AI, or surging LNG exports.

This dynamic often supports upside price risk—potentially into 2026 and carrying over into 2027. U.S. storage: Working gas inventories stood at about 1,883 Bcf recently, slightly above the five-year average but coming off a winter with significant draws including record withdrawals during cold snaps like Winter Storm Fern in January/February.

Some regional pockets have shown deficits relative to norms. Europe: Storage entered 2026 from a weaker position around 57-61% full at the start of the year in some reports, lower than recent years, increasing sensitivity to weather and refill needs. This has been a recurring theme post-2022 energy shifts, with lower starting points amplifying price volatility.

Low occupancy at the end of injection or withdrawal seasons reduces the “cushion,” making markets more reactive to weather, production surprises, or demand growth. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides the most widely referenced baseline. Their views have evolved with weather and data: 2026: Henry Hub spot prices are now projected around $3.80/MMBtu (down from earlier higher estimates due to milder February weather leaving more gas in storage than anticipated).

Supply growth; record U.S. production expected at ~110-121 Bcf/d is seen roughly keeping pace with or slightly exceeding demand. Prices edge up to roughly $3.90/MMBtu. Demand is forecast to outpace supply growth by ~1.6 Bcf/d in some scenarios, driven by LNG export expansion and power-sector needs—potentially drawing storage inventories below five-year averages and exerting upward pressure.

Other analysts have been more bullish at times, seeing potential for $5+/MMBtu in 2026 under tighter balances, though consensus has moderated with strong production outlooks.  Storage as a key driver: If inventories end the current injection season around October or future winters on the low side, any cold snap, delayed LNG shipments, or faster-than-expected demand can quickly tighten the market.

The EIA has explicitly noted that storage moving below averages illustrates its role in price formation. Rising U.S. LNG exports and domestic power demand are structural supports. In Europe, lower starting storage levels + geopolitical factors can indirectly support global LNG prices, benefiting U.S. producers.

Risks tilted to upside in tighter scenarios: Production is growing strongly; Appalachia, Haynesville, Permian associated gas, which caps downside, but weather volatility or export surprises can flip the script quickly. European low storage adds global context for potential price spillovers.

That said, the baseline outlook remains relatively balanced/moderate for 2026 with some downward revisions recently before modest tightening in 2027. “Dangerously low” storage would amplify volatility more than the central forecast assumes—especially if combined with a harsh winter or demand surge.

The latest EIA STEO provides the authoritative U.S. natural gas demand outlook through 2027. Domestic consumption (dry natural gas) remains nearly flat, with only modest net growth driven almost entirely by the electric power sector. The real “demand” surge comes from exports (primarily LNG), which tightens the overall market balance and supports the upside price risk you originally highlighted.

Domestic demand is essentially flat-to-slightly declining in 2026 before a small rebound in 2027. Stable-to-slightly lower; no major manufacturing boom assumed. The only meaningful growth area +0.4 Bcf/d in 2026, +1.1 in 2027. This reflects rising U.S. electricity demand especially ERCOT, coal retirements, and natural gas balancing renewables—even as its share of generation slips from 40% to 39%.

Delivered prices to power plants rise ~3% in 2026, but overall power-sector needs still pull more gas. New capacity (Corpus Christi Stage 3 Train 5 already online, Golden Pass Train 1 starting March 2026, plus others ramping) drives ~20% LNG growth by 2027. This is the key upside risk factor for prices. Production roughly matches or slightly exceeds total demand (domestic + exports) in the base case.

Ends withdrawal season (March 2026) at ~1,840 Bcf — near the five-year average not dangerously low in the baseline. Regional deficits persist in Midwest/East; surpluses in Pacific/Mountain. Milder February weather left more gas in storage than the February STEO expected, contributing to downward price revisions.

EIA explicitly notes that LNG export growth + power-sector demand outpace supply growth enough in 2027 to pull inventories below five-year averages in tighter scenarios. Any deviation amplifies this. The March STEO lowered the 2026–2027 price path due to milder weather and higher associated-gas output, but the structural export-driven demand and low storage buffer remain intact.

Domestic consumption is flat, but total demand including exports grows steadily. This is exactly why low storage occupancy creates “dangerously” upside price potential into 2026–2027 — one cold snap or export surprise can tighten balances fast.

Revolut Posted Impressive 2025 Revenue Results as German Economy Faces Subdued Growth

By
Paul Ugbede Godwin
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0

Revolut, the UK-based fintech, just posted impressive 2025 results: profit before tax surged 57% to $2.3 billion (£1.7 billion), while revenue climbed 46% to $6 billion (£4.5 billion). This marks its fifth straight year of net profitability, with a healthy pre-tax margin of 38% up from 35%.

Customer numbers hit 68.3 million up 30%, balances grew 66% to $67.5 billion, and transaction volume reached $1.7 trillion. The headline “crypto engine” is a nod to Revolut’s long-standing crypto-friendly positioning—it has offered buying, selling, staking, and now a dedicated exchange (Revolut X) since early days.

Crypto trading forms part of its broader Wealth segment which also includes equities, commodities, etc. In the annual report, Wealth generated £663 million ~$876 million in revenue, or about 14.7% of the total mix, up 31% year-over-year. Crypto isn’t broken out separately, but the segment’s growth historically ties to crypto trading volumes and fees.

Eleven different product lines each cleared ~$135 million in revenue, showing solid diversification. Interest income benefited from higher customer savings balances, while fees from cards, subs, and FX scaled with user activity. Revolut built crypto directly into a sleek mobile app for retail users, with low barriers, instant access, staking on 15+ assets, stablecoin conversions, and even a pro-grade exchange (Revolut X with competitive fees).

It secured a MiCA license in Europe for regulated crypto services, allowing seamless expansion across the bloc. This “embedded” approach turns crypto from a niche into a sticky feature that boosts engagement and fee income without needing separate infrastructure.

Traditional banks face several structural hurdles: Legacy banks operate under stricter risk frameworks and often view crypto as volatile or compliance-heavy. Adding full trading/staking requires new licenses, custody setups, anti-money-laundering enhancements, and capital buffers—processes that can take years.

Big banks run on mainframes and branch-heavy models; integrating real-time crypto trading with fiat banking isn’t plug-and-play. Revolut’s app-first, API-driven stack lets it iterate fast and offer unified balances (fiat + crypto). Banks prioritize stability for deposits and lending.

Crypto exposes them to price swings, 24/7 settlement issues, and reputational risk. Revolut’s younger, tech-savvy users; many using it as primary or secondary bank actively seek crypto exposure. No branches means lower overhead, allowing Revolut to subsidize or aggressively price crypto features to drive volume.

In prior years notably 2024, crypto trading fees were a clearer profit booster amid bull market volumes. In 2025, with a more mature revenue base, Wealth/crypto contributes meaningfully but sits alongside interest, cards, and business services—reducing reliance on volatile trading alone.

Revolut is now pushing harder into traditional banking territory: doubling its loan book to £2.2 billion, launching credit cards/overdrafts in the UK, and eyeing the US with a bank charter application. It’s evolving from “crypto-friendly challenger” toward a full-spectrum digital bank. The $2.3B profit reflects smart scaling of a digital-first model that bundles payments, FX, savings, wealth (crypto included), and now lending.

Crypto remains a differentiator that attracts users and generates high-margin fees, but the “engine” works because Revolut moves at fintech speed with regulatory agility that most incumbents simply can’t match without massive reinvention. Expect more competition as other neobanks and even some banks add crypto-lite features, but full replication; still a tall order.

Germany Economy Facing Period of Subdued Growth Amid Persistent Structural Challenges

Germany’s economy is facing a period of subdued growth amid persistent structural challenges, including a significant skilled worker shortage.

Recent forecasts from major institutions and business groups paint a picture of modest recovery in 2026 after years of stagnation or contraction, but with clear headwinds from demographics, geopolitics, and slow adaptation to technological shifts.

Growth Forecasts for 2026

Forecasters generally expect slow to moderate GDP growth in 2026, often in the range of 0.6% to 1.2%, depending on the source: The ifo Institute projects 0.8% growth for 2026, citing adaptation challenges to innovation, bureaucratic hurdles, outdated infrastructure, and negative impacts from US tariffs on exports dampening growth by an estimated 0.6 percentage points.

The German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) forecasts around 1% growth, describing the economy as “stuck” and calling for reforms to achieve a sustainable upswing. The European Commission anticipates 1.2% in 2026 following near-stagnation of 0.2% in 2025, driven partly by public spending but offset by trade tensions.

Other projections include the Bundesbank at 0.6% for 2026 with a slow start, OECD around 1%, and Goldman Sachs at 1.1% or higher with fiscal boosts. These figures represent a modest improvement over recent weak performance, supported by fiscal stimulus on infrastructure, defense, and household transfers. However, risks from geopolitical uncertainty, weak foreign demand especially exports, high energy costs, and sluggish investment remain prominent.

Growth potential is structurally limited, estimated around 0.7–0.8% in some analyses, down from historical levels. The labor shortage continues as a major long-term constraint, even as the economic slowdown has temporarily eased some pressures: Recent surveys show the share of companies reporting difficulties finding qualified workers has declined to around 22.7%, thanks to weaker demand during the slowdown.

Despite this cyclical relief, 83% of companies expect negative impacts from labor shortages in the coming years, driven by demographics: the working-age population is shrinking as baby boomers retire, with more workers exiting the labor market than entering for the first time in 2026.

Estimates suggest ongoing gaps of hundreds of thousands of positions, particularly in healthcare, IT, engineering, skilled trades, manufacturing, and sales. Projections indicate a need for ~300,000 foreign skilled professionals annually to sustain the economy.

Unemployment has risen to levels not seen in over a decade in some reports, yet mismatches persist—shortages coexist with joblessness due to skills gaps, not overall labor surplus. The labor force is expected to decline noticeably ~40,000 in 2026 per some estimates.

Longer-term outlooks warn of millions fewer skilled workers by the 2030s–2040s without intervention, exacerbating bottlenecks in growth sectors. Fiscal expansion; defense and infrastructure spending, real wage growth supporting consumption, and some stabilization in industry. Demographic aging, bureaucracy, energy transition costs, trade uncertainties, and slow productivity gains amid technological change; AI is noted as both a disruptor and potential mitigator.

The shortage is largely structural rather than purely cyclical, worsened by an aging population and skills mismatches. Immigration, upskilling, incentives for longer working hours, and reduced red tape are frequently cited as needed responses.

Overall, while 2026 may bring slight stabilization or mild growth, forecasters emphasize that without deeper reforms to boost labor supply, productivity, and business dynamism, Germany risks prolonged underperformance relative to more dynamic competitors. The skilled worker deficit remains one of the biggest risks to realizing even these modest projections.

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