The institutional standard for the Digital Rand. Rand-backed, regulated, and built for instant settlement.
South Africa
Joined November 2025
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Today, we’re announcing @ZARUniversal (ZARU), an institutional-grade, Rand-backed stablecoin developed in partnership with @LunoGlobal, @EasyEquities, @sanlam, and Lesaka, to modernise South Africa’s payment and settlement infrastructure.
Every ZARU token is fully backed by Rand reserves held at @StandardBankZA, in the form of cash, bank deposits, and government bond equivalents, managed by Sanlam with monthly independent attestations by @MooreSAfrica.
Built for both retail and institutional use, ZARU enables instant, low-cost, always-on payments and cross-border settlement, helping connect the Rand to the global digital economy while keeping its reserves within South Africa’s regulated financial system.
Read the full announcement: zaru.network/blog/leading-so…
South Africans are changing how they spend crypto at the till 🇿🇦
According to the latest checkout data from @MoneyBadgerPay, @ZARUniversal is rapidly gaining traction as a preferred payment method for everyday purchases.
ZARU has made up 7.7% of checkout spend on the MoneyBadger network in 2026, with monthly checkout value up 2.6x since June.
Read the full report on the rise of the digital rand: moneybadger.co.za/blog/the-r…
ZARU retweeted
South Africans spent R1.28 million using one rand-backed crypto coin in 2026
@mybroadband @ZARUniversal #stablecoin #cryptopayments
mybroadband.co.za/news/crypt…
ZARU retweeted
Use your @LunoGlobal wallet to pay @Engen_SA forecourts to get 15% cryptoback...
⚡️Powered by @MoneyBadgerPay!
@ZARUniversal @tethergold @cryptoback #promo
Road trip ahead? Make every stop count with @LunoGlobal Pay.
Pay with @ZARUniversal at @Engen_SA using Luno Pay and earn 15% back in @TetherGold ( $XAUT) on eligible purchases of R100 or more.
Whether you’re filling up, grabbing groceries at @WOOLWORTHS_SA or picking up @KrispyKreme_ZA at Engen forecourt, make your everyday stops more rewarding.
T&Cs apply: bit.ly/3UmjN1K
Make your next @Engen_SA stop count.
Pay with @ZARUniversal using @Lunoglobal Pay at Engen and get 15% back in @tethergold ( ethereum:0x68749665ff8d2d112fa859aa293f07a622782f38 ) on eligible purchases of R100 or more.
Whether you're filling up, grabbing groceries at @WOOLWORTHS_SA, or picking up coffee at @KrispyKreme_ZA at Engen forecourt, select ZARU at checkout to earn digital gold and make your payment more rewarding.
T&Cs apply. Learn more on terms and conditions: bit.ly/3UmjN1K
Road trip ahead? Make every stop count with @LunoGlobal Pay.
Pay with @ZARUniversal at @Engen_SA using Luno Pay and earn 15% back in @TetherGold ( $XAUT) on eligible purchases of R100 or more.
Whether you’re filling up, grabbing groceries at @WOOLWORTHS_SA or picking up @KrispyKreme_ZA at Engen forecourt, make your everyday stops more rewarding.
T&Cs apply: bit.ly/3UmjN1K
ZARU retweeted
Free gold for buying petrol, Woolworths, and donuts in South Africa @Engen_SA
Pay with @ZARUniversal via @LunoGlobal; get XAUT back in your wallet.
Powered by @MoneyBadgerPay!
mybroadband.co.za/news/crypt… #goldtether #cryptoback #promotion
ZARU retweeted
The $ZARU Rand-backed stablecoin performance on the @MoneyBadgerPay network through September 2026.
#StablecoinSA #RandStablecoin
ZARU retweeted
Petrol prices got you thinking twice about your next trip to work?
Your usual @Engen_SA stop could give you a little something extra.
Get 15% back in @tethergold (XAUT) when you pay with @ZARUniversal using @LunoGlobal Pay on eligible Engen forecourt purchases of R100 or more.
From filling up at the pumps to picking up groceries at @WOOLWORTHS_SA or a sweet treat from @krispykreme at Engen forecourts, make your everyday spending more rewarding.
Simply open your Luno app, tap Pay and select ZARU as your payment method and use it at your next Engen stop.
T&Cs apply. Learn more: bit.ly/4z04meI
Spend @ZARUniversal at @Engen_SA ⛽️
From groceries to petrol, the digital rand is now accepted at major retailers across South Africa via @LunoGlobal Pay.
Pay with ZARU. Earn digital gold. Find out more below👇
Your daily routine just got a major upgrade.
Whether you are filling up your tank at @Engen_SA, grabbing daily groceries at @WOOLWORTHS_SA or treating yourself to @KrispyKreme_ZA at Engen Forecourt, you can pay seamlessly with your Luno app.
Pay with @LunoGlobal Pay and enjoy 15% back in @tethergold ( $XAUT ) on eligible Engen purchases of R100 or more.
Just open the Luno app, tap Pay, and spend digital rands to earn digital gold at your nearest Engen today.
T&Cs apply. Learn more here: bit.ly/4dIz6Zk
ZARU retweeted
Blockchain Africa is coming to Gauteng, and @BlockTowerTech will be on the programme.
Our Chief Commercial Officer, Aleks Andjelopolj, takes the stage on Thursday, 15 October at 13:35 at PwC Waterfall City. He’ll give an overview of @ZARUniversal and the use cases it unlocks.
If you’re at the conference, make time for his session and say hello.
Programme and tickets: blockchainafrica.co/
Lipaworld officially plans to support @ZARUniversal, a rand-backed stablecoin on @JoinLipaworld Business.
Business customers will be able to hold digital rand alongside global stablecoins such as USDC & EURC, receive international payments and settle in rand.
Cross-border payments through correspondent banks typically settle in T+1 to T+3, tying up working capital. ZARU moves on 24/7 on-chain infrastructure.
Through Lipaworld Business, customers will be able to:
• Hold and transfer ZARU
• Move between ZARU, EURC and USDC
• Pay suppliers and run payroll in rand
"Stablecoins are changing how money moves globally, but we believe local currencies need to be part of that future." - Jonathan Katende, Co-founder & CEO, Lipaworld
Full details: zaru.network/blog/lipaworld-…
ZARU retweeted
Your @ZARUniversal issuance, in one place.
The @BlockTowerTech Issuance Platform gives qualified institutional customers a simpler way to manage their ZARU activity:
✅️ Mint and redeem through a self-service portal with built in controls
✅️ Track your ZARU position, with real time updates
✅️ View and export transaction history
✅️ Keep an audit trail of account activity
Built for businesses that use ZARU as part of their day-to-day operations.
Learn more: bit.ly/4yAo9kF
ZARU retweeted
Nkahiseng Ralepeli, @BlockTowerTech Director of Strategic Operations, joins a panel at Blockchain Africa on 15 October in Gauteng: “From Adoption to Trust: Building a Safe and Scalable Digital Asset Ecosystem in Africa.”
Attending? Find him afterwards and tell him what would make you trust crypto more.
blockchainafrica.co
BlockTower South Africa (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP (55172).
ZARU retweeted
Mobile money changed how Africa transacts. Stablecoins are set to be an even bigger leap.
In a recent @forbesafrica feature breaking down the continent's stablecoin moment, @BlockTowerTech's Strategic Operations Director, Nkahiseng Ralepeli explains why this shift is critical for financial infrastructure: "Where mobile money built new closed, friction-heavy networks, stablecoins provide an open network that any system can plug into."
From lowering exorbitant remittance fees to enabling seamless cross-border business, the transition to open networks is already underway.
See the numbers driving the shift and read the full piece here: forbesafrica.com/technology/…
ZARU retweeted
When @ZARUniversal is part of your business flow, your minting and redemption processes need to keep up with your activity.
The @BlockTowerTech Issuance Platform allows you to initiate, approve, and track your ZARU minting and redemptions, all from one place.
With real-time status updates, full transaction history, and a streamlined flow, you get the visibility and control your business needs.
For businesses that require certainty in your operations and high-volume liquidity, this distinction matters.
A simpler way to manage ZARU issuance. Learn more about our new Issuance Platform here: bit.ly/4y0FbaA
Mint in. Redeem out. Repeat. 🔁
The new @BlockTowerTech Issuance Platform makes @ZARUniversal issuance simple for qualified institutional customers.
Fund your verified bank account and receive ZARU in your wallet once funds settle. Send ZARU to redeem and receive rand in your bank account.
Learn more: blocktower.tech/issuance?utm…
Introducing the @BlockTowerTech Issuance Platform.
A self-service platform built to make @ZARUniversal issuance simpler for qualified institutional customers.
Fund your verified BlockTower bank account and receive newly minted ZARU directly in your wallet automatically, once funds settle.
Need to redeem? Send ZARU through the platform and receive the rand value in your verified bank account.
Minting it in, redeeming it out, repeatedly with our new issuance platform.
Built for institutional issuance customers who mint and redeem ZARU directly with BlockTower.
Learn more here: bit.ly/4y0FbaA
ZARU retweeted
Your business, your controls, one interface.
We are bringing a new level of autonomy to your digital asset operations. Soon, @ZARUniversal will be available to self-mint and redeem via the new @BlockTowerTech self-service issuance platform.
A simpler way to manage ZARU is coming.
Traditional cross-border ZAR settlement runs on correspondent banking: T+1 to T+3, working capital tied up in transit, cost added at each intermediary. It works, but it was built for banking hours, not for markets that run continuously.
@ZARUniversal on @circle StableFX settles the ZARU/USDC pair atomically on @arc. Execution is by RFQ. Both legs settle together, or the trade does not complete. Settlement is near-instant and runs 24/7.
Every ZARU is issued by @BlockTowerTech under an FSCA licence, fully reserved and independently attested monthly, backed one-to-one by rand held onshore.
Investing in Crypto assets may result in the loss of capital. BlockTower SA (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP (55172).
Still time to trade @ZARUniversal with reduced fees on @LunoGlobal ⏳
$ZARU/USDT and $ZARU/USDC are live on Luno in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, giving you a direct way to move between rand and dollar-denominated stablecoins at reduced fees until 3 November 2026.
Taker fees stay low at every tier, and active makers earn even larger rebates.
Reduced fees. Direct pairs. Simpler trading.
Start trading ZARU pairs on Luno today: luno.com/en-za/newsroom/intr…
ZARU is live on @arc.
As a founding currency pair on @circle StableFX, the ZARU/USDC pair now trades onchain, 24/7, in fully reserved stablecoins with near-instant settlement.
How it works: the ZARU/USDC pair executes through StableFX's Request-for-Quote engine and settles atomically on Arc.
Both legs of a trade settle together, or neither does. That manages the counterparty risk carried by traditional FX, where ZAR settlement has depended on correspondent banking and limited trading windows.
The evidence behind the pair:
✅️ Issued by @BlockTowerTech under FSCA licence
✅️ Fully reserved and independently attested monthly
✅️ Backed one-to-one by rand held onshore in South Africa
@LunoGlobal is the primary exchange venue for @ZARUniversal /USDC liquidity, bringing regulated trading infrastructure and an institutional client base to the network.
Investing in Crypto assets may result in the loss of capital. BlockTower SA (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP (55172).
