DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SQRIL, the leading scan-to-pay QR code API for crypto apps and neobanks which is already in eleven countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, announces its entrance into Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan).
SQRIL’s stablecoin-to-QR code payments push is displacing crypto and stablecoin debit/credit cards in both transaction cost and merchant availability. Leading crypto exchanges, stablecoin apps and neobanks are rapidly integrating SQRIL’s “pay like a local” QR code payment rails as the preferred solution for emerging markets over legacy card networks.
The Financial Reality: Sub-1% QR Code Fee vs. 3% Card Fee
In emerging economies, card acceptance fees directly eat into merchant margins and user buying power.
- Legacy Crypto/Stablecoin Cards: Rely on traditional card networks, saddling transactions with average processing fees of 3% for the consumer and for the merchant.
- Stablecoin-to-QR Codes: Intersect directly with digital asset networks and local instant payment rails, slashing transaction costs to less than 1% for the user and usually free for the merchant.
These are huge savings for people who need every edge they can get. Merchants prefer to get paid via QR code and the user now prefers it as well.
The Infrastructure Divide: 85% QR code acceptance vs. 15% card acceptance
Point-of-Sale (POS) card readers are expensive to deploy, maintain, and connect in developing nations. This hardware bottleneck has left card payment acceptance capped at a mere 15% adoption rate among merchants.
Conversely, QR codes require zero expensive hardware—requiring only a printed sheet or a phone screen. This hyper-accessibility has driven local QR code dominance to an 85% merchant adoption rate across emerging markets. Consumers and merchants already use QR codes daily for everyday commerce, making it the native payment method of these regions.
Why Financial Institutions are Integrating SQRIL
Crypto exchanges, stablecoin apps and neobanks are actively embedding SQRIL's QR code payment infrastructure to expand their digital wallet utility.
- Instant Ecosystem Access: Connects users instantly to the dominant 85% localized QR code merchant network.
- Frictionless Cross-Border Rails: Settles global stablecoins directly into local currencies via instant regional payment networks.
- Zero Fraud Risk: Eradicates legacy card chargeback fraud through irreversible, blockchain-verified ledger security.
"Legacy card infrastructure is fundamentally ill-equipped for emerging markets," said Malcolm Weed, Founder & CEO of SQRIL. "By connecting stablecoins directly to regional QR code standards, we give financial apps 3x lower fees and instant access to 5x more merchants than any crypto card program can offer."
About SQRIL
SQRIL (pronounced "squirrel") is a scan-to-pay QR code payment API for crypto apps, ewallets and neobanks. By connecting stablecoin liquidity with national QR code networks, SQRIL enables seamless retail payments in emerging markets.
SQRIL’s Global Coverage Now Includes:
- Southeast Asia: Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia
- Central Asia: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
- Africa: Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa
- Latin America: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia
Coming soon: Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Paraguay
For more information, visit www.sqril.io or contact info@sqril.io
