Tether partners with Shiga to expand self-custodial finance in Africa, GCC

Tether said it will work with digital asset infrastructure firm Shiga to build self-custodial financial products in Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The two companies plan to develop products for retail, corporate, and institutional users based on Tether’s open-source Wallet Development Kit, or WDK. ENTA, aimed at retail users, high-net-worth individuals, and businesses, is designed to let users fund self-custody wallets with local currencies, U.S. dollars, and Bitcoin, then hold and transfer USD₮, Bitcoin, and Tether Gold (XAU₮). Pulse, an institutional platform for banks and fintech firms, will support the creation of digital asset products tailored to specific payment routes, treasury management needs, and payment and settlement flows. Shiga plans to offer two models that allow institutions to retain control over keys and data: using infrastructure managed by Shiga or operating the system directly in their own environments. Shiga is also undergoing final approval procedures for a Nigerian digital asset broker license, which would allow it to provide digital asset trading, brokerage, and custody services to retail and institutional clients if approved.