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…

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).

ZARU is the rand onchain. Reserved by @BlockTowerTech, live on @circle StableFX, traded on @LunoGlobal, and settled in @USDC on @arc. One token, one rand. Read further in the announcement below or visit circle.com/stablefx to learn more about StableFX.

With @ZARUniversal now live on @arc™, South African businesses and individuals can move digital rands globally, faster and more transparently 🌍🇿🇦 From cross-border payments and international settlements to spending and digital investing, ZARU opens up new ways to use the rand in a connected digital economy. No waiting, no unnecessary intermediaries. Check out on this video to see what you can do with ZARU More on the ecosystem: arc.io · @arc Arc is a trademark of Circle Internet Group, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Investing in Crypto assets may result in the loss of capital. BlockTower SA (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP (55172).

What could institutional stablecoins look like in emerging markets? At the very end of #LIDAC KL 2026, we’ll take a closer look at the @ZARUniversal ( $ZARU ) — a South African Rand-denominated stablecoin initiative developed through a collaborative framework involving BlockTower, regulated banking partners, and licensed asset managers. The last session will offer an observational view of how financial institutions and digital asset platforms are working together to develop 24/7 liquid settlement infrastructure on public blockchains. Speaker: Vighnesh Patel – CEO, @BlockTowerTech Host: Roshan Kanesan – Producer & Presenter, @BFMradio Explore the practical considerations behind institutional stablecoins, cross-border payments and central bank innovation across emerging markets. 🎟️ Join us for the final session at #LIDAC KL 2026. Secure your pass: lidac.io

On-chain Rand, without the friction. @ZARUniversal brings institutional ZAR on-chain, and moving between ZAR and ZARU on @LunoGlobal is a simple 1:1 swap, zero fees, and instant. For traders: Select Buy → Select Crypto → Choose ZARU. Enter the amount from your ZAR wallet. Review the quote, zero fees shown. For developers using the API: Use the Convert endpoint in the Luno API. Stable value, Rand-denominated, settling at the speed of crypto.

What is @arc, and what does it make possible for South African users? Arc™ is an open Layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for financial markets and real-time money movement. Think of Arc as giving a rand-pegged stablecoin like @ZARUniversal a passport. The rand stays the rand – South African, trusted, regulated, onshore – but now it can travel at the speed of the internet. Learn more about ZARU on Arc: zaru.network/blog/zaru-goes-… Explore the ecosystem: arc.io · @arc Arc is a trademark of Circle Internet Group, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Investing in Crypto assets may result in the loss of capital. BlockTower SA (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP (55172).

Stablecoins can make cross-border payments faster, but recipients may still need to off-ramp into local currency to pay suppliers and merchants. That's where local-currency stablecoins can make a difference, connecting global stablecoin liquidity with local payments, treasury, and settlement needs. Nkahiseng Ralepeli, Director of Strategic Operations at @BlockTowerTech, explained back in June at #LIDAC Cape Town why emerging-market stablecoins paired with dollar-denominated ones close that gap: no forced off-ramp, no delay in paying your supplier. That's exactly what @ZARUniversal going live on @arc unlocks: rand-denominated value that moves globally, converts seamlessly with @USDC, and still settles as final payment onshore. 👉 See how ZARU works with Arc: zaru.network/blog/zaru-goes-…

The digital rand just got a global passport. @ZARUniversal is now live on @arc™ , an open Layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for financial markets and real-time money movement. You can now move and transact rand-denominated value internationally with ZARU, with the ability to convert between ZARU and USDC. Faster, more transparent global settlement for South African businesses and individuals. Learn more about ZARU on Arc: zaru.network/blog/zaru-goes-… Explore the ecosystem: arc.io · @arc · @circle Arc is a trademark of Circle Internet Group, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Investing in Crypto assets may result in the loss of capital. BlockTower SA (Pty) Ltd is an authorised FSP (55172).

ZARU (ZAR Universal Network) is now listed on @coingecko. This makes $ZARU more accessible and gives our community an easier way to track its market data in one trusted place. Onchain, transparent, real time market data available today. Track @ZARUniversal on CoinGecko: coingecko.com/en/coins/zar-u…

Now that Tether Gold (ethereum:0x68749665ff8d2d112fa859aa293f07a622782f38) lives inside your @LunoGlobal wallet, simple to own, hold, and move. Here's the best part: every time you pay with @ZARUniversal on Luno Pay, you earn up to 15% back in Tether Gold at close to a million supported merchants across South Africa. From groceries to fuel to your morning coffee, your everyday spending can quietly build up your digital gold over time. This Luno Pay rewards campaign runs from 1 June 2026 to 31 January 2027. Terms and conditions apply. Start earning digital gold: luno.com/pay

@ZARUniversal, the South African rand stablecoin powered by BlockTower, has expanded its banking ecosystem with the addition of @Absa, strengthening its connection to South Africa’s banking system. #DigitalAssets

Earn rewards with everyday payments. Spend @ZARUniversal with @LunoGlobal Pay at nearly a million supported merchants, both in-store and online across South Africa, and earn 15% back in @tethergold ($XAUt) every time you pay. From daily essentials to your favourite purchases, spend $ZARU with Luno Pay and make your everyday payments more rewarding. Learn more: luno.com/pay *This Luno Pay rewards campaign runs from 1 June 2026 to 31 January 2027. Terms & conditions apply.

Our ambition is not building @ZARUniversal alone. @BlockTowerTech has a mission to be the emerging-market stablecoin issuer and wallet-as-a-service provider of choice for capital markets and the payments industry, with launches planned across key African and APAC markets. Once several emerging-market stablecoins are on-chain, cross-peg pairs between them become possible, creating liquidity pools and network effects that did not exist before, particularly with established financial institutions involved. This is a starting point, and we want to build more. Interested in building with Blocktower? Contact us here: blocktower.tech/

The @ZARUniversal today announces @Absa, one of Africa's largest banking groups, as a banking partner supporting the ZARU ecosystem. Absa brings national coverage, deep settlement infrastructure, and the standing of one of the continent's most established institutions, strengthening both the capacity and the resilience of the network. ZARU is now supported by two of South Africa's largest banks, Standard Bank and Absa. For institutions, this means the following: multiple independent routes between the rand and the chain, banking coverage across the country, and settlement capacity built to institutional standard from the start. Learn more: blocktower.tech/insights/zar…