Kura, a Stellar-based digital payment solution founded by Stéphanie Joseph, enables merchants in Central America and the Caribbean to accept instant cross-border payments. The company received funding through Stellar Community Fund Round #31 and is piloting with merchants in the Caribbean to bring financial inclusion to underserved regions.
This article profiles Kura, a fintech startup built on Stellar that addresses payment infrastructure gaps in Central America and the Caribbean. Founded by Stéphanie Joseph, who brings over a decade of traditional finance and fintech experience, Kura allows sponsors in the US to authorize beneficiaries in emerging markets to make purchases at merchant locations using QR codes or one-time passcodes. The company participated in the Stellar Development Foundation's Kickstart program and received SCF Round #31 funding. Kura leverages Stellar's blockchain infrastructure to provide secure, compliant, and scalable disbursements in regions historically underserved by traditional financial systems. The article emphasizes Stéphanie's advice to focus on end-user benefits rather than blockchain technology when marketing to emerging markets, and highlights Kura's current pilot phase with Caribbean merchants.
