As we come to the end of the year and review the past 2 months, we see that we have continued to make a significant impact in helping to close the financial exclusion gap worldwide. The surge in digital financial services is a major enabler as we continue to adopt services such as mobile banking, mobile money accounts, internet banking, and digital payments. Many have called this period a breakthrough moment for financial inclusion.
The Interledger Foundation has awarded Alliance of Digital Finance and Fintech Associations to be the first recipients of an Interledger Policy Activation Grant. This grant will enable them to lead a new global initiative to make Instant Payment Systems more inclusive and accessible to fintechs and non-banks.
At the 2025 Interledger Hackathon in Mexico City, 47 teams developed practical solutions for interoperable payments, with winners tackling global remittances, device-less payments, education-linked funding, and conversational finance to drive financial inclusion.
The article introduces the BessPay Plugin, a tool that helps MSMEs in emerging economies receive fast, low-cost, cross-border payments in their local currency by integrating Interledger Open Payments with the Sharetribe platform. The project has progressed through technical development, pilot research, and partnerships, positioning BessPay as a promising solution for advancing financial inclusion and enabling broader participation in global digital commerce.
The article discusses key takeaways from the 2025 OFN Conference, emphasizing that building trust in community finance requires "turning headlines into backyard conversations" — meeting people where they are with language that speaks to their daily realities rather than abstract concepts.
Mexico joined the Interledger Network through a month-long tour of student hackathons, events, and fintech engagements across four cities, involving over 500 students from more than 40 universities.
Rafiki Remit, developed by Paysys Labs in partnership with Allied Bank, is transforming cross-border payments in Pakistan using the Interledger Protocol to enable faster, low-cost, and inclusive remittance services.
Kanzu Microloans, developed by Kanzu Finance with support from the Interledger Foundation, uses the Interledger Protocol to deliver instant, secure microloans via mobile, expanding credit access for Uganda’s unbanked, especially women, youth, and low-income earners.
As fall begins, there continues to be significant developments in financial inclusion globally driven by digital finance, regulatory action, and ongoing global campaigns.
miPlata has been awarded the Interledger Foundation’s 2025 Digital Financial Services grant to develop an integrated platform connecting employers, workers, and families across borders, expanding affordable financial access for unbanked Latinos.
A global open-source event where Interledger invites contributors to build inclusive financial technologies through coding, collaboration, and community participation during Hacktoberfest.
ILF Ambassador Gavin Chait envisions a federated, community-led e-commerce model through Hop Sauna that empowers creators with autonomy, inclusivity, and interoperable payments—reimagining online commerce and social media as decentralized and equitable spaces.
