Moving money across borders remains one of the most persistent and complex challenges in global finance. Qenta, a global payments provider, has acquired Pipit Global, a cross-border payments platform operating in over 45 countries, to improve how funds flow between legacy financial systems and emerging digital infrastructure.

The acquisition is part of Qenta’s broader push to build a universal payments platform that connects cash, mobile money, bank accounts and blockchain-based rails in a single compliant network.

A whole greater than the sum of its parts

Qenta’s core business lies in building infrastructure for remittances and alternative payment flows, especially in markets where banking penetration remains low. Its platform supports cash, mobile money, alternative payment methods, and digital wallets in multiple regions through blockchain integrations and local partnerships.

“Payments keep us internationally connected, and ensuring these networks are efficient, accessible, and secure is paramount to our work at Qenta,” said Brent de Jong, Chairman of Qenta. “This acquisition accelerates our vision of building an inclusive, blockchain-powered financial ecosystem that works for everyone, from those with minimal bank access to multinational enterprises. The Pipit team brings the experience and values that align with Qenta’s global ambitions of building a resilient worldwide infrastructure.”

Pipit brings additional last-mile capabilities to the platform. Its network includes over 1 million cash-in points and integrations with 300 million mobile money accounts, primarily across Africa, Latin America and parts of Europe. This allows people without formal bank accounts to deposit or transfer funds through physical locations and mobile networks.

The combined offering enables Qenta to operate across both the infrastructure and user-access layers of the global payments stack.

Money can’t cross the border

Despite decades of fintech innovation, cross-border payments are still expensive, fragmented and slow. The average global remittance fee remains high at 6.62%, according to the World Bank. For low-income earners, migrant and unbanked communities - often the primary users of remittance services - these costs are prohibitive. 

The Qenta–Pipit integration is designed to reduce these barriers by expanding localized access (cash-in points, mobile wallets) while improving backend efficiency through blockchain and API-based settlement systems.

The deal also reflects a personal vision. Pipit’s co-founder Ollie Walsh began building the company after encountering firsthand the friction of sending money home as a migrant in the UK. Now President of Qenta, he will lead the combined company’s global growth efforts.

“Cross-border payments have long been far too expensive, slow, and inaccessible, particularly for migrants or those without banking services,” said Ollie Walsh, co-founder of Pipit and newly appointed President of Qenta. “We saw clear alignment between our thesis of financial inclusion and the mission of Brent de Jong and Qenta. Together, we are delivering the financial services that people need, without sacrificing crucial security, compliance or transparency standards.”

With four senior members from Pipit, including co-founder Rory Ryan, joining Qenta, the move is supported by leadership experience in building payment networks in emerging, underbanked markets.

What this means going forward

The acquisition gives Qenta more direct access to local entry points and user bases, while Pipit gains global infrastructure and blockchain functionality. Together, the companies are attempting to build a payments system that works for global remitters, users without traditional bank access but also multinational enterprises.

By expanding interoperability across digital and physical payment systems, Qenta is positioning itself as a more complete solution in the evolving cross-border payments landscape. One that focuses not only on speed and scale, but also on who gets to participate.