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Sorted Wallet Brings Bitcoin and USDT to Feature Phones Across Africa
Gerald Kombo
January 17, 2026
More than 30 million Kenyans still rely on feature phones or low powered smartphones, devices that most cryptocurrency wallets ignore. Stephen Browne, CEO of Sorted Wallet, is changing that reality by bringing Bitcoin and USDT payments to the phones people already own.
In an exclusive interview with The 254 Report at Africa Tech Summit 2025 in Nairobi, Browne outlined how his digital wallet targets Africa's unbanked majority rather than the smartphone elite.
"Sorted Wallet is a digital wallet that focuses on bringing payments to people via USDT and Bitcoin. We launched two years ago in the App Store for feature phones."
Since launching, the platform has gained traction across Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast. Users can send and receive USDT and Bitcoin instantly with no bank account required and transaction fees as low as 50 Naira on transfers worth 400,000 Naira.
Why Kenya?
Browne chose Kenya as a strategic market because of M-Pesa's 18 year legacy of digital payment adoption.
"Kenya represents a place where fintech has always had a strong foothold. Since, I believe, around 2007, 2008, when M-Pesa launched, it's been one of the leading lights of digital payments in what beforehand would have been a very cash based, or unfortunately, a very cash based, formal society."
That existing digital literacy means Sorted Wallet does not need to teach Kenyans how to use mobile money. It simply gives them a new currency option that protects value against inflation.
"For us, as a newcomer to the market, we're meeting people who are comfortable and familiar with handling their money in a digital way."
How It Works
The wallet interface mirrors familiar mobile money patterns. Users see their balances displayed in both cryptocurrency and local currency terms. A wallet holding 231.33 USDT shows the equivalent in Naira. Bitcoin holdings display alongside their local currency value.
Sending money works through three methods: contact phone or email, QR code, or wallet address. Users select the recipient, choose between Bitcoin, USDT, or Tron, enter the amount in local currency, and see estimated fees before confirming.
The remittance feature targets cross border payments and informal transactions. Recipients generate payment requests with personalized messages like "Hello, please send money I need to pay for car." The system creates a QR code and wallet address valid for 24 hours. Senders scan the code, select their payment method through MetaMask, Telegram connect, Coinbase Wallet, or credit card, and complete the transaction.
Recent requests tracked in the app show transactions ranging from 215 Naira to 1,357 Naira, demonstrating the platform handles small value transfers that traditional remittance services ignore due to high minimum fees.
Strategic Positioning
When Browne arrived in Nairobi for last year's summit, he focused on stakeholder meetings rather than aggressive market competition.
"We've come here to Nairobi to participate in conference, hold meetings with people, different stakeholders in the country to understand more about the market and what we can bring to the existing payment solutions already in the country."
Sorted Wallet positions itself as complementary to M-Pesa and banking services, not as a replacement. The platform targets informal traders needing cross border payment options, rural communities with limited banking infrastructure, and young people seeking alternatives to traditional banking.
The wallet runs on Android versions 6 to 10 without requiring Google Play Store access. This eliminates device upgrade costs and reaches users on low powered smartphones that cost between $10 to $30. Transaction costs remain under 2 percent compared to 10 to 15 percent for traditional money transfer agents.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Africa Tech Summit returns to Nairobi on February 11 to 12, 2026 at Sarit Expo Centre. The event features four flagship tracks: Africa Money & DeFi Summit, Africa Climate Tech & Investment Summit, Africa Startup Summit, and Africa Mobile & App Summit.
One year after introducing Sorted Wallet to Kenyan stakeholders, Browne's accessibility first approach demonstrates how cryptocurrency can serve mass markets rather than remain a tool exclusively for the wealthy. By building for the devices people already own and the payment behaviors they already understand, the platform removes barriers that have kept billions of Africans excluded from digital financial alternatives.
For users comfortable sending M-Pesa, sending USDT requires no additional learning curve. The interface looks familiar. The language makes sense. The value displays in terms they understand. What changes is access to a currency that holds value when local inflation erodes savings, and transaction costs that make small remittances economically viable for the first time.
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