In short
- USDC is a stablecoin issued by Circle. In its white paper for the EU, Circle calls it "a digital token pegged to the USD".[1]
- Circle sets the conditions for redeeming USDC for US dollars in its own redemption policy.[2] Kudu's cash out is a different route, run by MoneyGram.
- Kudu shows you your recovery phrase (24 words) to write on paper. It opens your wallet, so you keep it to yourself.
- You receive USDC at your own address on the Stellar network, send it to a Kudu member or to any Stellar address, and turn it into cash at a MoneyGram location.
- Kudu charges a fee on some actions and MoneyGram charges its own. Each fee is shown before you confirm.
You don't have to deal with the technical side of crypto. Kudu walks you through each step. This guide shows what you will see on each screen and explains the four words you will meet: wallet, address, USDC and recovery phrase.
What USDC is
USDC is a stablecoin: a digital token that refers to one US dollar. Circle, the company that issues USDC, calls it "a digital token pegged to the USD" in its white paper for the EU.[1] Circle's redemption policy says that redeeming USDC for US dollars is "subject to the conditions set out in the present policy".[2] The next guide, "What is USDC?", goes through those conditions and the limits that remain. This one explains how you use USDC in Kudu.
Five parties are involved when you use USDC in Kudu, and each has one job.
Step 1. Create your wallet
Open Kudu and follow the setup, which includes choosing a PIN. Before Kudu shows your 24-word recovery phrase, one screen tells you what the words are for.
The 24 words open your wallet: anyone who has them controls your money. Write them on paper, in order. Do not take a screenshot. Kudu asks you to tick a box before it shows the words, and to confirm once you have written them down. Kudu support never asks for them, by email, message, call or ticket.
Step 2. Receive USDC at your own address
Open Receive and choose USDC. Kudu shows your address and a QR code. An address is a long code that identifies your wallet on the Stellar network. People send USDC to it.
The first time, a setup card can ask you to activate your wallet on the Stellar network and to allow USDC. You confirm each once, on this device. When you activate your wallet and allow USDC, Kudu pays the network deposit and the network fee for these two steps, subject to conditions. If Kudu cannot cover them, the setup is refused and nothing is charged. Allowing USDC is needed because the wallet cannot hold USDC until you have allowed it.
Then share your address. If Kudu shows a memo under your address, a sender who pays from an exchange adds it. A Kudu member who pays you does not need it. Only send USDC on the Stellar network to this address: a different asset or a different network means a permanent loss, and the screen says so. To ask for an exact amount, use Request and share the link instead.
Mariama S. is a tailor in Dakar. A client in Brussels owes her 300 USDC for 24 school uniforms. Mariama copies her address and sends it to the client. The client sends 300 USDC to that address. Mariama's balance shows 300.00 USDC.
The Stellar network confirms the transaction and it appears in Mariama's history.
Share this address to receive funds directly: anyone can send to you, no amount set in advance.
Only send USDC on the STELLAR network to this address. A different asset or network means a permanent loss.
Step 3. Hold your USDC
Your balance is the USDC at your address on the Stellar network. You can leave it there.
USDC refers to the US dollar. If you spend in euros or CFA francs, what a dollar is worth in your currency changes from one day to the next. The European Central Bank publishes a euro to dollar reference rate, and the rate differs from day to day.[3] Kudu shows amounts in other currencies for information only.
Step 4. Send USDC
Open Send. In the To field, type the phone number or email of a Kudu member, or paste a Stellar address. Enter the amount. Kudu asks you to verify your identity before you send.
The Confirm screen lists the fees and the total. Kudu charges a fee on some actions, and each fee is shown before you confirm. Read the screen, then confirm. Kudu asks for your code on your device to send it.
Mariama pays her fabric supplier in Dakar 120 USDC. The supplier sent her a Stellar address in a message. Mariama pastes it, compares its first and last characters with the message, types 120, and reads the Confirm screen before she confirms. Her balance drops from 300.00 to 180.00 USDC, before fees.
Step 2 of 3 · Amount
Fatou receives
120USDC
Available : 1,284.50 USDCMAX
Add a note (Rent, school…)
Step 3 of 3 · Review
Fatou receives
120.00USDC
Last point of return. A crypto send is irreversible: once confirmed, it can’t be cancelled.
Step 5. Cash out with MoneyGram
Cash out turns USDC into cash. Kudu names MoneyGram as the operator before it takes you to MoneyGram's page. MoneyGram runs the cash step at its locations and asks for what it needs on its own page. Cash out takes USDC from your wallet, and MoneyGram pays you the cash.
MoneyGram sets and charges its own fee, and Kudu also charges a fee. Both are shown before you confirm. The first time you cash out, Kudu asks one question about where your money comes from. You can create a wallet, hold, receive and send without answering it. Where MoneyGram operates is for MoneyGram to say: the receipt has a button that opens a map of MoneyGram locations.
Mariama cashes out 100 USDC at a MoneyGram location. She keeps 80.00 USDC in her wallet, before fees.
Step 3 of 3 · Review
You receive in cash
Amount set by MoneyGram, not by Kudu
Irreversible operation. The quote comes from MoneyGram. Once confirmed, it can't be cancelled.
| Step | What Mariama does | USDC in her wallet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creates her wallet and writes her 24 words on paper | 0.00 |
| 2 | Receives from her client in Brussels | 300.00 |
| 3 | Keeps the USDC at her own address | 300.00 |
| 4 | Sends to her fabric supplier | 180.00 |
| 5 | Cashes out at a MoneyGram location | 80.00 |
Fees are not included. Each fee is shown before you confirm.
Three checks before every send
- Address. Compare it with the one you were given, character by character at the start and at the end.
- Network. Only send USDC on the Stellar network.
- Amount and fees. Read the Confirm screen. A send cannot be undone.
Questions
Do I need to understand crypto to use this?
No. You don't have to deal with the technical side of crypto. Kudu walks you through each step.
Is USDC the same as euros?
No. USDC refers to the US dollar. The guide "What is USDC?" explains what that means for you.
Can a send be reversed?
No. A send on the Stellar network cannot be undone, which is why the Confirm screen lists the details before you confirm.
What is Stellar?
Stellar is the public network on which USDC moves in Kudu. Your address is an address on that network.
Who sets the fees?
Kudu sets its own fee on some actions. MoneyGram sets its own. Each fee is shown before you confirm.
What Kudu does for you in these steps
- It puts the five steps in one app: create, receive, hold, send and cash out.
- It tells you what each screen is for before you act, from the 24 words to the Confirm screen.
- It shows each fee before you confirm and names MoneyGram before you leave Kudu.
Related guides
Sources (3)
- Issuer
Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, "USDC White Paper", field B.6, read 23 October 2026. Circle calls USDC "a digital token pegged to the USD".
- Issuer
Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, "MiCA Redemption Policy", last updated 15 September 2026, section 1.1, read 23 October 2026. Redemption is "subject to the conditions set out in the present policy".
- Regulator
European Central Bank, "Euro foreign exchange reference rates: US dollar", read 23 October 2026. A daily table of the euro to dollar reference rate.