• Bando users can now buy gift cards and mobile credit using crypto assets directly from their wallets across 110+ countries.
  • Celo’s Layer-2 transition with Optimism Rollup improves speed and lowers gas fees for seamless in-app transactions via Bando.

Imagine if you could buy credit or gift cards for your favorite brands using only crypto directly from your digital wallet. No hassle, no need to convert to rupiah or dollars first. Now this can be done through Bando, an application that has just been integrated with the Celo network.

Tap, Pay, and Go: How Bando Simplifies Digital Purchases with Crypto

With this integration, Bando users can use crypto assets such as USDT , USDC, cUSD, cEUR, and CELO to make purchases for daily digital needs. Not only credit and quota, but also gift cards from various popular brands in more than 110 countries. All can be done in just a few clicks in the application.

🎉 The @BandoCool app is now live! 🎉

Bando users can seamlessly purchase gift cards from their favorite brands & pay for airtime and data w/ Celo-native USDT, USDC, cUSD, cEUR & CELO 📲

Learn more about the app & why the Bando team chose Celo ↓ https://t.co/lFN3PNt2Ah

— Celo.eth/acc 🦇 🌳 (@Celo) April 10, 2025

The technology that supports this transaction comes from Celo, a blockchain network that since March 2025 has officially changed direction from Layer-1 to Layer-2 on Ethereum.

According to CNF , this transformation uses Optimism Rollup technology which makes the transaction process faster, gas costs lower, and integration with the Ethereum ecosystem much smoother. So, when Bando users make payments, the system behind it is ready to accommodate without any significant obstacles.

Celo Builds a Stronger DeFi Backbone With Key Integrations

The impact of Bando’s presence in the Celo ecosystem cannot be underestimated. On the other hand, this is not the first step that shows Celo’s ambition to expand the use of crypto in real terms.

Previously, Aave—one of the largest DeFi protocols—had already launched Aave V3 on the Celo network. This allows users to borrow or store assets directly from their mobile phones, something that cannot be done easily in the traditional financial system.

Furthermore, Celo’s collaboration with Chainlink and Hyperlane also expands the reach of the USDT stablecoin across networks. Starting in February 2025, transactions for this stablecoin can be made on the OP Superchain. So if you use Bando and your USDT comes from a different network, it can still be used thanks to this interoperability.

The presence of Bando also opens up new opportunities for developers. They can include this service into their applications via widgets or APIs, allowing anyone to offer cryptocurrency payment services without having to design a system from scratch.

This functionality is quite promising, especially for firms aiming to reach customers in underdeveloped nations where access to financial services is still limited.

At press time, CELO is trading at about $0.2908 with a gain of 2.16% in the last 24 hours. Its market cap has also soared to around $165 million. Although not as big as other crypto assets, its direction and execution have been quite consistent lately.