Search
Nigerian Startup, Zone, Raises $8.5M in Seed-Funding Round
20.3.2024
Zone, a Nigerian payment fintech startup that leverages the blockchain, recently raised $8.5 million in a seed funding round. An undisclosed portion of the funds will be allocated to cover costs associated with the trial of Zone’s cross-border payment capabilities in 2025. Zone to Expand...
Fireblocks, Zodia Markets Partner to Improve Cross-Border Payments
14.3.2024
The two crypto firms are attempting to improve cross-border payments via stablecoins for large corporations and institutions
Global BTC Trading App Strike Launches ‘First Fully-Featured Region Outside the US’
29.2.2024
The fiat and bitcoin payments app, Strike, has launched its “first fully-featured region outside the U.S.” According to Jack Mallers, the founder and CEO of Strike, the African continent presents “immense opportunities for financial innovation and economic freedom.” High...
Nigerian Payments Fintech Startup Cleva Secures $1.5 Million in Pre-Seed Funding
10.1.2024
The Y Combinator-backed Nigerian fintech startup has reportedly raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding. Tolu Alabi, the CEO of Cleva, expressed confidence in her and fellow co-founder Philip Abel’s ability to navigate the competitive fintech market, citing their background as a factor that counts...
41% of Central Banks Expect to Have Operational CBDCs by 2028 — Study
26.12.2023
Some 41% of central banks that participated in the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF) study said they expect to have an operational central bank digital currency (CBDC) by 2028. The survey found that the sentiment towards CBDCs is turning positive with 30% of the respondents...
Africa-Focused Remittances Fintech Zazuu Shut Downs After Failing to Secure Additional Funding
21.11.2023
An Africa-focused remittances firm, Zazuu, has become the latest fintech startup to close shop after it failed to raise extra funding. Zazuu and other African fintechs’ funding problems are said to be linked to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the U.S. Zazuu Shuts Down Just Over a Year...
IMF Director Urges Institutions to Look Toward CBDCs, Highlights Cross-border Utility
15.11.2023
Source: AdobeStock / Kristina Blokhin The managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva has publicly praised the deployment of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) by more countries. Speaking at the Singapore FinTech Festival, on the theme “Financial Inclusion...
Ripple exec reiterates need for tech-neutral crypto regulations
14.11.2023
Navin Gupta, managing director of South Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at Ripple, told Cointelegraph that education and introducing non-speculative use cases can help crypto companies navigate through varying regulations
Ripple Partners With Onafriq to Enable Faster Cross Border Payments to Africa
14.11.2023
Ripple and the Africa-focused payment fintech startup Onafriq recently said they are collaborating to enable crypto-based cross-border payments between Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the U.K., and Australia. Using Ripple’s platform helps Onafriq achieve its goal of making...
Ripple Expands Payments Network to 70+ Crypto and Traditional Payout Markets
10.11.2023
Ripple has expanded its payments network to more than 70 crypto and traditional payout markets. “Accumulatively this adds up to 90% of the global foreign exchange market,” the company explained, highlighting that the Ripple network has facilitated over $30 billion in payment volume...
Blockchain finance to grow into $79.3B market by 2032
4.10.2023
COVID-19 pandemic-induced disruptions in traditional finance, coupled with the promise to reduce operational costs set the stage for the mainstreaming of the digital ecosystem
What Is XRP? A Brief History of the Real-Time Gross Settlement System
13.9.2023
While Ripple has its critics, there exists a passionate ‘army’ of XRP advocates who firmly believe it represents the future of decentralized finance and cross-border settlement. In this Learning and Insights guide, our objective is to walk you through a brief history of Ripple and...
Ripple Acquires Crypto Financial Services Company Fortress Trust
8.9.2023
Ripple, a leading blockchain and cryptocurrency company, has acquired Fortress Trust, a Nevada-licensed financial services provider for the crypto industry. The purchase expands Ripple’s regulatory licenses and infrastructure to bolster its position in enterprise blockchain solutions. Ripple...
Kenyan Fintech Startup Kotani Pay Receives $2 Million Pre-Seed Funding
8.9.2023
The Kenyan fintech startup Kotani Pay has raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round which was led by P1 Ventures. The capital raised will be used to fund the startup’s expansion into five African countries. Felix Macharia said his firm is working with central banks, some of whom...
Africa-Focused Remittances Fintech Lemfi Raises $33 Million in Series A Funding Round
31.8.2023
An Africa-focused remittances platform, Lemfi, recently said it has raised $33 million in a Series A round led by Left Lane Capital. Lemfi said it will use the capital raise to “expand its product offering to the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.” Making Remittances Less...
Governments See CBDCs Making Their Countries ‘More Economically and Financially Efficient’ — Venom Foundation CEO
29.8.2023
According to Louis Tsu, the CEO of Venom Foundation, governments that are seeking to introduce central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are not being driven by the fear that privately issued digital currencies may soon become the preferred method for cross-border and micropayments. Instead, some...
Gold-backed BRICS currency will be 'very hard' to deliver: Lyn Alden
22.8.2023
A BRICS common currency will be challenging to initiate and maintain, though efforts to dethrone the US dollar could have an impact on Bitcoin, says investment strategist Lyn Alden
Canadian Police Unit Utilizes Chainalysis Blockchain Forensics for Cryptocurrency Investigations
9.8.2023
Officials in law enforcement from Lethbridge, situated in the province of Alberta, Canada, have unveiled that the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) is now utilizing Chainalysis blockchain forensics software. According to local reports, LPS has acquired the capacity to trace cryptocurrency...
Blockchain will save financial institutions $10B by 2030: Ripple
30.7.2023
Among the 300 payment leaders surveyed across 45 countries, 97% believe that blockchain will play a crucial role in faster payment systems within the next three years
China’s digital yuan nears $250B transaction volume: Central bank governor
20.7.2023
While the adoption and use cases of China’s e-CNY are expanding, the digital yuan still only represents 0.16% of China’s monetary supply