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African Fintech Startups Raised $1.45 Billion in 2022 — Sector’s Share of the Continent’s Total Funding Drops
19.2.2023
Despite seeing their share of Africa’s startup funding drop from 48.3% seen in 2021 to 43.4% in 2022, fintech still managed to raise 39.3% more capital in 2022 ($1.45 billion) than they did in 2021 ($1.04 billion). Nigeria was again the best-funded country after 180 of its startups raised...
Nigerian Crypto Payment Gateway Fluidcoins Acquired by Seychelles-Based Crypto Exchange
18.2.2023
The Nigerian crypto payment gateway Fluidcoins was recently bought for an undisclosed sum by Blockfinex, in a deal which the former’s CEO Lanre Adenowo described as an “acquihire deal.” Blockfinex reportedly said it will leverage the acquisition to launch its own platform known...
Moody’s Says Forex Shortages May Force Nigerian Central Bank to Delay Repaying Local Banks
17.2.2023
The persistent scarcity of foreign exchange may force the Nigerian central bank to delay repaying the $10.4 billion owed to local banks, analysts at Moody’s Investors Service have concluded. The central bank’s failure to pay its debts on time will likely force the affected financial...
Report: FTX Promised High Earnings to African Students That Successfully Recruited Fellow Learners
17.2.2023
The collapsed crypto exchange FTX reportedly used the lure of high earnings to convince African university students to become its ambassadors. In addition to encouraging new FTX investors to use the platform, student ambassadors were also required to teach them about crypto and the blockchain. Some...
Income Movement Rightfulshare Says It Has Launched ‘First Unconditional’ Crypto UBI in South Africa
15.2.2023
Rightfulshare, an income equality advocacy movement, recently said it has launched what it describes as the “first unconditional” crypto universal basic income (UBI) transfer. According to Karen Jooste, the crypto UBI not only expands the possibilities for unemployed South Africans...
Report: South Sudan Government Bans US Dollar Transactions
14.2.2023
The government of South Sudan has reportedly prohibited U.S. dollar-based transactions and has directed that all local payments be settled in the local currency. The Salva Kiir Mayardit government reportedly said it also wants all signed commercial contracts to be based on the local currency. South...
DPA Token (DPAT) and Blockchain Technology: The Key to Unlocking Africa’s Economic Potential
14.2.2023
PRESS RELEASE. For foreign investors who have always wanted to diversify their portfolio with African assets but have been held back by security and transparency, this might be a game-changer. Africa is a continent that is rich with potential and opportunity. However, due to prolonged periods...
Report: Flutterwave CEO in Bid to Recover Millions Stuck in Kenya
14.2.2023
According to reports, the CEO and co-founder of the Nigerian fintech Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, recently visited Kenya where he sought to convince the country’s monetary authorities to grant the firm access to funds that have been blocked since July 2022. Agboola claimed that his firm...
Kenyan AI and Blockchain Startup Receives Investment From Swiss VC Firm
11.2.2023
Fastagger Inc, an artificial intelligence and blockchain startup from Kenya, recently revealed that it had received an investment from the Swizterland-based blockchain investor CVVC. Mutembei Kariuki, said the investment will be used to fund the further develop Fastagger’s “cutting-edge...
Gold Coins Help Zimbabwe Achieve ‘Price and Exchange Rate Stability’ — Central Bank
10.2.2023
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe recently revealed that some 25,188 of its value-preserving gold coins were sold between July 2022 and Jan. 13. According to the central bank governor, John Mangudya, the gold coins “have proved to be an effective open market instrument for mopping up excess...
Nigerian President Barred From Extending Old Naira Banknote Demonetization Deadline
9.2.2023
With just a few days left before the old naira banknotes are demonetized on Feb. 10 as scheduled, a court in Nigeria has blocked the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, and the central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, from further extending the deadline. Opponents of the central...
Today in Crypto: Lido V2 Upgrade to Bring Withdrawals and Staking Router, BANXA Holdings Integrates with MetaMask, Ramp Reveals Off-ramp Product, StarkWare to Partner with Chainlink Labs
7.2.2023
Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.__________...
Read More: Today in Crypto: Lido V2 Upgrade to Bring Withdrawals and Staking Router, BANXA Holdings Integrates with MetaMask, Ramp...
South African Retailer Pick n Pay Now Accepting Payments via BTC at All Its Stores
3.2.2023
Pick n Pay, one of South Africa’s leading retailers, reportedly now accepts bitcoin as payment at all its stores across the country. Using the bitcoin lightning network, Pick n Pay’s customers can now buy items such as groceries, airtime and electricity tokens. Using BTC for Everyday...
Nigerian Crypto Users and Enthusiasts Dismiss 100% BTC Premium Claims
2.2.2023
Nigerian blockchain and crypto enthusiasts have said recent reports suggesting that local residents are paying a premium of almost 100% on top of the prevailing price of bitcoin “are totally false.” They argue that such reports are based on a claim that is being propagated by persons...
Retail giant Pick n Pay to accept Bitcoin in 1,628 stores across South Africa
1.2.2023
Grocery retailer Pick n Pay is expanding its Bitcoin coverage to all stores in the country following a three-month pilot testing phase
Nigeria Extends Deadline for Returning Soon-to-Be Demonetized Naira Banknotes
1.2.2023
After initially ignoring pleas to extend the period for returning old naira banknotes, the Nigerian central bank recently said it has shifted the deadline for returning old banknotes to Feb. 10. The bank’s governor, Godwin Emefiele, said some 30,000 so-called super agents have been deployed...
How Bitcoin mining saved Africa's oldest national park from bankruptcy
31.1.2023
The Virunga National Park's Bitcoin mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo monetizes surplus energy for conservation efforts
From Homeless to Quadrupled Monthly Income: Just One of Many Advantages of Blockchain and Web3
27.1.2023
Among the greatest values of blockchain and Web3 is that they enable different communities across the world to use the novel technology's building blocks to solve issues specific to each of them, said Xochitl Cazador, Head of Ecosystem Growth at the open-source, mobile-first Celo platform. The many...
Central African Republic Sets Up Committee Tasked With Drafting Crypto Bill
26.1.2023
The Central African Republic (CAR) president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently said his government has established a 15-member committee tasked with creating a comprehensive legal framework that governs the use of cryptocurrencies. According to an official document issued by the CAR cabinet,...
Bitcoin mining brings more than money to this East African country
25.1.2023
A Bitcoin mining project in a remote corner of Malawi, a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, connects more families to the grid while delivering economic empowerment to an impoverished region