Ripple Partners With Africa-Focused Remittances and Payments Firm MSF Africa

Ripple, the United States-based tech firm, has said its crypto solution known as “on-demand liquidity” is set to help MSF Africa “streamline real-time mobile payments for customers in 35 countries.” The evolution of Ripple’s partnership with MSF Africa, which has 800 payment corridors across the continent, will ostensibly see the whole region getting a chance … Read more

Egyptian Fintech Raises $31 Million in Series B Funding Round

Moneyfellows, an Egyptian fintech startup specializing in digitizing money circles, recently announced the close of its Series B funding round that raised $31 million. The funds will be used to finance Moneyfellows’ expansion into other markets as well as accelerate the fintech’s growth. Diversifying Moneyfellows’ Portfolio Egyptian fintech startup Moneyfellows recently revealed it had raised … Read more

Abu Dhabi Fintech Startup Raises $20 Million in Series B Funding Round

Abu Dhabi-based fintech, Pyypl, announced on Nov. 7 that it had raised $20 million in Series B funding and this brought the total of funds raised to nearly $40 million. Pyypl has said it plans to use the recently raised funds to develop and add new features to its proprietary technology. The company further wants … Read more

South Africa Retailer Pick n Pay Now Accepts Payment in Bitcoin at 39 Outlets

Pick n Pay, the South African retailer, has revealed that some of its grocery stores are now accepting bitcoin payments. To ensure payments are affordable, Pick n Pay reportedly uses the Bitcoin Lightning Network which is said to be suitable for “high volume, low-value transactions.” 2017 Trial Served as Proof of Concept The South African … Read more

Chinese Central Bank Governor: User Privacy and Financial Security Key Principles Guiding CBDC Design Process

According to Yi Gang, governor of China’s central bank, the process of designing the country’s digital currency is premised on two principles, the protection of user privacy as well as ensuring “financial security.” To achieve this, the central bank’s role will be limited to managing the digital currency’s “operating system” while the handling of personal … Read more

Mastercard Study: African Fintech Sector Had One of the Highest Year-on-Year Growth Rates in Funding in 2021

In 2021, African fintech startups accounted for 61% of the $2.7 billion in venture capital funding that was deployed on the continent, a new study has found. While its share of global fintech funding is just over one percent, the continent’s fintech sector still recorded one of the highest year-on-year growth rates globally. ‘Record-High Number … Read more

Nigeria Can Become World Leader in the Digital Economy Says Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

According to Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, his country is well-positioned to become a global leader in the digital economy. However, for that to happen, Nigeria must choose the right approach and spend more time developing digital skills. Nigeria Better Equipped Than 3 Decades Ago The Nigerian vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, recently claimed that his … Read more

White House Releases ‘First-Ever’ Framework for Digital Asset Development — Crypto Industry Leader Says Recommendations Are Unclear

The White House has now released what it called its “first-ever” comprehensive framework for the responsible development of digital assets just over six months after U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on the same matter. However, one crypto industry leader has lamented the lack of clarity and understanding of the technology in the … Read more

Nigerian BTC Peer-to-Peer Volumes Nearly $400M in H1 of 2022 — Significant Growth in Kenya and Ghana Volumes

Nigeria’s peer-to-peer bitcoin traded volumes of over $1.1 billion between January 2021 and June 2022 mean the West African nation is now Paxful’s largest market. Kenya, which saw traded volumes of over $325 million during the same period, now ranks as the crypto exchange’s second-largest African market, and fifth overall. Financial Exclusion Driving P2P Bitcoin … Read more

Binance CEO Meets Senegalese and Ivory Coast Presidents, Says ‘Africa Is Primed for Crypto Adoption’

Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, tweeted that he recently held meetings with the presidents of Senegal and Ivory Coast. The meetings are part of his initiative which is aimed at driving up the adoption of cryptocurrency in Africa and beyond. CZ’s Meeting With the Senegalese President The CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao … Read more