Ethiopian Central Bank Restricts Amount of Cash Travelers Can Hold, Sets Foreign Currency Conditions

According to the National Bank of Ethiopia’s directive, which became effective on September 5, persons entering and departing the country in possession of local currency are now subject to new restrictions. Individuals may not hold local currency whose value exceeds $57.00 or 3,000 birr. The directive also sets conditions and circumstances under which Ethiopian residents … Read more

Nigerian Blockchain Startup Bitmama Closes $2 Million Pre-Seed Round

After raising $1.65 million via a pre-seed extension, Bitmama, a Nigeria-based blockchain startup, has now closed its pre-seed funding round at $2 million, a report has said. Leading the funding round were two Africa-focused venture capital firms: Unicorn Growth Capital and Launch Africa. New Funding to Help Bitmama Scale Up Crypto Use Cases in Africa … Read more

More Than a Third of Africa’s 53 Million Crypto Owners Are From Nigeria, Study Shows

With an estimated 53 million cryptocurrency owners, the African continent now accounts for 16.5% of the global total, a study has found. The study findings suggest that Nigeria, which has more than 22 million crypto owners, currently accounts for more than a third of the continent’s total number of holders. Nigeria Accounts for Over a … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Slashes CBDC Transaction Fees by 50%

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it is slashing transaction fees for the e-naira platform by 50% — a move which the bank claims will increase the volume of transactions on the central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform. The central bank also believes that wider adoption of the CBDC will bolster Nigeria’s cross-border trade … Read more

Ghana Central Bank Announces Launch of Regulatory Sandbox

Ghana’s recently launched regulatory and innovation sandbox is the latest proof of the central bank’s commitment to a regulatory environment that promotes “innovation, financial inclusion and financial stability,” a statement released by the Bank of Ghana has said. According to the central bank, innovations that are eligible for inclusion in the sandbox include digital financial … Read more

Central African Republic President Says Successful Launch of Sango Coin a Key Milestone

According to Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, his country’s launch of the “Sango coin” currency, as well as the call for the creation of a common digital currency by the regional central bank, represent two key achievements for his country and all of Africa. President Touadéra also said “Sango is the future of our … Read more

Binance CEO Meets Central African Republic Leader — President Touadéra Says Meeting Was a ‘Truly Remarkable Moment’

After meeting the leaders of Ivory Coast and Senegal in July, the CEO of the cryptocurrency Binance, Changpeng Zhao, revealed in a tweet that he had recently met the President of the Central African Republic (CAR). Some of the topics discussed by the two were focused on “education, investments and crypto adoption in the Central … Read more