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 Its Payment Infrastructure Zone, a blockchain-based Nigerian payments startup, has […]Nigerian Startup, Zone, Raises $8.5M in Seed-Funding Round
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 Its Payment Infrastructure Zone, a blockchain-based Nigerian payments startup, has […]
From being seen as a small “anti-establishment rebellion asset” more than ten years ago, crypto has grown to “become more widespread,” says Sarah Pritchard, an executive director at the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Pritchard said while the FCA has routinely warned consumers of risks associated with crypto, the watchdog has “always been open […]
TBD and the Africa-focused cryptocurrency exchange platform Yellow Card recently partnered to launch a fiat on and off-ramp that enables payments in some 16 African countries through Bitcoin rails. The objective of this arrangement is to make cross-border payments not only more affordable and accessible, but compliant as well. Hedging Against Inflation With BTC TBD, […]
United States-based users of Strike, a digital payments platform built on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, can now transfer funds instantly and at a low cost to Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria via the recently added new feature known as “Send Globally.” The new feature instantly converts the funds to local currencies prior to moving them to recipients’ […]
The collapse of FTX and subsequent calls for tougher regulation by the likes of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren have increased the likelihood of regulators adopting even stricter crypto laws. In Africa, crypto industry participants warn of the unintended consequences arising from rushed and over-restrictive regulations. The Game-Changing Role of Crypto in Africa As the crypto […]
Cryptocurrencies can be a good alternative to conventional settlement processes because they are underpinned by blockchain technology which enables the instant finalization of transactions without the involvement of intermediaries, a new report has said. Some players in the cross-border money transfer industry perceive the blockchain and cryptocurrencies as technologies that can enhance remittance processes. Cryptocurrencies […]
For years, traditional financial institutions in different parts of the world have been attempting to narrow the financial exclusion gap by extending their services to the unbanked population. Yet for many reasons, these institutions still cannot avail their products and services to everyone that needs them. Regulatory Hurdles While there are several reasons cited for […]
An average of 54% of survey respondents from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said they believe cryptocurrency should be used as currency. Still, a significant proportion of the respective countries’ respondents believe certain obstacles are stopping cryptocurrencies from going mainstream. Crypto as Currency According to the findings of a study by Checkout.com, […]
The number of cryptocurrency users in Africa grew by almost 2,500% between January 2021 and January 2022, while the average number of monthly transactions went up by 1,400%, a new report by Kucoin has said. Widespread Adoption of Cryptocurrencies According to a new report by crypto exchange Kucoin, the number of cryptocurrency users in Africa […]
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), working in partnership with Bank ABC, recently announced it had successfully tested the transfer of funds across borders using JPMorgan’s JPM Coin. The test fulfills the central bank’s goal of creating safe and efficient settlement solutions for customers. Eliminating Inefficiencies in the Cross-Border Payment Arena With CBDCs Bahrain’s central […]