Bitcoin After Death: The Perils of Sharing One’s Fortune

If you are a young fortune-hunter toiling away on a computer in a basement, the prospect of death probably isn’t among your top considerations. Equally, if the main draw to crypto is its relative privacy, you may not be particularly eager to share your private keys with your loved ones, as a hacker could sift … Read more

Nigerian Startup Kubitx Launches Bitcoin Exchange in Beta

Kubitx, a Pan-African financial technology startup registered in Malta, announced the beta launch of its new cryptocurrency exchange on Thursday. The platform, which supports six digital coins, including BCH and BTC, will initially be available to users in Nigeria, before the company expands it to other African countries in the coming months. Also read: Billion-Dollar Startups … Read more

Wave of Mobile Tax Hikes Squeezes Africa’s Poor to Indulge Governments

A smart robber fleeces you with a pen and a handshake. From Zimbabwe to Kenya, Uganda to Benin, African governments are on a tax-raising spree, looking for easy money, ostensibly to help fund successive revenue shortfalls and budget deficits. Often, the money ends up being misappropriated by corrupt public officials. The best weapon in government … Read more

New POS Terminal by Pundix Allows Nigerians to Make Purchases in Bitcoin

Indonesian cryptocurrency and payments company Pundix has introduced a point of sale terminal at a shop in Nigeria, allowing people in the West African country to make purchases using cryptocurrency, including bitcoin. The move is seen as key to scaling up cryptocurrency adoption and development in Africa’s biggest bitcoin market. Also read: Payments Platform Wirex Launches … Read more

European Banks Complicit as Corrupt African Leaders Plunder Their Home Economies

European banks have allegedly been complicit as corrupt African leaders pilfer the wealth of their economies in the billions of dollars. The Angolan government on Monday arrested the son of ex-president Jose dos Santos for stealing $500 million from the country’s sovereign wealth fund, with the help of a British bank. It is only a … Read more

Pushing the Boundaries of Economic Change: Bitcoin as a Medium of Exchange in Africa

Bitcoin is pushing the boundaries of economic change in Africa. In East Africa, a new deal between digital currency exchange Bitpesa and a Japanese firm shows Kenyans are using bitcoin to pay for used Japanese cars, cosmetics and electrical gadgets. In Nigeria, Sure Remit is helping make cash transfers cheaper and in Zimbabwe, TV subscriptions, … Read more

Nigerian President Demands HSBC Bank Return $100M in Stolen Money

Decentralised cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are anathema to traditional banking. Bitcoin allows people to trade directly with each other, bypassing banks, the conventional middlemen. Banks make money by charging fees for the services they provide, including keeping one’s money in a bank. It is no surprise, therefore, that they hate cryptocurrency. But banks aren’t guiltless, they … Read more

Poor Internet Access Could Slow Down Cryptocurrency Growth In Africa

Africa is often lauded as the next big thing for cryptocurrency adoption and development. But could poor internet access and connectivity slow down progress? A new report by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) shows that it will cost $450 billion to connect 1.5 billion people – most of them in Africa – to the internet. … Read more

Africa and its Antiquated Banking: Cryptocurrencies The Solution?

Africa has steadily accelerated the switch to modern technologies. But can a continent facing a crisis with antiquated banking technologies, low rate of financial inclusion, poor confidence in the banking system, and high remittance costs become the new battleground for blockchain or cryptocurrency-centred settlements? Also read: Square’s Big Week: Crypto Patent, Shares Leap, and Lightning … Read more