Shaan Ray

In an X (formerly Twitter) Space hosted by the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN) today, themed ‘From Ballot to Blocks: Can Blockchain Fix Nigeria’s Elections?’, the experts argued that while blockchain is not a magic wand, it offers a robust framework to eliminate result manipulation and cure voter apathy. The discussion, featuring key industry figures including Oluwaseun Dania , CEO of Crello Ltd, Harry Ugorji , CEO of Egoras Technology , Mela Claude Ake, President of SiBAN and others, highlighted a shift from traditional voting toward a more immutable and verifiable system. Obinna Iwuno

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This week on Bitcoin & Beyond, I spoke with OKIN founder of #EasySats and a Bitcoin builder working on real-world access across Africa. We discussed practical Bitcoin adoption, creator monetisation using Bitcoin, and what infrastructure-led thinking looks like beyond speculation. I'd like to hear from creators and media builders: Have you explored Bitcoin or Lightning as a way to monetise content directly, and what’s held you back or moved you forward? Any advice for those wanting to monetize their content? Full episode 👇 (link in comments)

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African Fintech News A major strategic partnership was announced this week as the ADI Foundation and M-Pesa Africa agreed to extend blockchain infrastructure to M-Pesa’s 60+ million monthly users across eight African markets. The collaboration aims to layer institutional-grade blockchain rails onto M-Pesa’s existing mobile money ecosystem to support faster settlement, expanded cross-border flows, and future digital financial services. This move signals growing interest from global technology players in integrating blockchain with established payment networks rather than building standalone solutions. In related expansion news, Moniepoint is advancing its entry into Kenya’s financial sector after securing regulatory clearance to acquire a 78% stake in Sumac Microfinance Bank. The Competition Authority of Kenya has approved the deal, allowing the Nigerian fintech to establish an operational base in East Africa and accelerate offerings in digital payments, lending and banking services. Final approvals from the Central Bank of Kenya are still pending. The regional landscape is also bracing for the impact of Vodacom’s $2.4 billion acquisition of a controlling stake in Safaricom. This move consolidates M-Pesa—the continent's most successful mobile money platform—under a unified strategic vision spanning East and South Africa. This consolidation is expected to fast-track the deployment of "M-Pesa 2.0," a cloud-native infrastructure capable of handling 8,000 transactions per second. For regional merchants, this promises higher platform reliability and a more unified API structure that could significantly simplify cross-border expansion across the Vodacom footprint. Somalia's Hormuud Telecom activated full name display on its EVC mobile money platform after 14 years of anonymous transactions. The change aligns with upcoming 2026 SIM registration requirements linking all mobile numbers to National IDs issued by NIRA. The platform processes over $3 billion annually and serves as the country's primary financial infrastructure. Regulatory alignment aims to facilitate Somalia's removal from the FATF grey list, though only 20% of adults held National IDs by late 2024. PSPs operating in emerging regulatory environments should note the compliance timeline pressures and inclusion risks when identity infrastructure lags behind registration mandates. For payment service providers (PSPs) and merchants, the ADI-M-Pesa collaboration underscores a shift toward interoperable and programmable payment rails that could reduce settlement times and enable programmable commerce solutions. What to Watch: Monitor how M-Pesa’s blockchain integration launches in early 2026 and whether regulatory frameworks adapt to accommodate tokenized payments. Also track the final regulatory approvals for Moniepoint’s acquisition and its rollout of merchant services in Kenya. #FintechAfrica #MobileMoney #DigitalPayments #Blockchain #FintechExpansion #PaymentsInfrastructure

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Paystack Evolves: Introducing The Stack Group Paystack, the Nigerian fintech giant, has undergone a major restructuring by forming The Stack Group (TSG), a holding company that encompasses its core payments business, consumer app Zap, a microfinance bank, and a Venture studio. https://lnkd.in/eXYdq89Q

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A 112% YoY revenue growth on a Preferred Equity structure makes this one of the most defensive, high-upside blocks currently listed. The true moat of this company isn't the capital; it’s the tech stack.

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At Tapio Capital, we’ve already invested in Kutana Technologies, bringing cross‑border payments into the modern era with stablecoin settlement on DeFi rails. Legacy corridors are slow, costly, and opaque. Kutana Technologies delivers collection and payout, on‑chain FX and settlement, compliant, and all done in real‑time, with regulated on/off‑ramps. We backed the team for their execution in payments, banking, and crypto infrastructure, and their compliance‑first approach across markets. Faster, clearer, and auditable cross‑border flows for enterprises and fintechs. If you move money across borders, take a look at Kutana Technologies.

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Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN) has formally counters the SEC’s 18-month compliance window, arguing that the current timeline and blanket capital requirements could stifle indigenous innovation in the industry. The association is proposing a three-tiered capitalization framework, ranging from ₦50 million for startups to ₦500 million for institutional players, and advocating for an extension into 2028 in order to protect local entrepreneurs from being overshadowed by well-funded foreign entities while ensuring the industry remains robust and secure. According to SiBAN President Barr. Mela Claude Ake, “If we’re honest, we know that African businesses are starved of requisite capital. What that means is that we must factor in these unique circumstances when creating policies." "The innovation track or tier allows for innovators with spare capital to still participate in the market and contribute to innovation at the level their capital allows with a regulatory cap on their activities and portfolio,” he argues. https://lnkd.in/d9qF7g8y

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🌍 Africa is leading the crypto revolution 🚀 From financial inclusion to cheaper remittances & stable savings, crypto is transforming lives. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eeMNBQ2m #Crypto #Africa #DeFi

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