Our Correspondent | Africa Guardian
Block, a global technology company focused on financial services, has unveiled the winners of its TBD Hackathon held at the Africa Bitcoin Conference. The competition aimed to spark innovation in payment solutions across Africa, tackling challenges like limited banking access, high transaction fees, and inefficient cross-border payments.
Grand Prize Winner:
Emmanuel Kufre of Nigeria clinched the top spot with Blink, a decentralized wallet designed for freelancers. Blink enables global payments, targeting Africa’s $28 billion gig economy. The project, currently in beta testing across five countries, earned Kufre $15,000 in Bitcoin (BTC).
Other Notable Winners:
- tbDEX Go by Andrew Glago and Eloke Ikiliagwu: A payment platform connecting local solutions for tourists, awarded $10,000 in BTC.
- Igbigi by Achego Tamunobelema and Fabari Agbora: An app enabling seamless and private money transfers, awarded $5,000 in BTC.
Angie Jones, Global VP of Developer Relations at Block, praised the ingenuity of the participants:
“The creativity and technical expertise demonstrated are transformative for financial solutions across Africa. These projects address real challenges and represent the future of payments.”
The event, hosted in collaboration with the Africa Bitcoin Conference, highlighted the continent’s growing role in global financial innovation. Farida Bemba Nabourema, the conference convener, emphasized the importance of fostering Bitcoin ecosystems to solve pressing issues like financial inclusion and cross-border payments.
A panel of distinguished judges from Block, Yellow Card, and Square evaluated the submissions, reaffirming Block’s dedication to open-source technology and developer empowerment.
___