🌍💱 ADAPT: Transforming Africa’s Trade with Digital Public Infrastructure

Both #Stablecoins and Digital Public Infrastructure (#DPI) are generating global buzz—yet most initiatives focus on national solutions. Now, an ambitious project is combining both, claiming to redefine Africa’s digital future at scale: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has launched ADAPT, a pan-African initiative in partnership with the IOTA Foundation, Tony Blair Institute, and World Economic Forum. This open-source digital public infrastructure is set to revolutionise cross-border trade by seamlessly integrating identity, data, and finance.

What they want to achieve:

• Double intra-African trade by 2035, unlocking over $70 billion in annual trade value.
• Reduce cross-border payment fees from 6–9% to below 3%, saving an estimated $25 billion annually.
• Cut border clearance times from up to 14 days to under 3 days through digitised, verifiable trade documents.

How It works:

ADAPT will establish a unified system for:

• Trusted digital identities for businesses and governments.
• Secure cross-border data exchange, supported by smart contracts and IoT tracking.
• Interoperable finance, connecting mobile money, banks, and stablecoins like USDT for faster, cheaper settlements.

Pilot phase:

Deployment is said to begin in Kenya, Ghana, and a third country in 2025–2026, with continental expansion by 2035. The initiative references successful pilots in Kenya and Rwanda, where digitalisation has already resulted in reduced clearance times and documentation costs.

In response to steep cuts in foreign aid, #Zambia, #Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (#DRC) are significantly boosting their funding for family planning programs. This shift towards domestic financing aims to protect decades of progress in reproductive health and ensure continued access to birth control for millions of women and girls. See article from The Guardian.

• Zambia is increasing its budget from $4.5m to $7.5m,
• Zimbabwe is adding $2.25m annually, and
• the DRC is introducing a $5m annual budget for contraceptives.

This move reflects a broader trend towards self-reliance in healthcare funding, driven by the need to address the fragility of donor-dependent health systems.

The fact that governments are now stepping in to secure essential public services reminds me of the case that Nobel laureate Angus Deaton made against foreign aid: ‘My argument is […] that aid undermines the contract between government and the governed that is essential for successful development.’

Adopting this perspective, we see governments taking responsibility for key public services themselves instead of relying on foreign institutions that also bring their own agenda.

Following Deaton’s argument, international donor structures should not simply be called upon to step in, but rather engage in honest discussions with their partners to change their approach to international cooperation.

Thoughts?

Angus Deaton discussing Easterly’s book „Tyranny of Experts“, with relevant thoughts on the issue.

Connecting the world – but at what cost? 🛰️🌍

Satellite internet is a game-changer for rural and underserved regions, where traditional infrastructure falls short. Almost 10,000 Starlink satellites are already in orbit, delivering fast internet to places that were previously offline. That’s progress.

But here’s the catch: Every day, one to two of these satellites re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. If other mega-constellations launch as planned, we could soon see five satellites crashing back to Earth daily. The aluminum oxide released could alter the upper atmosphere and even impact the ozone layer by 2040.

We’re solving one problem—digital divide—while creating another: a new layer of atmospheric pollution. And with plans for 30,000+ satellites, the risk of a Kessler Syndrome (a cascading collision chain) grows every day.

How do we balance global connectivity with the health of our planet?

tl;dr: Satellite internet bridges gaps, but 5 daily crashes risk our atmosphere. Progress or problem? #DigitalDivide #SpaceDebris #SustainableTech

For more insights, check out the full article (in German).

While #stablecoins are still built on more or less popular public blockchains, one of the #stablecoin market leaders, #Circle, is now working to establish its own layer 1 blockchain, #Arc.

For context, revisit my view on the stack for web3-based payments in fragile contexts.

Read the press release

BeZero’s spatial database of over 3,000 nature-based projects across 20+ registries addresses issues of scattered data, enabling accurate overlap detection and stronger methodologies. Mapping every project, regularly updated – basis for a relevant rating service.

#Uganda next to announce a #CBDC #CentralBankDigitalCurrency pilot.

What’s interesting is the reasoning given for this approach:

Uganda aims to become a regional hub for #tokenised #finance. This initiative aims to bring over $5 billion worth of real-world assets #RWA onto the #blockchain, with a focus on sectors such as #agriculture and #renewable #energy.

The CBDC is planned to be a digital version of the Ugandan shilling, backed by Ugandan government treasury bonds, and is designed to serve as a core payment and settlement layer within the country’s evolving tokenised asset ecosystem.

Both the CBDC and the broader push for tokenisation are based on a permissioned blockchain platform provided by the Global Settlement Network, which is not one of the top-tier blockchain layer 1s and has limited information publicly available.

It will be interesting to see if we hear more about this pilot.

See the press release

For an overview of CBDC projects, visit the great CBDC Tracker

🚀 From “Crypto? No Thanks!” to “We’re All In” – How Traditional Finance Did a 180° on Digital Assets

For years, traditional finance #TradFi treated crypto like a risky, volatile experiment—something to be ignored, dismissed, or even openly criticized. “Too speculative,” they said. “No real-world use,” they claimed. Many followed suit, writing off blockchain and stablecoins as a passing fad.

But look at the landscape now.

The same institutions that once turned up their noses are now racing to lead the charge. Two major banking consortia have emerged, signaling a seismic shift in how finance views digital assets:

1️⃣ The G7 Powerhouse: 10 Global Banks Exploring Stablecoins

These titans are jointly exploring blockchain-based stablecoins pegged to G7 currencies—a far cry from the days of skepticism.

2️⃣ The Euro Alliance: 9 European Banks Launching a Euro Stablecoin

Their goal? A euro-denominated stablecoin to challenge U.S. dominance in digital payments.

Why the Sudden Change?

• Regulatory clarity (e.g., MiCA)
• Fear of missing out as crypto adoption surges
• The rise of tokenized assets—banks now see real value in blockchain efficiency

To be clear: This is far from the original vision of decentralized finance. But it undeniably opens a door to digital assets—and that door won’t be closed again.

The message is clear: Crypto isn’t just for “the others” anymore. The same banks that once warned against crypto are now using it.

Question for the comments: Is this a genuine evolution—or just FOMO in disguise? And what does it mean for the future of money?

#DigitalAssets #Stablecoins #BankingRevolution #Blockchain #Finance2025

🚀 Breaking Down the Stack: Why Web3 Payments Can Transform Support in Fragile Contexts

In places hit by war or disaster, financial infrastructure is often broken—or nonexistent. Traditional support faces security risks, high costs, and a lack of transparency. But what if we could deliver assistance that’s secure, traceable, and inclusive, even where banks don’t exist?

Web3 payments can offer a powerful solution. By leveraging blockchain, it can enable fast, transparent transactions, empower communities, and give donors real-time visibility. Yet, success isn’t just about tech—it’s about people, partnerships, and collaboration.

Why break down the stack?

• Demystify the technology – Help program managers, donors, and practitioners understand what’s needed and why, so they can make informed decisions.
• Prepare for full-scale deployment – Clarify roles, interactions, and procurement needs to move from pilot to program with transparency and confidence.
• Ensure nothing is overlooked – From wallets to on/off-ramps, every component must be accounted for to build a system that truly works in the field.

The real challenge ahead? Moving from pilot to full-scale impact. That’s where you come in.

If you’re already involved in similar projects or pilots, let’s share our experiences and refine these models together.

🔗 Read more: Breaking Down the Stack: What It Takes to Implement Web3 Payments for Lasting Impact

#Web3 #HumanitarianTech #DigitalPayments #InnovationForImpact

🌟 Honored to have been part of workshop on “Harnessing the Potential of Digital Sustainable Finance to Accelerate the Agenda 2030” in Bonn! 🌟

A big thank you to the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance and particularly Prof. Ulrich Volz for organising such an insightful event.

During the morning of this full-day workshop, I participated in a closed-door roundtable that explored ‚Rethinking capital market infrastructure to scale up sustainable finance‘ and ‚Fostering inclusive green finance through digital solutions‘. The presentations and discussions were enlightening with valuable contributions from Yuen Lo and Peter Knaack.

When I was on the panel after the official book launch, the panel was asked to single out the most important innovation in this area. While I made it clear how digital payments #web3 #stablecoins can really help, I specifically emphasised the huge potential of #biodiversity #certificates in dealing with the big problems we’re facing.

It was a pleasure to engage with esteemed speakers including Dr. Erica Moret, Amb. Prof. Bitange Ndemo, and Dr. Iliya Nickelt.

If you missed the live stream, the book “Sustainable Digital Finance” is available as a PDF or EPUB via open access at Springer.

#SustainableFinance #DigitalFinance #Agenda2030 #Sustainability #FinanceForGood #FutureOfCooperation