Crypsense and Africa Blockchain Center launch Blockchain Web 3 R&D lab
Crypsense Digital Group and The Africa Blockchain Center are excited to announce the launch of The Blockchain Web 3 R&D Lab, a transformative initiative aimed at supporting African governments, industries, Web 3 projects, and Web 2 organisations in their transition to Web 3 through blockchain education, research, and development assistance.
Jeff Mkungusi, CEO of The Africa Blockchain Center, emphasised the importance of this collaboration, stating: “The Blockchain Web 3 R&D Lab represents a significant milestone in our mission to drive blockchain adoption and foster innovation in Africa. By combining our expertise with Crypsense Digital Group, we can provide invaluable resources to African organisations and help them navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by Web 3 technologies.”
Alice Anangi, CEO of Crypsense Digital Group, highlighted the lab’s objectives, stating: “We are committed to empowering African organisations with the knowledge and tools required to thrive in the era of Web 3. The lab will serve as a hub for cutting-edge research, training, and support, enabling businesses and governments to harness the power of blockchain and Web 3.0 effectively.”
The Blockchain Web 3 R&D Lab will prioritise training programmes for public, private, and governmental entities across various sectors. These programmes will encompass research findings, practical use cases of blockchain, roadmaps for Web 3.0 technologies, and actionable steps to prepare organisations for the fourth industrial revolution, with a specific focus on Blockchain and Web 3.0.
In addition to training, the lab will facilitate the development of tokenised projects for Web 2 companies and advocate for increased funding into Web 3 initiatives in Africa. With its development and research capabilities, the lab will adopt a sectoral approach to promote the adoption of blockchain technology across industries in Africa and bridge the gap between Web 2 and Web 3. Key industries targeted for transformation include Health, Trade & Commerce, Finance, Agriculture, Climate, Education, FMCG, and the Creative sector.
As an organisation committed to collaboration, the lab will leverage strategic partnerships to support Africa’s pursuit of Intra-Africa trade objectives outlined in the ACFTA agreement.
Alice Anangi further explained: “By working closely with partners, we aim to drive economic growth and enhance the digital infrastructure of the continent. Through collaborations with global and local blockchain players, we can create a unified ecosystem that propels Africa to the forefront of blockchain innovation.”
The lab’s ongoing projects include a research and development initiative led by 50 women in blockchain from across Africa. Through the AWoW3 (African Women of Web 3) initiative, these women will explore gender inclusivity, women empowerment, and how blockchain and Web 3 can address the challenges faced by underprivileged women in society.
Additionally, the lab will offer a comprehensive university training programme catering to undergraduate and master’s students, equipping them with in-depth knowledge of blockchain, Web 3.0, cybersecurity, and successful case studies from various industries.
Furthermore, regulators will benefit from a training programme showcasing the potential applications of Blockchain technology in governance, while masterclasses on Blockchain for media will empower the African media industry to capitalise on Web 3 advancements.
The inaugural event at the Blockchain Web 3 R&D Lab will be the Future of Fintech Masterclass on June 8th, 2023. Alice Anangi stated: “We are thrilled to host the first-of-its-kind masterclass in Africa, focusing on the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and leveraging the power of Web 3. This masterclass will explore the challenges faced by fintechs and banks in payment and settlement systems and showcase how blockchain and Web 3 can revolutionise these areas.”
The lab is actively engaged in various Digital Identity and Verifiable Credential projects that will benefit multiple industries, supporting Africa’s advancement in the digital age.
Jeff Mkungusi concluded: “Through our collaborative efforts, we are confident that the Blockchain Web 3 R&D Lab will serve as a catalyst for innovation and digital transformation in Africa. Together, we can build a sustainable future powered by blockchain and Web 3 technologies.”
To participate in The Future of Fintech Masterclass - Pan-Africa Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS), leveraging Web 3, interested institutions are encouraged to sign up using the registration link: https://forms.gle/6FdkypN3nk7gSa6p9
About Crypsense
Crypsense Digital Group is Africa’s fastest growing institutional grade digital assets capacity building and management platform that offers an end-to-end solution for institutional adoption of Web 3 based digital assets. The organisation has a learning management system that offers incentivised Web 3 education and has trained more than 1,500 individuals from multiple African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. The institution also offers Smart Asset Management algorithm solutions, institutional custodial, financing solutions and an accelerator launchpad that supports Web 3 start-ups and Web 2 organisations transitioning to blockchain and Web 3.
The Africa Blockchain Center aims to lead efforts purely focused on capacity building in blockchain technology engineering focusing across multiple protocols that leads to the development of decentralised application development, actively researching blockchain use cases to develop in-house technology and pilot solutions across lines of business in Africa. Connecting leading technologists and partners, the company aims to actualise enterprise-grade blockchain tools to drive industry standards and deliver value to various vital sectors. We take pride in working closely with governmental entities across Africa as well. The Africa Blockchain Center also manages strategic relationships and investments with key consortia creating massive value in Africa.
The core mission of the Africa Blockchain Center is to be a pan-African leader in blockchain development across multiple chains and create a resource pool of talent to be the home of blockchain. This initiative will be able to empower the youth in Africa by demystifying blockchain technology and empowering them to build solutions that can solve problems locally then scale globally. The institution has trained over 100 blockchain developers and has more than 30 projects under research and development, worked on two deep technology products driven by research and development, incubated one core project in the ABC ecosystem and trained 105 blockchain developers across Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zambia and South Africa on different protocols including Ethereum, Algorand, IoTex, Cardano and Polygon.
