STARTUP GRIND NAIROBI TECH WEEK DAY 2: "DECENTRALIZED NAIROBI"

Created Feb 25, 2026

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The Post-Mpesa Era Has Arrived. Is Crypto the Rail for Continental Trade?For a decade, Mpesa solved peer-to-peer payments in Kenya. But what about moving millions across borders for the AfCFTA? What about FX liquidity crises? Day 2, "Decentralized Nairobi," dives deep into the paradigm shift where trustless protocols replace traditional intermediaries.Why you cannot miss Day 2:The Anchor Session: "The Post-Mpesa Era: Is Crypto the Rails for Continental Trade?" This is the debate the industry has been waiting for. We bring together founders of pan-African exchanges, macro-economists, and forward-thinking regulators to debate stablecoins vs. CBDCs. How do we actually solve the friction that stops a Kenyan trader from paying a Ghanaian supplier instantly?The Regulator Fireside: Direct dialogue with the regulators shaping the VASP Act (Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025). If you are confused about compliance in Kenya, this 60-minute session will save you thousands in legal fees.Specialized Workshops (Partner Owned):DAO Governance in Africa: How do you run a borderless organization with Kenyan law?The Legal Clinic: Step-by-step guidance on crypto licensing and compliance.The Exhibition Floor: Meet the wallets securing the ecosystem, the blockchain analytics firms tracking illicit flows, and the projects tokenizing real-world assets like real estate and art.Who must attend: Web3 founders, Blockchain developers, Compliance officers, Family offices looking at digital assets, and TradFi players curious about the rails of tomorrow.Ticket Value: Clarity on the regulatory landscape and connections to the infrastructure providers actually moving the needle.

Discussion
Jason Last
M-Pesa & Bitcoin: Building and Improving Rails for Currency Movement
Discussion Topic: M-Pesa built the rails. Bitcoin improved the currency that travels over the rails. M-Pesa revolutionized peer-to-peer payments by providing infrastructure that enabled swift money transfers across Kenya and beyond. With the emergence of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the conversation now shifts to the types of currency that travel along these established rails. Does Bitcoin offer a revolutionary enhancement to the way we transfer value, or are there limitations we need to consider when juxtaposing it with traditional systems like M-Pesa? There's only ONE NEUTRAL digital currency that individuals, companies, and even countries can embrace. That's Bitcoin. Bitcoin has no company behind it. Bitcoin has no issuer. Bitcoin has no marketing department. Bitcoin has no headquarters. Bitcoin is completely neutral. So embracing bitcoin does not choose a wining provider, like choosing USDC gives preferential treatment to a US domiciled company (Circle & Coinbase). Or like choosing USDT exports Kenya's economic sovereignty to the United States. Bitcoin is the only crypto that allows everyone to participate in the future of finance, without the need to give up your own freedoms. Discussion Questions: In what ways has Bitcoin addressed or improved upon the limitations faced by traditional payment systems like M-Pesa? What are the potential benefits that Bitcoin can add to existing payment infrastructures? How do you think Bitcoin could complement systems like M-Pesa in empowering local and international trade? Have you used both M-Pesa and Bitcoin for transactions? What has your experience been like, and what differences did you observe? How fast was the Bitcoin Lightning network when compared to M-Pesa? We invite community members to share their insights, personal experiences, and forward-looking thoughts as we delve into this fascinating intersection of established and emerging financial technologies.
6 months ago
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M-Pesa & Bitcoin: Building and Improving Rails for Currency Movement