The Africa Blockchain Center

The Africa Blockchain Center (ABC), founded in Kenya in September 2021 by Irene Kiwia, operates as a central hub for fostering blockchain capacity and research across the African continent. Launched as a startup under the Pan-African venture studio Adanian Labs, ABC secured a seven-figure seed investment from Next Chymia Consulting HK Limited shortly after its inception. This initial funding was earmarked for establishing a presence in six key African markets: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa.

The organization's business model is structured around three core pillars: capacity building, research and development (R&D), and Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS). Its primary objective is to address the talent deficit in the region's tech landscape by training a new generation of blockchain developers and educating business leaders. A significant milestone was the graduation of its first cohort of 105 blockchain developers in late 2022, representing six African nations. The curriculum focuses on fundamental concepts such as decentralization, cryptography, smart contracts, and asset tokenization. For enterprises, ABC offers consulting services that cover the full spectrum of blockchain implementation, from advisory and architecture to development and deployment.

ABC's service portfolio is comprehensive, including the development of decentralized applications (dApps), self-sovereign identity solutions, tokenomics engineering, and smart contract development. The center also engages in venture building and incubation, supporting and nurturing early-stage African blockchain projects with the goal of scaling them for the market. This is complemented by a strong focus on community building, bringing together industry leaders, academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to foster collaboration and share knowledge. By demystifying the technology and providing tangible solutions, the center aims to drive the adoption of blockchain in key sectors like finance, agriculture, and healthcare to solve prevalent challenges across the continent.

Keywords: Africa blockchain, capacity building, Blockchain-as-a-Service, BaaS, decentralized applications, dApps, smart contracts, Web3 Africa, blockchain education, technology incubation, venture building, R&D blockchain, enterprise blockchain solutions, digital identity, tokenization, fintech Africa, Irene Kiwia, Adanian Labs, Next Chymia Consulting, blockchain consulting, pan-African tech