Technology adoption is rapidly increasing. The activity most affected by technological innovation and adoption has been payments. Money has taken many forms from objects like seashells, precious metals, paper, and now digital currencies, all to handle obligations between parties. Merchants are no doubt the lifeblood of economies. And one language every merchant speak is “payment”. The pandemic has accelerated the transformation of payments, with many countries looking into upgrading real-time gross settlement systems.
Author: Sam Iso
Sam is a Solution Architect and Software Engineer with a deep interest in finance, data, community, mental health, and education. Connecting the dot is his superpower. Sam is exploring his curiosity and creativity to match that with what the world needs.
Tokens: Next Generation Capital
85% of central banks are considering digital currencies. The tedious process, overhead costs, and other costs associated with paper currency prohibit financial inclusion and explosive innovation in the financial market and economy at large. Digital currencies unlock broader possibilities for the unbanked and those excluded from the financial market. An area worth looking into is […]
DeFi Dominion: Could this be the future of Investment Capital in Africa?
Centralized finance (CeFi) has dominated the financial market since the digitization of finance. We have had to succumb to expensive financial intermediaries who bury us in paperwork and elusive operations. This impediment has spurred the blockchain/cryptocurrency movement and its growing army of devotees. Decentralized finance (DeFi) is the latest iteration of this movement. DeFi sudden and loud growth from zero to a $100 billion market is putting traditional finance off the rails. It’s too early to say that DeFi will have dominion but it’s worth paying attention to. Central banks that banned cryptocurrencies are now coerced to regulate them.
Debt: The Face Behind The Currency
faith, while being oblivious of its elusive repercussion to society. I believe a deeper understanding (that is not obvious in textbooks) helps us in proffering more sustainable solutions to our society. I will share two illustrations of the elusive nature of money.
Elusive Innovation: A Tale of a Community
There existed a thriving community where the people happily display their yams, eggs, tomatoes, chickens, and corn on their market days.
Whenever there was a storm that damaged the roof of any of the dwellers the people easily volunteered to help, knowing that if they themselves had a problem one day, others would come to help them. No currencies ever exchanged hands.
One market day, an elegantly dressed stranger with a black leather jacket came
Opportunities for The African Youth:: The Continent’s Great Asset
Research asserts that Africa’s population is the youngest in the world. Almost 60% of Africa’s 1.4 billion population is under the age of 25. According to the Mo Ibrahim foundation’s report – In 2020, Africa’s population under 35 represents almost a billion people (540.8 million 0-14 year olds and 454.5 million 15-34 year olds), amounting to 22.7% of the world’s total youth population, the second largest after Asia’s (58.0%). Africa’s youth is one of its greatest assets. However, the continent struggles to train its youth with the necessary skills required to service the African economy.
The King of Civilization: Monetary System
There is money yet community decay, and lack of educational opportunity puts the mind of children to waste and causes ecological breakdown. It’s apparent that the conventional monetary systems and currencies give rise to competition and yet remain scarce. It’s important to understand that the success of a nation or the world is not a state, but a process.
![Why [some] Nigerian Universities Are a Bad Idea, and What Can Be Done About It](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSI2NDAiIGhlaWdodD0iNTEwIj48cmVjdCB3aWR0aD0iMTAwJSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMDAlIj48YW5pbWF0ZSBhdHRyaWJ1dGVOYW1lPSJmaWxsIiB2YWx1ZXM9InJnYmEoMTUzLDE1MywxNTMsMC41KTtyZ2JhKDE1MywxNTMsMTUzLDAuMSk7cmdiYSgxNTMsMTUzLDE1MywwLjUpIiBkdXI9IjJzIiByZXBlYXRDb3VudD0iaW5kZWZpbml0ZSIgLz48L3JlY3Q+PC9zdmc+)
Why [some] Nigerian Universities Are a Bad Idea, and What Can Be Done About It
The other day a friend informed me they woke up in the morning to hear that their school have doubled their fees. They complained that last semester a lot of students dropped out because registration fees doubled, and their VC(vice-chancellor) attributed it to inflation in the country. I responded, “Sorry dear. Just mind your business!”. I added, “Some Nigerian universities want to make money from you. They can’t really develop you”.
The New Financial System :: Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Vs Centralized Finance (CeFi)
Global finance witnessed a revolution with the advent of Blockchain and Bitcoin. We blogged about our adventurous experience in building a digital currency that was trying to be Bitcoin and not Bitcoin at the same time. Over the last 10,000 years, money has transformed from cattle and shells to today’s electronic currency. Currently, almost every aspect of banking, trading, and lending is managed by centralized financial systems and regulated by governing bodies. However, the world is moving towards decentralized financial systems. Money needs to move fast.
Manchester United website Crash and Cristiano Ronaldo :: Building Apps for Surge
I love Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s one of the best footballers alive. Many people share this view. That’s part of the reason why Cristiano Ronaldo’s announcement caused Manchester United website to crash. Dealing with a sudden surge in app usage is a good headache organizations try to manage by employing DevOps and cloud engineers.