Cointelegraph hit the gym with Ray Youssef, co-founder and CEO of Paxful, to tackle Bitcoin adoption in the Global South. In between sets and a little out of breath, Youssef told Cointelegraph, “The global South is where we should be looking” for Bitcoin (BTC) adoption. A New Yorker born in Egypt, Youssef regularly visits Africa and the Global South to promote Bitcoin and peer-to-peer finance. He is determined to bring Bitcoin to those living and working across Africa and to undermine the “Economic apartheid” created by government-issued fiat money. Youssef is a firm believer that government-backed, fiat money is a …

Emerging markets continue to forge their way into the crypto scene finding a plethora of use cases, especially in the combined Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A new report from Chainalysis reveals that the crypto market in the MENA region is the fastest growing in the world. Transaction volume in the MENA region reveals users received $566 billion in crypto in the time frame of July 2021 to June 2022. This is 48% more than the previous year. MENA is followed by Latin America and North America with a growth of 40% and 36% respectively. This region is …

The seventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development convened earlier this month with the theme “Building forward better: Towards a resilient and green Africa to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063” and to promote the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, pointed out that developing a just, fair economic model that embraces green and renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and digitalization — while protecting natural resources by broadening partnerships for science, technology and innovation — could unleash the region’s green potential and fuel economic transformation. UNECA’s digital …

As the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Egyptian economy into recession and deepening unemployment, more and more Egyptians see the benefits of trading and mining Bitcoin as an alternative source of income. According to Al-Monitor, many Egyptians, particularly young people, are interested in cryptocurrencies. Wael al-Nahhas, an economist and financial advisor to several investment institutions in Egypt, said: “Many young Egyptians started investing in small amounts despite the increase in the value of the bitcoin. They started mining Satoshi, which is 100 millionth of a bitcoin, and on a daily basis they are making profits of 4% to 5% from the …

Half a dozen emerging markets have established new records for weekly peer-to-peer (P2P) Bitcoin (BTC) trading, including India, Ghana, the Philippines, Argentina, Mexico and Egypt, according to data published by Useful Tulips. India comprised the strongest market to post a new record for trade activity, with $3.4 million worth of BTC trading hands over the past seven days. India’s P2P markets began gaining significant momentum from the second quarter onwards, with Indian volume beating out its December 2017 all-time high of $2.95 million last month before consistently rallying above $3 million this month. African P2P markets continue to show strength …

Crypto adoption is making significant advances in Africa, with crypto ownership, trade volume, and regulation all moving toward greater adoption. A recent report by Arcane Research and Luno found that Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya are frequently among the top 10 countries by Google searches for the word “Bitcoin.” The report describes the continent as “one of, if not the most promising region for the adoption of cryptocurrencies,” emphasizing Africa’s combination of low existing crypto adoption alongside an “enormous” domain possibility. The firms emphasize that Africa exhibits a young population, frequent monetary crises and currency failures, large unbanked …

Another major financial institution has partnered with blockchain-based payments firm Ripple. The National Bank of Egypt has signed a cooperation agreement with Ripple to establish new channels for inward remittances, according to a Feb. 11 report from local daily news site Youm7. The agreement reportedly makes the National Bank the country’s first to venture into the blockchain sector. Remittances: an almost $600 billion global market The global remittance market — referring to the money or goods that migrants send back to family and friends in their home countries — is expected to reach $597 billion in 2020, according to data …

The issue of Shariah acceptability of crypto is a matter of time and raising awareness, according to an Islamic finance expert based in Malaysia. Skepticism of crypto stems from uncertainty Suhaida Mahpot, CEO of major Shariah advisory firm Amanie Advisors, suggested that the existing skepticism towards crypto in Islamic countries is not a pure rejection, but rather a consequence of uncertainty, Islamic economy-focused publication Salaam Gateway reports Aug. 2. Mahpot, an advisory veteran at Amanie with 11 years of expertise in sharia-compliant financing, compared the existing situation with cryptocurrencies with Malaysia’s controversial types of investment known as Amanah Saham Bumiputera …

In the end of May 2019, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced that it is working on a draft law for crypto-related activities. When introduced, it will oblige financial institutions in the country to obtain licenses in advance for creating, advertising or operating platforms that issue or facilitate trading of cryptocurrencies. Licenses will be issued by the CBE’s board of directors. This marked the first step the Egyptian government made toward the legalization of activities related to cryptocurrencies. Is Egypt defining its stance on crypto? The state’s attitude toward the new sector of the economy, especially the financial structures …

A new banking law drafted for the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) would make it mandatory to obtain licenses in advance of creating, advertising or operating platforms for issuing or trading cryptocurrencies. The news was reported by online newspaper The Egypt Independent on May 28. Citing an official source’s remarks to the Egyptian MENA news agency, the Independent states that if passed, the draft bill will also empower the CBE’s Board of Directors to determine and issue rules for the trading and handling of cryptocurrencies in the country. According to the official source, the draft law reportedly aims to keep …

The central bank of Egypt wants to introduce a digital version of the Egyptian pound to reduce costs, local English language news outlet Amwal Al Ghad reported Dec. 16. Ayman Hussein, sub-governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), told an Abu Dhabi conference on Sunday that “feasibility studies” were currently ongoing. In line with various authorities in the vicinity, Egypt believes a blockchain-based digital version of its fiat currency can help keep issuance and transaction costs to a minimum compared to coins and banknotes, Amwal Al Ghad notes. The move is one step in the journey to a cashless …

Bitcoin and blockchain tech are ripe for mainstream adoption in Africa, where the population is well positioned to embrace the innovative technologies as alternatives to the expensive and/or outdated banking systems scattered across the continent. Lack of economic infrastructure paired with inadequate financial education has left a large portion of Africans without bank accounts or basic monetary means. However, in many countries the proliferation of smartphones has allowed access to alternative financial services which have become a dominant means of payment, especially among the high proportion of millennials. Bitcoin’s appeal is in large part due to its accessibility and inclusivity, …