By Bitcoin Revista - hai 6 meses - Tempo de lectura: 14 minutos
África: A Nova Terra dos Libres
I write this article as a resident of New York City, home of the Statue of Liberty, one of the most widely recognized symbols of America — the “land of the free”.
Pero, cando se trata Bitcoin, I don’t feel so free as a New Yorker.
New York State (NYS) is one of the most restrictive jurisdictions in the world in regard to Bitcoin. Since 2015, NYS has required companies that deal in the virtual currency marketplace to obtain a "Licenza de bits" in order to do business in the state. This license is both difficult and expensive to acquire. Bitcoin-only exchanges like River and Swan as well as long-standing, reputable crypto exchanges like Kraken cannot serve residents of NYS because they do not have BitLicenses (for Swan, some NYS residents are grandfathered in from a time when Swan was permitted to operate in NYS, but the exchange is no longer allowed to enroll new New York residents). And Strike, a bitcoin payment app, as well as Ledn, a bitcoin borrowing and lending platform, are not permitted to serve NYS residents either.
As if the BitLicense wasn’t an offensive enough roadblock in the state that is home to New York City — often purported to be the financial hub of the world — NYS’s current governor, Kathy Hochul, has pushed to make NYS even more unfriendly to Bitcoin. In November 2022, she signed a law prohibición Bitcoin empresas mineiras that don’t use 100% renewable resources from operating in the state for two years.
Conducir home the point about New York’s stance on Bitcoin, look no further than the words of the state’s Attorney General, Letitia James.
fonte(At the very least, she could have differentiated between bitcoin and all other digital assets.)
NYS authorities seem to be doing everything in their power to protect the old financial guard — Wall Street — pushing Bitcoin-related exchanges and start-ups out of NYS.
To say it’s disappointing to be a Bitcoin enthusiast living in New York is an understatement.
I feel inspired and hopeful, though, when I look beyond the state lines of New York, and even beyond the borders of the United States, to Africa, where the youth are passionate about promoting greater Bitcoin adopción.
On my podcast, new renaissance capital, I interview Bitcoin educators, entrepreneurs and thought leaders mostly based in The Global South.
Whenever I speak with guests from Africa, I get the feeling that they’re willing to push for greater Bitcoin adoption in their country (and on the continent at large) — whether their government is currently open to the idea or not.
Africans in particular have a certain sense of stoicism in their approach to Bitcoin. They’re on a mission to further the adoption of what Alex Gladstein termed “post-colonial money” in his book Check Your Financial Privilege: Inside the Global Bitcoin Revolución.
So, in this piece, I’d like to highlight some key segments of conversations I’ve had with African Bitcoiners, people who I believe future generations will look back at and thank for the work they’re doing now to make Africans freer and more self-sovereign.
Comecemos polo extremo suroeste do continente.
Namibia
Nikolai “OKIN” Tjongarero, founder of EasySats, a company that makes it easy and cheap for Namibians to acquire bitcoin, has been doing his part to convince the powers that be in Namibia of Bitcoin’s value. He’s even orange-pilled members of the Bank of Namibia, the country’s central bank.
When higher-ups at the bank reached out to a burger joint that OKIN had recently convinced to accept bitcoin as a form of payment and requested to meet with OKIN at the restaurant, OKIN happily (though with a bit of trepidation) obliged.
“I don’t think they were there to try to catch anybody,” says OKIN of the 15 central bankers that showed up to the meeting. “They were like ‘Show us how we can buy burgers [with bitcoin].’”
After learning that most of the bankers didn’t know the difference between a custodial wallet and a non-custodial wallet, OKIN taught them how to transfer their bitcoin from their Coinbase exchange wallet to a Muun Wallet. Once the bankers were set up with Muun, they went to town and spent over 6,000 Namibian dollars (US$323) worth of bitcoin on burgers and beers before the meeting was through.
“This was just to see how they could spend their bitcoin,” states OKIN, who added that most of them “didn’t know what [they] could do with this thing (Bitcoin)… People are telling [them] that [they] can’t do anything with it, [that] it’s just magic internet money.”
But after that encounter with OKIN, their perspective had begun to shift, and they actually consulted OKIN for their research on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC). To highlight the risks of surveillance and centralized control associated with CBDCs, OKIN pointed to the failure of the eNaira, a CBDC in Nigeria, the first African country to launch one. He pointed out in his commentary to the central bank that only 1% of Nigerians were using the eNaira while 50% were using some form of cryptocurrency, mainly bitcoin.
Having spent some time in Namibia myself, this story wasn’t so surprising. During my time in the country, I noticed how accessible both high-ranking members of institutions and politicians were. When I suggested that the accessibility of authorities in the country might be a plus when it comes to Bitcoin getting its fair shot in Namibia, OKIN agreed.
“Todo o mundo é unha persoa; un político segue sendo unha persoa”, di OKIN. "Non é como [estas] persoas estivesen detrás dun xardín amurallado, non en Namibia".
While the Namibian authorities are considering greater Bitcoin adoption, everyday Namibians remain free to use it at their own risk, to pay for goods and services with it if they so please.
Now, let’s go next door — to South Africa — to see how Bitcoin is improving lives in the country.
África do Sur
Luthando Ndabambi, a leader in the Bitcoin Ekasi community, is living proof of how bitcoin is beginning to break South Africans free from the shackles of poverty.
"Bitcoin changed[d] my life,” shares Ndabambi, a Black South African born into apartheid. “I was living [in] a shack where [when] it’s raining, I had to move [my] bed at night because the rain was getting inside the shack. But my life now has really changed because I’m living [in] a proper house now — because of Bitcoin. "
Not only has saving in bitcoin allowed Ndabambi to upgrade his physical living conditions, but it altered his behavior for the better, as well.
“I was drinking a lot; I was not thinking about [the] future,” explains Ndabambi. “After I [began] working for Bitcoin Ekasi, my life change[d] completely. I’m thinking different[ly] than before. I don’t care about parties. I just focus on my girlfriend and my son, and my family, as well. But I don’t care about other thing[s] like wasting my money. I always think, ‘If I go to the club, I’m going to eat (spend) a lot of money… No, do not go just to waste money.’ I have to use my money [for] something that’s going to change my life a lot.”
Ndabambi is the embodiment of the idea that "Bitcoin is hope”. And this sort of hope is rare to find in Black South Africans who grew up in townships both during and post-apartheid according to Hermann Vivier, founder of Bitcoin Ekasi and Bitcoin Revista contribuínte.
Cando coñecín a Vivier na cidade de Nova York e levei con el un ferry desde o extremo sur de Manhattan ata a pequena illa na que se atopa a Estatua da Liberdade, Vivier explicoume que o apartheid fixo moito máis dano aos sudafricanos non brancos que pódese medir. "Foi deseñado para romper os ánimos e infundir desesperanza", di Vivier.
He then explained to me how Ndabambi has become a model for those in his community, as Ndabambi has worked hard to complete tasks and assume responsibilities that he otherwise might not have if he didn’t truly believe that the future could be brighter — in large part because of Bitcoin.
Now, let’s head over to West Africa to hear from a Ghanaian who’s doing everything in his power to usher in a brighter future for Ghana with Bitcoin.
Gana
Kumi Nkansah, journalist by trade and founder of the Bitcoin educational group the Bitcoin Cauris, has been doing his part to orange-pill not only as many everyday Ghanians as possible but also members of the Ghanaian government.
“I got called into a very high-ranking office in the government to come and talk about Bitcoin,” shares Nkansah. “This is what they said to me: Keep on — learn as much as you can. Once we are ready, we’ll call you again [and] you will come and help us make certain decisions when it comes to Bitcoin. We like what you’re doing. Keep up with it.”
Nkansah explained that politicians in Ghana are open to the idea of Bitcoin because “they can feel the inflation; they can feel how they are losing money (purchasing power), so they are trying to find alternatives.”
A súa interacción cun membro do parlamento (MoP) foi particularmente inspiradora.
"Fui chamado por un membro do parlamento", comeza Nkansah. "O seu irmán chegou á Trezor Academy (un evento organizado por Kumi) e deille unha carteira de hardware. Entón, colleu a carteira de hardware e mostroulla a este membro do parlamento. E entón chamáronme para explicar o que é e como poden usalo".
Segundo Nkansah, velaí como foi a conversación entre el e este membro do parlamento:
Nkansah: "Señor, sabía vostede que o ano que vén é o ano das eleccións nos EUA?"
MoP: "Si".
Nkansah: “Did you know three of the presidential candidates are accepting bitcoin payments [for donations for their campaigns]?”
MoP: "De verdade?!"
Nkansah: “Yes, they are. Where do we borrow money from? Is it not the US? So, if these guys who want to be president are telling US citizens how they’re going to use Bitcoin to transform the economy and we are not learning more, and at the end of the day we’re going to borrow money from these same people, what are we doing to ourselves? We better start learning about Bitcoin. "
MoP: "Ei, señor, acabas de sorprenderme. Vou aprender máis sobre isto, pero tes que aprender máis para que, cando chegue o momento, nos ensinas o que temos que facer”.
Nkansah went on to explain how while some members of the Ghanaian government attended the first African Bitcoin Conference, which took place in Ghana last year, even more will attend this year in efforts to keep learning. And this education is sorely needed as Ghana is being pressured by the IMF to implement a CBDC.
“One of the IMF’s conditions is for governments to leverage on CBDCs,” explains Nkansah. “But if they (Ghanaian government officials) should come and learn about the real difference between Bitcoin and CBDCs, they would actually figure out the best way to go about it — rather than doing what the IMF is saying.”
Só podemos esperar que as potencias que hai en Ghana sigan seguindo o exemplo de Nkansah.
Agora, dirixímonos a África Oriental para escoitar a outra persoa que teña oído dos membros do seu goberno.
Etiopía
Kal Kassa, founder of Bitcoin Birr, an open-sourced Bitcoin educational platform and Bitcoin Revista contribuínte, is a native Ethiopian with American citizenship who has received permission from the Ethiopian government to educate the country’s citizens about Bitcoin — despite the fact that it’s technically illegal to hold the asset within the country’s borders.
“Members of the government on an individual basis have been helpful in terms of giving me some sort of platform, giving me the ability to speak to audiences,” explains Kassa. “We have a defragmented or decentralized way of governing, so if you were to ask 15 ministers [about Bitcoin], you’re going to get 15 different responses. It’s not going to come from the institution or the agency or the office, but it’s going to come from that individual — and I’m sure they’re holding it (bitcoin) on their private books. There has been some good progress, but just nothing on an official basis.”
Kassa went on to discuss how people who hold and use bitcoin do so in a legal grey area, which sounded less ominous than what he wrote in an article he penned for Bitcoin Revista titulado "The Marathon: Ethiopia and Bitcoin".
"Aínda que os reguladores e os axentes da lei usan pautas de persuasión, os cidadáns envían e acumulan con coraxe", escribiu Kassa. "Se pensabas que os xestores de fondos con ollos láser en Occidente eran optimistas, non coñeces a autónomos etíopes de 23 anos que executan proxectos completamente dixitalizados (desde a contratación ata a contratación e a facturación) utilizando aplicacións e carteiras Lightning de código aberto de capa 2. Por humildes que sexan estas transaccións, estes nenos están a correr un gran risco para cumprir cos seus dereitos básicos de diñeiro intacto e valor soberano".
But based on what Kassa is saying now combined with the fact that, according to Kassa, no one in the country has been prosecuted for using or holding bitcoin, it doesn’t seem that Ethiopian Bitcoiners have much to fear.
Kassa explained that because there’s been no prosecution for using Bitcoin and therefore no legal precedent set, most are simply following what the National Bank of Ethiopia has stated, which is that Bitcoin isn’t legal tender and that any losses sustained while using the asset are beyond what the bank can cover.
A situación é similar dentro das fronteiras do veciño de Etiopía, Kenia.
Quenia
Master Guantai, founder of Bitcoin Mtaani, a platform that educates Kenyans about Bitcoin in multiple African national languages, explains that Kenyans are essentially free to use Bitcoin at their own risk, as per the Central Bank of Kenya.
“In Kenya, [according to the] government and central bank, Bitcoin is not a currency,” states Master Guantai, who also added that the messaging from Kenyan authorities around bitcoin is “use it at your own risk; do your own thing.”
He did add, though, that further legislation around Bitcoin is likely on the way but that there’s little chance it would hinder adoption.
"Basicamente, todos os países africanos están só esperando a que Estados Unidos aprobe unha lei e despois copiarán e pegan [a] con algunhas edicións", explica. "Entón, a [lei] americana ou a [lei] europea, quen o faga primeiro, [creará] o modelo, que marcará o ton do duro ou indulgente que [será] o goberno de Kenia".
When I asked Master Guantai if he was worried that the Kenyan government might adopt bad or anti-Bitcoin legislation from the United States, he responded with a clear “No”.
"Kenianos, temos a nosa forma de facer que o noso goberno nos escoite aínda que sexa pola forza, especialmente en Twitter", explica. "Os kenianos en Twitter non son unha broma. Se algo non é de bo gusto ou o que sexa, [é] desproporcionado ata o punto de que nin o noso propio presidente non pode ignoralo. Ten que abordalo cando se converta en todo. O obxectivo primordial do goberno é velar pola mocidade. O goberno non quere escoitar aos mozos dicir: "Vostede está a traer esta lexislación que é negativa e xa non temos traballo [aínda que] somos educados; é como se nos bloqueases oportunidades á esquerda, á dereita e ao centro». Con isto en mente, podo dicir que non estou preocupado".
Marcel Lorraine, founder of Bitcoin Dada, an organization that educates African women about Bitcoin, doesn’t seem worried either, especially since Kenya is such a tech-friendly country.
“Kenya has established itself as a pro-technology nation, earning the nickname ‘Silicon Savannah’ for its vibrant tech ecosystem,” shares Lorraine. “The country's government has actively promoted technology adoption through initiatives like mobile money pioneer M-Pesa, digital literacy programs, and e-government services. Kenya boasts a burgeoning startup scene, tech hubs, and research institutions, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Lorraine explains that especially because of Kenya’s work in implementing M-Pesa, a mobile money service created to increase financial inclusion in Kenya and other African nations, it should be open to the idea of Bitcoin.
“Kenya's leadership in peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions through technologies like M-Pesa offers an interesting connection to cryptocurrencies,” explains Lorraine. “Some Kenyan individuals and businesses have started exploring cryptocurrencies [like bitcoin] as an alternative to traditional financial services, particularly for cross-border transactions and as a tenda de valor. "
After hearing these words from Master Guantai and Marcel Lorraine, it’s hard to imagine the Kenyan government or central bank wanting to cut off everyday Kenyans from the type of empowerment and financial autonomy that Bitcoin ofrece.
Fagamos unha última parada en África Oriental antes de rematar.
Tanzania
While the Bank of Tanzania, the country’s central bank, issued a one-page statement in 2019 about the dangers of cryptocurrencies and the fact that they aren’t considered legal tender in Tanzania, this hasn’t stopped trailblazers like Man Like Kweks from promoting greater Bitcoin adopción no país.
Man Like Kweks, a teacher by trade and a músico, recently summitted Mount Kilimanjaro with the help of the over 5 million Sats he raised via Geyser Fund in efforts to bring attention to and raise funds for his new Bitcoin education program: POWA (Proof of Work Academy).
“There’s been many different projects that have been funded by bitcoin, [and] I want[ed] to put Tanzania on the map,” explains Man Like Kweks. “I was just very blessed that my network in the Bitcoin and Nostr community was enough to get enough traction to climb it (Mount Kilimanjaro).”
E en canto á inspiración detrás do nome da súa academia:
"En suahili, un saúdo é 'mambo' e despois a resposta é 'powa', [que significa] 'as cousas están xeniais'", explica. "[POWA] está dirixido á mocidade. Enlazándoo con 'Proof of Work', só quería facer algo xenial e algo fresco, e chamándoo unha academia, todo funcionou un pouco".
It definitely did work, and things will likely continue to be very cool for the Tanzanian youth if they can follow Man Like Kweks’ lead and leverage the global Bitcoin community to help elevate their creative efforts.
Entregando a África o facho
Entón, agora podes ter unha mellor idea de por que teño un pouco de envexa polo que vexo que ocorre en certas xurisdicións africanas en comparación coa na que vivo.
Mentres New York continues to be inhospitable to Bitcoin empresas, Africans are taking the bull by the horns and forging ahead fearlessly, working to create a future buoyed by a network on which users can transact permissionlessly with the hardest asset humanity has ever known.
Se Lady Liberty puidese, estou seguro de que cruzaría o Atlántico e entregaría aos africanos o seu facho, pedíndolles que corresen con ela, porque as palabras de Kal Kassa: "Etiopía, somos un país de masas pobres e novas. Dálles un ordenador e algún obxectivo e chegaremos alí" - soan moito máis as palabras impresas na súa base - "Dáme os teus cansados, os teus pobres, as túas masas apiñadas que desexan respirar libres" - que as palabras das autoridades. en Nova York, ou nos Estados Unidos en xeral.
Godspeed, Africa, and I’ll see you at the African Bitcoin Conference in Ghana in December.
Esta é unha publicación de invitado de Frank Corva. As opinións expresadas son totalmente propias e non reflicten necesariamente as de BTC Inc ou Bitcoin Revista.
Orixe orixinal: Bitcoin Revista