blockchain

Crypto & fintech

Blockchain‑Backed QR Code Payments: Transforming Financial Inclusion in the Global South

2024 Snapshot: More than 85 % of adults in Kenya now own a smartphone capable of scanning QR codes, and the total value of crypto-linked QR transactions surpassed $7.9 billion last year. This convergence of mobile penetration and distributed-ledger technology is rewriting the rules of money for billions of unbanked

Crypto & fintech

Reimagining Micro‑Finance: How Layer‑2 and DeFi Can Reach the Unbanked

When I first stepped into a bustling market in Nairobi, I watched a vendor count change-stained bills while her phone buzzed with a notification for a new loan offer. The scene was familiar across emerging economies: eager entrepreneurs, fragile cash flows, and a financial system that still talks in terms