- Kenya will host two crypto events in September 2022 as interest in crypto grows
- Hack the Mara hackathon will host local and international innovators
- ETHSafari to host decentralization enthusiasts from across the globe
Africa is reportedly one of the fastest-growing markets for cryptocurrency among the developing economies. Among the countries leading in crypto adoption on the continent is Kenya.
Kenyan citizens are increasingly and actively getting into the crypto space. A study conducted by the UN reports that 8.5% (4,25 million) of Kenya’s population own cryptocurrencies. The highest rate of crypto adoption in Africa.
The country, Kenya, hosts various crypto events. The recent upcoming events are Hack the Mara by the Mara Foundation and the ETHSafari event.
These two hackathon events will take place around the same time and will leave worthwhile footprints not only in Kenya but in Africa in general.
Hack the Mara event will take place from the 17th to the 26th of September 2022, and the ETHSafari will also take place from the 18th to the 24th of September 2022.
Hack the Mara hackathon
The Mara Foundation in partnership with Antler, a global early-stage VC and start-up builder, launched the immersive hackathon event, Hack the Mara.
The event will host various talented innovators across Africa. These innovators will focus on generating and developing impactful solutions for the Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Maasai Mara is reportedly one of the vital conservation regions of the world. The region receives funding from a Fund Distribution Program to counteract the negative effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the tourism sector.
However, due to the remoteness of the region, there are concerns that the funds do not reach the intended beneficiaries.
Mara will, therefore, act as a test on which the winning innovation solutions from the hackathon will receive support.
The solutions need to meet certain requirements for it to emerge as a winner. Such include transparency, and accessibility even from low internet penetration and low smartphone adoption areas. These solutions should also adhere to the KYC/AML policies.
The Mara Foundation, therefore, invites citizens from across Africa to be part of the hackathon. Primarily the interested individuals should be of age 16 and above and should possess the required skills.
The hackathon teams will camp in the Mara at Ishara for a week. The team will come up with profitable solutions that will equip the Mara ecosystem with enduring transparency.
The winning teams will receive awards including cash prizes in USDC and in-kind of $10000 and membership into the Antler Nairobi Program. The Antler team will also invest in the winning solutions to advance them into actual businesses.
The innovators who will comprise developers, designers and entrepreneurs will also get a chance to interact with hiring companies and several project managers.
Applications for the hackathon are ongoing, running from the 14th of July 2022 to the 5th of August 2022.
ETHSafari hackathon
The ETHSafari is also another big hackathon event scheduled to take place in Kenya. The event will kick off with a Bootcamp on the 18th – 19th of September and the participants can attend either physically or virtually.
After the Bootcamp, the hackathon will follow and will take place on the 20th – 22nd of September. The hackathon will bring together the local and international mentors as they compete for cash prizes through pressing challenges.
At the time of the event, the ETHSafari hackathon host will hold exhibitions among other events within Nairobi.
On the 22nd of September, a Blocktrain journey via the Standard Gauge Railway will kick off from Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, to Kilifi. During the safari, the hacker teams will interact through talks, codes and meetups.
The event will wind up with a conference and festival at Kilifi.
The ETHSafari will link up teams from around the globe. The teams will learn, hack, discuss and celebrate the future of decentralization. All decentralization enthusiasts are welcome to be part of the ETHSafari.
The surging crypto hunger in Kenya
The growing appetite for crypto in Kenya is very promising. The country is actually considered the tech and innovation hub of Africa.
Kenya is home to the Near blockchain hub, a project born from Near Foundation’s partnership with Sankore. Through this alliance, communities from Kenya and Africa at large are able to receive education innovation and grow talents.
Communities from the coastal part of Kenya already own a local digital currency, called Sarafu. Sarafu was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic period to help solve the community’s financial matters.
Crypto events have been on the rise lately. The biggest events are the NFTNYC, DeFi Summit and MetaWeek Dubai among others.
Such events are vital as they come in handy in helping projects around the globe to connect. They also help in increasing visibility and building local community projects.
