Author: Elan
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Ripple is trying to reshape the institutional case for the XRP Ledger (XRPL) around two issues that have long limited the use of public blockchains in mainstream finance: privacy and software risk.The company’s argument is that banks, payment firms, and asset managers may be more willing to use a public ledger for tokenized cash, treasury operations, and other regulated financial activity if they can keep sensitive transaction data from a broad public view and if the network can show stronger security controls as it grows more complex.That marks a broader repositioning for XRPL, which for years was tied mainly to…
Forty-five student-founded ventures in Nigeria have been awarded a total of ₦2.25 billion in grants by the Federal Ministry of Education, marking one of the country’s most significant public investments in early-stage innovation. The grants were disbursed under the Student Venture Capital Grant Bootcamp, an initiative designed to support young founders building solutions across sectors. Selected startups can receive up to ₦50 million in equity-free funding, alongside access to mentorship, digital tools, and incubation support aimed at accelerating their growth. The programme drew significant interest, with more than 30,000 applications submitted from over 400 tertiary institutions nationwide, highlighting both the…
A jury in Los Angeles has found Meta and Google liable in a lawsuit filed by a woman identified in court as Kaley. She claims she developed an addiction to Instagram and YouTube after using the platforms since childhood. This case is among the first to hold social media companies responsible based on how their platforms are designed, rather than on user-generated content.Jurors concluded that both companies acted negligently and did not warn users about the risks of long-term platform use. They also determined that certain design features, such as recommendation systems, push notifications, and auto-play options, played a role…
By John Kamau, Partner, Financial Crime Advisory, Eastern Africa Region, PwC Kenya and Sharon Kerubo, Senior Associate, Forensics, Deals, PwC KenyaBefore the city lights, before the degrees, before the office jobs, there was the land. For many Kenyans, the memory of home is deeply rooted in the soil: the scent of rain falling on dry earth, the rustle of maize in the wind, or the quiet strength of a grandmother planting beans with her bare hands. Farming, for countless families, was not just a way of life, it was how school fees were paid, homes were built, and communities endured.…
The 800 page audit report – “Making a Difference to the Lives of Citizens” – published on Friday 20 March 2026 highlights widespread governance failures across ministries and parastatal bodies: large budgets are allocated, but weak governance and inadequate monitoring undermine their impact. According to the Director of Audit, Dharamraj Paligadu, shortcomings include inefficient procurement, inadequate revenue controls, weak monitoring of expenditures, poor project and contract management, and insufficient followup on audit recommendations. These weaknesses undermine service delivery and reduce the value the most vulnerable citizens could expect from public spending. 🟨 Introduction The latest audit report for 2024-2025 goes…
BFA Global and FSD Africa have announced $273,000 in follow-on funding for four early-stage climate startups in East Africa, reinforcing efforts to scale practical solutions in clean energy, agriculture, and food systems. The funding targets alumni of the Triggering Exponential Climate Action (TECA) venture-building programme, which supports climate-focused startups from concept stage to investment readiness. At a time when early-stage funding is tightening globally, this move signals continued support for climate innovation in emerging markets. Four Startups, Four Climate Solutions The selected startups are already gaining traction across key sectors: Africa Renewables Katalyst (ARK) is enabling renewable energy developers…
Renowned constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has paid glowing tribute to the chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, on the occasion of his 62nd birthday, describing him as a visionary entrepreneur whose leadership has reshaped Nigeria’s aviation landscape and inspired a generation of Nigerians to pursue excellence through discipline and hard work. Ozekhome said Onyema’s innovative leadership, steadfast commitment to excellence, and sustained contributions to national development have cemented his status as one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s private sector. He lauded the Air Peace chief as a diligent, humble, and results-oriented leader…
Developers from Gnosis and Zisk, with backing from the Ethereum Foundation, have proposed a new framework aimed at unifying Ethereum’s fragmented layer-2 ecosystem by enabling rollups to interact seamlessly with each other and the mainnet in a single transaction.According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, the proposed “Ethereum Economic Zone” (EEZ) would allow smart contracts on different rollups to execute synchronously across networks without relying on bridges.The initiative targets a key trade-off in Ethereum’s scaling strategy, where dozens of layer-2 networks have improved throughput but split liquidity, infrastructure and user activity across separate environments.If implemented, the framework would let applications…
Being a digital nomad, not simply in name only, can feel like a dream. Barring the cost and effort it takes to plan, prepare, and travel on short notice, frequent trips offer plenty of chance encounters, but they also test your tolerance for misadventures. Shelter is where fantasy usually collides with reality. According to three digital nomads and frequent travellers I spoke to, accommodation regularly eats between 40 to 50% of a travel budget. Beyond the cost, Yinka Oke, a Nigerian nomad, said the hardest part of planning for housing in a country where you know nobody is how unpredictable…