Author: Elan

BlackRock says AI could create a new class of stablecoin customer: machines that spend continuously without human approval.The world’s largest asset manager sees increasingly autonomous AI systems purchasing data, accessing software, and acquiring computing resources on their own, potentially adding a new source of transaction demand to digital assets beyond trading and human payments.That prospect sits at the center of BlackRock’s new report, The Machine-Native Economy, which argues that artificial intelligence could eventually change who initiates economic activity. Instead of people making individual payment decisions, software could execute thousands of small transactions to complete a task.Stablecoins enter that market with…

The Central Bank of The Gambia has directed all banks in the country to phase out non-Gambian employees and replace them with suitably qualified Gambian nationals, with full compliance required by December 31, 2026. Nigerian banking giants maintain a significant presence in The Gambia, operating through major subsidiaries such as Guaranty Trust Bank (Gambia) Limited, First Bank Gambia Limited, Access Bank (Gambia) Limited, and Zenith Bank Gambia Limited. Some of these have notable foreign directors and staff on their payroll. The directive, dated September 16, 2026, was issued in a letter addressed to the Managing Directors of all banks and…

The web is evolving beyond menus, forms, and endless clicks toward experiences shaped around human intent. For UX designers, understanding this shift means re-evaluating their role, moving from designing visible interfaces to guiding transparent, intent-driven AI experiences.Ever since the commercialisation of the Graphical User Interface pioneered by systems like the Xerox Star and popularised by the original Apple Macintosh, software has relied heavily on point-and-click interactions. If you wanted to book a trip, buy a pair of shoes, or research a health symptom, you were expected to navigate a labyrinth of user interfaces. You click menus, adjust range sliders, fill…

By AVCAThe AVCA Summit Agenda and Speaker Page are now live and ready to explore.Taking the stage this October are some of the influential voices challenging assumptions and shaping Africa’s sustainable investment landscape:Souleymane Ba — Partner, Co-Head of Climate Investment Strategy, LeapFrog InvestmentsSelma Cherif — Partner, Investor Engagement & Sustainability, BluePeak Private CapitalMatthieu Ducorroy — Head of Equity and Funds Division, EIBDavid Ekabouma — Chief Executive Officer, GreenMaxFabrice Essono — Managing Director, Okoumé Capital – GSWF Private EquityJérémy Hajdenberg — Co-CEO, Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P)Shurong (Sharon) Li — Vice President, Gemcorp CapitalAlex Maddy — Managing Director and Head of Responsible…

As killings of whistleblowers and activists go unpunished, South Africa’s delayed legislative reforms expose a fatal lack of political will to protect those exposing corruption. Speak up and lose your life. That is the risk faced by whistleblowers and human rights defenders in South Africa. Five years have passed since Babita Deokaran was killed outside her home in Johannesburg. While the hitmen who carried out her killing have been convicted and sentenced to between six and 22 years in prison, those who ordered it remain free. Deokaran’s death in August 2021 sparked public debate over the protection of whistleblowers in…

Africa’s weak public markets are limiting the exit options available to venture-backed startups, forcing investors to rely heavily on acquisitions, private transactions and strategic consolidation to realise returns, investment experts have said. The challenge was highlighted at the Lagos Venture Finance Summit 2.0, where the investment experts examined the state of liquidity in Africa’s private markets. To them the limited number of startup listings should not be viewed solely as a venture-capital problem because the weakness extends to African capital markets more broadly. “This is not a VC issue. It is not a startup issue,” Michael Famoroti, head of research…

Malawians and visitors alike are facing a dramatic new crackdown on cash, after the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) slapped sweeping restrictions on the physical possession and movement of foreign currency — with anyone caught holding more than $1,000 without central bank permission now at risk. Under the astonishing new rules, anyone physically carrying more than US$1,000 — roughly K1.75 million — or its equivalent in another foreign currency, must first secure the blessing of the central bank, or risk falling foul of the law. The eyebrow-raising restrictions are laid out in the Foreign Exchange (Limit on Physical Possession of…

Crypto lender Arch Lending plans to expand into loans backed by tokenized equities as the market for onchain stocks expands and lenders begin exploring new uses for the assets as collateral.Arch co-founder and chief revenue officer Himanshu Sahay told Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction podcast that the lender plans to enter the market “pretty soon,” pointing to a need for credit against tokenized stocks.Sahay said tokenized equities have grown rapidly over the past year, but lending against the assets remains limited, and predicted that more lenders will enter the market.He pointed to tokenized equities issued by firms including Superstate, Robinhood and Securitize, predicting…

Saving money in Nigeria has become easier, but turning those savings into wealth remains harder. Rank, a Nigerian integrated financial services and wealth management platform, wants to close that gap by pooling people’s savings so they can access investments and financial services that may be out of reach individually. Its model is simple: combine small savings into larger pools of capital that can invest in assets and opportunities typically available to wealthier investors. The pitch comes as formal saving grows in Nigeria, with 38% of adults—69% of those with a transactional account—saving formally, according to Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access…

Add Android Authority on Google: TL;DR Anthropic’s new Claude Opus 5.5 promises improved performance, accuracy, communication, and stronger safety safeguards. The model generates responses over 30% faster and costs roughly 40% less to run than Opus 5. Anthropic is increasing usage limits for Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers. When it comes to AI, performance, accuracy, and pricing are the biggest considerations for power users. With Claude Opus 5, Anthropic achieved impressive results on the performance and accuracy fronts, but access to the model came at a premium. With the company’s latest model released today, that’s less of a concern.Anthropic…