Blockchain lawyer from Kenya interview with
Blockchain lawyer from Kenya interview with
The introduction of blockchain technology and the use of cryptocurrencies by the people in Africa rose to an unprecedented level in 2020. While many attribute this to Covid-19, blockchain supporters believe that their work is partly the reason that many of digital currencies turn.
importance of education
From the first quarter of 2020, the introduction of blockchain-tanked digital currencies accelerated into regions such as Africa, in which the number of financially excluded adults is still very high. In fact, the blockchain and the cryptocurrencies have proven to be tailor -made for the "new normality", which has existed since the beginning of pandemic.
While blockchain and crypto supporters could see the increasing use of crypto as the direct result of their efforts, some have argued that it was a pandemic that forced many Africans to use the use of blockchain solutions. But like Roselyne Wanjiru, a blockchain supporter and educator based in Kenya, to Bitcoin.com News, the work she does is still necessary.
In written answers to questions that were sent to her via WhatsApp, Wanjiru also shared her experiences as one of the few women who are working in the blockchain advocacy. Below are the answers from Wanjiru.
Bitcoin.com News (BCN): Can you first tell our readers what motivated them to participate in the advocacy representation for blockchain and crypto or in educational work?
Roselyne Wanjiru (RW): I was attracted to the novelty and the potential of blockchain technology as a solution within the range of tools in cyber security. I was initially looking for a master's degree in Data Science, but when I recognized the gaps in blockchain training, I decided to attend research, advocacy and awareness in the ecosystem.
BCN: How since when do you have been doing this work and can you say that this was helpful?
rw: since 2018; It was an incredible and challenging journey. Reception increases all over the continent because services and users experience improvements, even if the general awareness of more people reaches.
bcn: You are one of the few women in Africa who actively work to educate their African compatriots about the potential of this technology. What do you think are some of the challenges or obstacles that cause this gap between the sexes?
rw: The gender gradient is unfortunately balanced by the participation and inclusion rates of women and girls in MINT [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math]. An increase in social appreciation, incentives and role models through existing women in the MINT area changes this story over time.
bcn: What do you think should be done to increase the number of women who are involved in this educational work?
rw: Increase in the initiative, private public partner skips; Financing and training programs to include funded talents in companies that enter this industry. bcn: Before pandemic, many had predicted the mass introduction of digital currencies in Africa, but this never really happened. It needed the locks and other forms of movement restriction until the blockchain and crypto received a kind of recognition. In your view, does that mean that the educators have not done enough before pandemic? rw: educators contributed their part to spread information; However, the financial pressure, which caused many to consider alternatives, gave an unprecedented impetus to the introduction of these tools. Such an incentive was, to say the least, far away, since many were satisfied with their income and financial resources before the pandemic broke out. BCN: What do you think is the best application for digital currencies in Africa? rw: currently transfers, alternative investments and speculation about these digital currencies. Increased usage trends will provide the governments valuable knowledge about the profitability of the use of digital central bank currencies. bcn: We know that Bitcoin is mostly the most of the traded cryptovolumen of the continent. However, the stable coin volume seem to grow, as the data from Chainalysis show. In your opinion, what are the reasons for this increase in the stable coin volume? RW: Two reasons: For investors who want to avoid the volatility of cryptocurrencies, stable coins offer the required solution; And if the markets show signs of price declines or declining signals, stable coins offer an alternative to get their value so that it is not lost in the downward cycles. bcn: In recent years, some countries in Africa have stated that they have checked or checked the possibility of issuing a digital central bank currency (CBDC). However, many of these countries are not ready to recognize private digital currencies - or have imposed measures that restrict the use of such currencies. Do you provide a scenario in which CBDC and privately issued digital currencies exist side by side? rw: You can exist and become side by side; As long as the government conducted by the government in the introduction of CBDCs follow the planned process, which could take years, citizens will be used to making transactions with private digital wallets. It remains to be weighed up how well the transition in relation to service integration and user -friendliness will be so that citizens receive an incentive for the use of CBDCs. BCN: What would you advise government or central banks who try to prevent your people from using privately issued digital currencies? rw: You would like to invite forums for education, capacity and collaboration with actors of the private sector such as virtual asset service providers, considering that these tools will be used in the next ten years in all governments. They do well to evaluate the potential savings in payments, money transfer programs and the advantages of financial transparency inherent in these technologies. It is better to ask early and take risks than to have the story showed what could have been done with the past chances. What do you think about this interview? Tell us your opinion in the comments below. Bedy verification : Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons