BitcoinKE

 

Written by Malika Bouyad

Online press conferences – or OPCs – have become routine across Africa. Governments, multinationals, DFIs, and listed companies use them to deliver speed, access and reach across markets.

What has changed is not their prevalence but their function.

Today, an OPC is less a platform for information-sharing than a live test of institutional confidence – conducted in public, under pressure, and judged less on what is said than on how an organisation behaves when control loosens.

 

What journalists are Really Watching

Journalists don’t join OPCs simply to hear prepared remarks. They attend to observe how an organisation responds when questioning escalates.

They notice hesitation. They track how follow-ups are handled or deferred. They assess whether responses feel coordinated or internally negotiated.

These signals shape how reporting unfolds long after the session ends. Organisations that appear coherent and assured are treated differently from those that appear cautious, fragmented or defensive.

This scrutiny is particularly pronounced in multi-market African contexts, where regulatory pressure, political sensitivity and uneven access to information intersect. A question that appears technical may carry implications across jurisdictions. A pause intended to be responsible can be read as evasion.

Once the OPC begins, there’s no private margin for error.

 

Why OPCs expose more than messaging

Most OPC failures are not technical. The platform works. The speakers arrive. The agenda is followed. What falters is decision confidence.

OPCs surface assumptions organisations often make about access, responsibility and escalation – assumptions that may hold internally but unravel in live environments.

Who’s authorised to answer follow-up questions if new information emerges? Who decides whether a line of questioning should be closed or pursued? Who has the mandate to intervene if legal, reputational and operational priorities collide?

Too often, these decisions are assumed rather than designed, and the gap becomes visible quickly.

 

OPCs sit on the critical path of reputation

OPCs are not neutral containers. They’re live by default; attended by journalists publishing in real time; recorded, clipped and redistributed immediately; and accessed across borders, time zones and editorial contexts. This means design choices become reputational choices.

An OPC that appears controlled but inflexible raises different concerns from one that appears responsive but disorganised. In both cases, journalists draw conclusions not only about the issue at hand, but about the institution behind it.

This is why, in practice, OPCs demand far more than technical execution. They require governance, media judgement, and active stewardship of how information moves across markets.

 

Five judgements that separate stable OPCs from fragile ones

This isn’t about tools or formats. It’s about governance under pressure.

1.) Access must be designed, not assumed Open access is not inherently inclusive. Controlled registration protects the integrity of the briefing without limiting legitimate media participation.

2.) Responsibility must be explicit An OPC is not one task. Moderation, access control, technical oversight and decision authority must be clearly owned. When roles blur, response slows precisely when speed matters.

3.) Preparation is about failure, not polish Dry runs expose handover gaps, translation delays, escalation blind spots and decision bottlenecks. In pan-regional OPCs, preparation is risk mitigation.

4.) Escalation must be agreed before it’s needed Live environments do not allow for internal debate. Effective OPCs define in advance who can intervene, pause proceedings or redirect if the briefing is compromised.

5.) Distribution is part of the event An OPC disconnected from press release publishing, newsroom access and post-event assets fragments interpretation and weakens impact.

OPINION | Why Western Media is Dying and Why the Global South Should Take Note

Beyond Rehearsals: Why design drills matter

Among the organisations we consult with, the most effective OPCs are marked by a shift away from traditional rehearsals and towards design drills.

Rehearsals focus on logistics: speakers, timing, slides and links. Design drills focus on decision authority. In practice, this means stress-testing realistic scenarios where information is incomplete, questions escalate unexpectedly, or legal, reputational and operational priorities collide. The aim is to identify where authority is unclear – before that uncertainty plays out in public.

This approach builds institutional confidence, not just presentational polish.

 

Pan-African OPCs in practice

Our work creates the unmatched opportunity to assemble key journalists from across the continent in one setting. Spanning the full lifecycle of a virtual media event, our team develops the brief, secures panellists, manages registrations, coordinates media outreach across markets, and runs the live technical environment – including moderation, Q&A management, and recording.

The differentiator is how these elements are orchestrated to protect credibility under scrutiny.

In Somalia, for example, we supported TikTok’s #SaferTogether digital safety campaign by mapping a high-risk media landscape, working with the Somalia Journalists Association, managing live Q&A, and supporting post-event coverage – resulting in strong qualitative engagement and sustained media dialogue.

In West Africa, a bilingual for Nestlé Maggi combined English and French media participation, same-day execution, and integrated post-event distribution to drive both visibility and measurable commercial outcomes across multiple markets.

In Guinea, our activity formed part of a broader launch strategy for Mercy Ships’ dental education initiative, combining live and on-ground media engagement to position the programme as a regional healthcare milestone.

Across these contexts, the common factor is discipline: how access is controlled, how authority is exercised, and how narratives are guided once the session ends.

 

What strong organisations are doing differently in 2026

OPCs will continue to grow because they solve a real operational problem: speed, access and scale across markets. But the organisations getting real value from them are treating OPCs less like isolated events and more like repeatable systems.

They design the briefing for the way journalism actually works – anticipating what will be quoted, clipped, shared and reframed across markets before the first question is asked.

They also plan for what happens after the session ends: coordinated press release publishing, newsroom-ready assets, rapid turnaround of quotes and cut-downs, and distribution pathways that reduce fragmentation and prevent parallel narratives from forming.

This is the shift that matters.

An OPC that runs smoothly in the room but produces confusion in the replay is not a briefing. It is a missed opportunity.

 

GLOBAL | Billionaires Have Tightened Grip on Global Media by Owning Over Half of World’s Media, Says Oxfam

 

 

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Gold has experienced a powerful rally adding an astonishing $1.5 trillion to its market capitalization in just one day. The precious metal broke through $5,500 per troy ounce, pushing its total market cap to around $34 trillion with the one-day gain nearly matching Bitcoin’s roughly $1.75 trillion market cap, according to Infinite Market Cap data.

Silver also posted strong gains, rallying 21.5% over the past week and reaching a market cap of about $6.6 trillion, further extending its lead over Nvidia, the largest publicly traded company.

This multi-month precious metals rally has been driven by what many investors call the ‘debasement trade,’ contrasting sharply with Bitcoin’s relatively weak performance. Bitcoin has struggled to gain traction since early October, when a crypto market crash wiped out more than $19 billion in positions.

MILESTONE | Crypto Markets Record the Largest Single-Day Liquidation Event in History

Gold’s latest milestone is simply the most recent sign of the strong momentum the precious metal has maintained since 2025. Over the course of that year, gold prices climbed by 64%, marking the metal’s biggest annual gain since 1979.

So far, 2026 appears to be continuing that trend. Within the month alone, gold has broken several records, surpassing its 2025 all-time high on January 6, 2026, when prices reached $4,497.20 per ounce.

Over a five-year period, gold has also outperformed Bitcoin, rising approximately 185.3% compared with Bitcoin’s 164% gain during the same timeframe.

MARKET ANALYSIS | Over 1/4 of Total Circulating Bitcoin Supply is Sitting on Unrealized Loss

A recent Coinbase survey found that 71% of 75 institutional investors believe Bitcoin is undervalued when priced between $85,000 and $95,000, and around 80% said they would either hold or buy more crypto if the market fell another 10%, signaling long-term confidence in digital assets.

Investor sentiment shows a divergence as well: while the Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits in the “fear” zone, a gold sentiment index from JM Bullion registered in the “extreme greed” territory, highlighting the contrasting outlooks between the two assets.

2025 RECAP | The African Stock Market Outperformed Bitcoin and Crypto for the First Time in 2025, Says MyStocks Africa

 

 

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Penyedia pemrosesan pembayaran, Ozow, telah mengumumkan integrasi resmi cryptocurrency sebagai solusi pembayaran utama di platformnya. Langkah ini memungkinkan pedagang untuk memanfaatkan ekonomi digital yang berkembang dengan memungkinkan pelanggan membayar barang dan jasa langsung dari dompet crypto mereka.

Ozow secara resmi telah meluncurkan Pembayaran Crypto!

Pedagang sekarang dapat menerima pembayaran dari dompet crypto, termasuk Bitcoin Lightning dan bursa seperti Luno, VALR, dan Binance melalui satu integrasi Ozow.

Didorong oleh @MoneyBadgerPay

 

Mukuru, a leading next-generation financial services platform, has been certified as a Top Employer 2026 in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.

This achievement places Mukuru among Africa’s most progressive workplaces and demonstrates that local companies can meet global standards in employee practices while advancing financial inclusion in their markets. It also highlights how a strong culture and empowered teams are key to achieving sustainable growth led by technology.

This is Mukuru’s third consecutive Top Employer certification in South Africa and its second in Zimbabwe, making it the first financial services and technology company in Zimbabwe to receive this honour. The Top Employers Institute evaluates organisations based on their people strategy, culture, talent development, diversity, well-being, and leadership. The certification comes after a detailed assessment against international standards.

FINCLUSION | How South Africa’s Oldest Fintech, Mukuru, Leverages Data to Drive Financial Inclusion

Mukuru’s recognition reflects positive results within its workforce, such as lower turnover, quicker hiring, stronger performance, and improved well-being indicators. Its recruitment approach relies on structured data and behavioural insights, earning global recognition and featuring Mukuru’s practices on the Top Employers Institute’s knowledge hub.

 

“These accolades confirm the daily experience of our people,” said Andy Jury, CEO of Mukuru.

“In fast-changing markets, success relies on teams that feel supported and empowered. Culture is part of strategy; it drives impact at scale.”

 

“Being a Top Employer reflects how people experience leadership, growth, and belonging every day,” added Savina Harrilall, Chief People Officer.

“Our teams in South Africa and Zimbabwe have created a culture that is both high-performing and human, and this recognition reflects their contribution.”

 

The dual-country certification highlights Mukuru’s ability to use global standards in a relevant way for local markets. This is essential for organisations working across diverse African countries. It also strengthens Mukuru’s employer brand with employees, partners, and stakeholders, reinforcing its long-term commitment to building inclusive workplaces that promote growth and innovation.

Mukuru’s employer excellence comes at a time of expanding product and market innovation across its platforms. In November 2025, Mukuru announced a strategic partnership with VALR, Africa’s largest crypto exchange by trade volume, to introduce a USDC (USD-backed stablecoin) wallet to millions of users across the continent. Through this collaboration, accessible via Mukuru’s WhatsApp platform, customers can purchase, hold, and sell USDC, offering a regulated digital savings and value-preservation option in economies facing currency volatility — a move that complements the company’s mission to broaden financial access and inclusion.

PRESS RELEASE | VALR and Mukuru Partner to Advance USDC Stablecoin Savings in Africa

Andy Jury noted that the VALR partnership “is a clear step forward in our strategy to enable Africa’s emerging consumers to send, store, and spend value seamlessly,” reflecting Mukuru’s evolution beyond traditional remittances into broader financial services.

As Mukuru expands across the continent, investing in people and innovative financial solutions remains central to its strategy. This focus ensures resilience, performance, and significant impact for customers, employees, and the wider fintech ecosystem.

REGULATION | South African Remittance Fintech, Mukuru, Granted Deposit License in Zimbabwe, Targets Rural Population

 

 

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Setelah hampir dua dekade layanan terbatas, raksasa pembayaran global, PayPal, telah memasuki kembali ekonomi digital Nigeria, bukan dengan peluncuran berdiri sendiri yang mencolok, tetapi melalui kemitraan strategis dengan fintech lokal, Paga, yang akhirnya membuka pembayaran internasional masuk untuk warga Nigeria.

Di bawah integrasi yang diumumkan pada Januari 2026, warga Nigeria kini dapat menghubungkan akun PayPal mereka langsung ke dompet Paga, menerima pembayaran dari jaringan global PayPal di lebih dari 200 pasar, dan menarik dana secara lokal dalam Naira untuk pengeluaran, transfer, dan kebutuhan sehari-hari lainnya.

Nigeria’s government has sharply increased revenue from digital payments, and regulators are now extending that tax regime to cryptocurrency withdrawals, a clear signal that Africa’s largest crypto market is firmly on the fiscal radar.

According to official data, collections from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), a fee applied to qualifying digital transfers, rose to about $276 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up from roughly $133 million over the same period in 2024.

That represents more than a 100% year-on-year increase.

The levy, now reclassified as stamp duty under Nigeria’s 2025 Tax Act, has become a predictable revenue stream for the federal government, which projects annual collections could exceed $321 million from 2026 onward.

TAXATION | How Kenya Collects More Taxes than Nigeria

Expanding the Tax Net to Crypto

Previously limited to bank and fintech transactions, the stamp duty regime has now been extended to crypto-to-fiat withdrawals, effectively closing a gap that allowed digital asset activity to operate outside direct transaction-level taxation.

Several Nigerian crypto platforms, including Quidax, Palremit, and JuicyWay, have notified users that a $0.04 stamp duty will apply to eligible Naira withdrawals beginning in early 2026.

FUNDING | Nigerian Fintech, JuicyWay, Raises $3 Million to Provide FX Exchange Using Stablecoins

Some platforms are also bundling the levy with additional service charges and VAT, pushing total withdrawal costs slightly higher for users.

Quidax has emphasized that the stamp duty is a government-mandated tax, not a platform fee.

REGULATION | KuCoin to Charge 7.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) on Crypto Transactions in Nigeria Following ‘An Important Regulatory Update’

While a four-cent charge per withdrawal may appear insignificant, its implications are broader:

High-frequency traders and P2P merchants operating on thin margins may adjust their behavior or move off centralized platforms.

Long-term users view the fee as marginal compared to volatility or on-chain transaction costs.

A few platforms, such as Tirra (formerly Azawire), are temporarily absorbing the tax to remain competitive — a move that pressures already narrow margins.

 

Crypto is Now Fully Inside Nigeria’s Tax Framework

The withdrawal levy is part of a broader regulatory push. Under the 2025 Tax Act:

Crypto profits are subject to personal income tax

TAXATION | Crypto Profits Will Be Subject to Personal Income Tax, Reveals Chairman of Nigeria Tax Reforms Committee

Accounts may be linked to national identity and tax IDs

REGULATION | Nigeria Starts Implementing CARF Requirements by Tying Crypto Transactions to Tax and National IDs

Non-compliant service providers face enforcement penalties

REGULATION | SEC Nigeria Raises Minimum Capital Requirements, Sets Higher Bar for Crypto, Fintech, and Capital Market Operators

With Nigeria recording over $92 billion in crypto transaction volume between July 2024 and June 2025, authorities are increasingly treating digital assets as a mainstream revenue base, not a fringe activity.

Nigeria’s approach mirrors a wider African trend: as fintech and crypto mature, governments are moving to formalize, tax, and integrate digital finance into national revenue systems.

For crypto platforms and users, compliance strategy is quickly becoming as important as product or pricing.

REGULATION | Nigeria Starts Implementing CARF Requirements by Tying Crypto Transactions to Tax and National IDs

 

 

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Otoritas Pasar Modal Kenya (CMA Kenya) sedang memajukan rencana untuk mengurangi risiko yang terkait dengan perdagangan aset virtual dengan menciptakan dana khusus untuk mengkompensasi investor jika dealer aset virtual berlisensi gagal memenuhi kewajibannya, menekankan upaya pemerintah Kenya untuk membangun negara itu menjadi pusat keuangan digital.

CEO CMA Wycliffe Shamiah mengatakan kepada The EastAfrican bahwa pembicaraan sedang berlangsung tentang mekanisme kompensasi bagi orang-orang yang membeli dan menjual aset virtual, terpisah dari Dana Kompensasi Investor (ICF) yang saat ini digunakan untuk investor ekuitas.

In a major milestone for crypto-native payments in Africa, Flutterwave, one of the continent’s largest payments infrastructure platforms, has teamed up with TurnKey to launch secure and verifiable stablecoin balances for merchants and users.

Through this collaboration, Flutterwave is integrating Turnkey’s embedded wallet infrastructure to offer USDC and USDT stablecoin balances alongside traditional fiat balances, enabling faster, cheaper, and always-on cross-border payments across its network.

Stablecoins are increasingly seen as a bridge between traditional finance and digital value especially in markets with volatile local currencies or costly remittance flows. By embedding stablecoin wallets directly into Flutterwave’s platform, businesses and individuals can receive, hold, and transfer value seamlessly without having to manage complex wallet software or private keys.

PRESS RELEASE | Flutterwave Collaborates with Polygon as an Infrastructure Partner for Stablecoin Payments Across Africa

Nkem Abuah, Lead for Remittances & Stablecoin Partnerships at Flutterwave, highlighted this integration as a key step toward making regulated stablecoins part of everyday payments infrastructure across Africa.

“To accelerate business growth in Africa, we must make it safe, easy, and affordable for businesses to accept all forms of regulated payment methods, including stablecoin, from a global customer base.”

 

Turnkey CEO, Bryce Ferguson, noted that powering scalable stablecoin balance infrastructure with verifiable security mechanisms helps ensure more efficient flows of capital with fewer intermediaries, directly putting value into the hands of businesses rather than costly middlemen.

“We share Flutterwave’s belief that stablecoins offer an incredibly efficient way to accelerate payments and put more money directly into the hands of business owners rather than intermediaries.”

FINTECH AFRICA | ‘Stablecoin Adoption Has the Potential to 10x the Volumes We’re Currently Doing,’ Says CEO, Flutterwave

TurnKey: The Infrastructure Powering the New Wallet Generation

Turnkey’s core proposition is building a secure, programmable, and verifiable wallet infrastructure layer that solves some of the most persistent challenges in crypto.

These challenges include:

 

1.) Removing Wallet Complexity

Traditional wallets require users to manage seed phrases and deal with cryptographic key storage – barriers that keep mainstream audiences out. TurnKey eliminates this by enabling embedded wallets that users can access with familiar authentication mechanisms (email, phone, biometrics) without ever exposing seed phrases.

This approach significantly lowers the technical and security friction for both users and developers launching services like payments, trading, or DeFi. Developers can deploy secure non-custodial wallets in weeks, not months, removing infrastructure bottlenecks and accelerating product rollout.

2.) Verifiable Security by Design

A defining feature of TurnKey’s infrastructure is its emphasis on verifiability: every critical operation, from wallet creation to policy evaluation and transaction signing, occurs inside secure enclave environments, producing cryptographic proofs that operations were executed exactly as intended.

This means platforms using TurnKey can independently audit and verify the integrity of their wallet infrastructure without blind trust, addressing one of the key concerns for regulators and enterprise adopters.

3.) Programmability, Scalability, and Automation

In 2025, TurnKey shipped more than a dozen capabilities aimed at real-world use cases: modular embedded wallet kits, multi-chain support, native on-and off-ramp integrations (e.g., Coinbase, MoonPay), policy-driven signing controls, and developer SDKs that accelerate integration.

These tools help teams focusing on payments (like Flutterwave), DeFi apps, mobile exchanges, or autonomous Web3 agents integrate wallet functionality without reinventing infrastructure, letting them focus on UX and core product differentiation.

Turnkey’s rise has been matched by market validation:

In June 2025, the company raised a $30 million Series B round led by Bain Capital Crypto, with participation from Sequoia, Lightspeed Faction, Galaxy, Wintermute, and Variant bringing total funding to over $50 million. The round underscored investor confidence in secure, open infrastructure as the foundation for next-generation crypto applications.

In the same period, TurnKey was named to CNBC’s 2025 World’s Top Fintech Companies list, further validating its role as a core infrastructure provider at the intersection of traditional finance and crypto.

 

Flutterwave’s adoption of TurnKey’s wallet infrastructure reflects a broader trend: crypto primitives like stablecoins are moving from fringe use cases into mainstream financial rails, especially in markets where cross-border payments, remittances, and digital commerce demand speed and efficiency.

By lowering the technical barriers to wallet creation and secure key management, Turnkey is helping companies like Flutterwave and others in payments, trading, DeFi, and AI-driven automation unlock digital asset flows in ways that are compliant, secure, scalable, and user-friendly.

STABLECOINS | Stripe-Owned Nigerian Fintech, PayStack, Introduces Stablecoins as a ‘Major Theme’ Over Its Next Decade

 

 

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Regulator keuangan Ghana telah meluncurkan Inisiatif Literasi Aset Virtual Nasional (NaVALI), sebuah program yang berfokus pada pendidikan yang dirancang untuk melengkapi kerangka regulasi aset digital yang sedang berkembang di negara tersebut. Peluncuran ini menandai tonggak kunci dalam transisi Ghana dari pasar kripto informal ke rezim terstruktur yang menyeimbangkan inovasi dengan perlindungan konsumen dan integritas keuangan.

Diumumkan di LinkedIn oleh Gubernur Bank Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, NaVALI bertujuan untuk membekali masyarakat Ghana sehari-hari, termasuk pendidik, bisnis, dan regulator, dengan pemahaman praktis yang bebas jargon tentang aset virtual seperti cryptocurrency, stablecoin, dan alat berbasis blockchain lainnya.

Quidax, sebuah startup crypto Nigeria yang memiliki lisensi sementara, telah menghentikan fitur perdagangan peer-to-peer (P2P) hanya lima bulan setelah diluncurkan, menandakan meningkatnya ketegangan antara inovasi crypto dan penegakan regulasi di ekonomi terbesar di Afrika.

Dalam pemberitahuan melalui email kepada pelanggan, Quidax menyatakan bahwa keputusan untuk menghentikan pasar P2P-nya, termasuk iklan pedagang, layanan escrow, dan obrolan di platform, adalah bagian dari pergeseran strategis menuju 'fitur permintaan tinggi' seperti pertukaran instan dan perdagangan buku pesanan.

Stablecoin semakin banyak diadopsi di seluruh Afrika sebagai metode yang lebih cepat dan lebih murah untuk mengirim uang, dengan kiriman uang kini dianggap ‘lebih penting daripada bantuan’ bagi banyak orang di benua itu, menurut ekonom Vera Songwe, mantan wakil sekretaris jenderal PBB yang berbicara di Forum Ekonomi Dunia di Davos, Swiss.

MILESTONE | Kiriman Uang Diaspora Kenya Mencapai KES 1 Triliun (~$7.7 Miliar) pada November 2025, Kata Menteri Kabinet Utama

Songwe menyoroti bahwa layanan transfer uang tradisional di Afrika dapat menghabiskan sekitar $6 untuk setiap $100 yang dikirim, menjadikan pembayaran lintas batas tidak hanya mahal tetapi juga lambat. Sebaliknya, stablecoin secara signifikan mengurangi biaya dan waktu penyelesaian, memungkinkan individu dan usaha kecil untuk memindahkan dana lintas batas dalam hitungan menit alih-alih menunggu hari untuk transfer selesai.

Bank Ekspor-Impor Afrika (AfreximBank) secara resmi mengakhiri hubungan penilaian kredit yang telah lama terjalin dengan Fitch Ratings, agensi penilaian kredit global, setelah menyimpulkan bahwa kerangka evaluasi saat ini tidak lagi sejalan dengan bagaimana struktur hukum, misi, dan profil risiko Bank harus dinilai.

Dalam sebuah pernyataan, Afreximbank mengatakan bahwa tinjauan komprehensif terhadap keterlibatannya dengan Fitch menemukan bahwa metodologi penilaian kredit terbaru yang digunakan oleh agensi tersebut tidak mencerminkan Perjanjian Pendirian Bank dengan memadai – sebuah perjanjian multilateral yang ditandatangani dan diratifikasi oleh negara-negara anggotanya yang mendasari mandatnya untuk mendukung perdagangan intra dan ekstra-Afrika. Menurut AfreximBank, perjanjian ini menciptakan perlindungan dan komitmen hukum yang membedakan operasinya dari bank-bank komersial – perbedaan yang diyakininya terabaikan dalam penilaian Fitch.

Koin Emas Herculis (XAUH) memungkinkan investor untuk memiliki emas Swiss LBMA mulai dari hanya 0.01 gram, menghapus hambatan tradisional yang telah membuatnya tidak terjangkau bagi sebagian besar pembeli.

Emas telah berfungsi sebagai penyimpan nilai selama ribuan tahun. Namun, selama sebagian besar sejarah modern, memiliki emas fisik tetap tidak terjangkau bagi orang biasa. Jumlah pembelian minimum yang tinggi, premi dealer, biaya penyimpanan, dan kekhawatiran keamanan menciptakan hambatan yang menguntungkan pembeli institusional dan pemilik kekayaan tinggi.

Perhitungan itu sedang berubah. Koin Emas Herculis (XAUH) mewakili model baru di mana kepemilikan emas fraksional menjadi semudah membeli secangkir kopi. Setiap token XAUH mewakili satu gram emas 999.9 halus Swiss LBMA dan dapat dibagi menjadi unit sekecil 0.01 gram. Pada harga emas saat ini, itu setara dengan biaya masuk sekitar $1.35 hingga $1.40.

After a long phase of rapid expansion, the global stablecoin market has stopped growing and entered a consolidation phase.

Industry sources say this plateau (around ~310 billion) reflects higher compliance costs from tighter rules in the U.S and EU and the fact that U.S Treasury yields are more attractive than holding non-yielding stablecoins.

Key points

• Issuance slowing: Institutional stablecoin issuers now face tougher regulatory requirements like stricter reserve standards under the US GENIUS Act and the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regime which has raised compliance costs and discouraged aggressive minting.

• Treasury yields matter: With real yields on U.S government debt trading higher, the opportunity cost of holding stablecoins that don’t pay direct interest has risen, reducing speculative demand.

STABLECOINS | Circulation of Stablecoins Doubled in the Past 18 Months, Says McKinsey

• Market size staying steady: Data show the total stablecoin supply has hovered around ~$310 billion since late 2025 after more than doubling during early 2024–2025.

MILESTONE | Stablecoins Cross $300 Billion in Market Cap for the First Time

• Macro stress and market behavior: The plateau comes after a sharp market sell-off in October 2025 that triggered widespread deleveraging, shrinking demand for on-chain liquidity.

MILESTONE | Crypto Markets Record the Largest Single-Day Liquidation Event in History

• Yield debate heats up: Banking groups are pushing to curb or ban yield-bearing stablecoins in upcoming U.S legislation (CLARITY Act), arguing they could compete with traditional deposits, a claim industry leaders like Circle’s CEO have strongly rejected.

CLARITY ACT | U.S Senate Banking Committee Unveils Draft Crypto Market Structure Bill With Proposed Amendments

Stablecoins may now be viewed less as high-growth instruments and more as foundational infrastructure for payments and settlement. The market’s next expansion phase could hinge on clearer regulations and products that offer yield without triggering regulatory pushback.

2025 RECAP | Stablecoins Surged by ~50% in 2025 – The Biggest Year on Record

 

 

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Pemerintah Ethiopia telah secara resmi mengumumkan bahwa mereka mencari mitra investasi untuk membantu membangun dan mengoperasikan infrastruktur penambangan Bitcoin, sebagai bagian dari strategi transformasi ekonomi dan digital yang lebih luas.

Berbicara di konferensi Finance Forward Ethiopia 2026, Perdana Menteri Abiy Ahmed mengatakan bahwa Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) yang dimiliki negara secara aktif mencari mitra berpengalaman yang dapat membawa modal, teknologi penambangan, dan keahlian operasional untuk inisiatif penambangan Bitcoin nasional. Tujuannya adalah untuk menghasilkan pendapatan langsung bagi negara dari penambangan Bitcoin daripada hanya mengandalkan operator swasta.

Kantor Komisaris Perlindungan Data (ODPC) secara resmi mengonfirmasi bahwa perusahaan induk WorldCoin, Tools for Humanity, telah menghapus semua data biometrik yang sebelumnya dikumpulkan dari warga Kenya.

Regulator mengatakan bahwa ini mengikuti audit kepatuhan untuk memastikan penghapusan sesuai dengan Undang-Undang Perlindungan Data, 2019, menyoroti penegakan privasi data di Kenya.

Pengumpulan data biometrik WorldCoin di Kenya, di mana ribuan orang memiliki pemindaian iris dan wajah mereka yang ditangkap melalui ‘Orbs‘ sebagai imbalan untuk hadiah kripto, dengan cepat menarik perhatian regulasi.

Pembayaran kripto di Kenya secara perlahan melampaui ambang batas besar. Apa yang dulunya merupakan solusi peer-to-peer bawah tanah kini muncul sebagai aliran pembayaran fungsional dan arus utama yang menghubungkan Binance, M-PESA TILLs dan PAYBILLs, serta penyelesaian langsung ke rekening bank Kenya, termasuk KCB.

Perubahan ini disoroti oleh Nick Mwendwa, CEO Riverbank Solutions, yang mengonfirmasi bahwa pengguna kini dapat mentransfer nilai dari aset kripto seperti USDT, USDC, dan Bitcoin ke dalam pembayaran pedagang sehari-hari yang pada akhirnya diselesaikan ke dalam rekening bank dan dompet seluler.

Strategi (dahulu MicroStrategy), perusahaan kas Bitcoin yang dipimpin oleh Michael Saylor, mendorong kepemilikan Bitcoin korporatnya melewati 709.000 BTC dengan akuisisi besar senilai $2,13 miliar dari 22.305 BTC, menurut pengajuan kepada Komisi Sekuritas dan Bursa AS. Pembelian terbaru ini, yang didanai melalui penawaran saham dan saham preferen, merupakan pembelian terbesar perusahaan dalam lebih dari setahun dan menekankan misi inti mereka: mengumpulkan Bitcoin tanpa henti dan menahannya sebagai aset kas strategis.

Per pengungkapan Januari 2026, Strategi memiliki 709.715 BTC, yang mewakili sekitar 3,37% dari total pasokan bitcoin 21 juta. Perusahaan telah menghabiskan sekitar $53,9 miliar untuk mengakuisisi koin ini dengan biaya rata-rata sekitar ~$75.979 per BTC. Meskipun ada kerugian yang belum direalisasi jangka pendek yang tercermin dalam laporan keuangan Q4, yang menjadi perhatian di kalangan analis, kepemimpinan Strategi telah memperkuat narasi bahwa pertumbuhan jangka panjang dalam bitcoin-per-saham adalah tolok ukur terpenting perusahaan.

Di Forum Ekonomi Dunia di Davos, Otoritas Pusat Keuangan Internasional Nairobi (NIFC) mengajukan argumen kuat untuk Nairobi sebagai tujuan utama keuangan, inovasi, dan aset digital yang diatur di Afrika – menandakan dorongan strategis yang dapat mengubah ekosistem kripto Kenya.

CEO NIFC, Daniel Mainda, memberi tahu investor global bahwa Nairobi telah beralih dari "momentum ke arsitektur," fokus pada kejelasan regulasi, institusi yang kuat, dan hasil ekonomi nyata daripada eksperimen sementara. Keterlibatan di Davos menampilkan rencana untuk mendukung infrastruktur blockchain dan platform digital yang dapat diskalakan.