Speaking at the ongoing ETHSafari in Kenya, Lisk’s Head of Investment Gideon Greaves, praised the African Web3 ecosystem for its problem-focused projects. He was joined by Lisk’s COO, Dominic Schwenter as they discussed the present and future of Africa’s Web3 space.
Africa’s Unique Problems Spawn Solutions From Web3 Builders
According to Chainanalysis, stablecoins accounted for 43% of crypto transactions in Africa. This illustrates that crypto in Africa is solving real problems like inflation and cross-border remittances.
Schwenter acknowledged this reality when he said,
“Africa represents what happens when Web3 bypasses the speculation phase and goes straight to solving real problems. Many regions got caught up in DeFi yield farming and NFT trading. Still, African founders are building payment rails, supply chain transparency, and financial access tools because they have to”
Greaves added that for Africa, crypto is,
“not about speculation—it’s about survival.”
This has informed the way Web3 entrepreneurs build. While builders in North America and Europe are focused on tokens, African builders only include tokens if it is absolutely necessary. Many African Web3 startups don’t have native tokens, but they’re solving real life problems.
“They’re problem-led, not token-led,”
Greaves enthused.
Africa Set to Be A World Leader In Blockchain Tech Implementation
Greaves and Schwenter were bullish on Africa’s potential to lead global Web3 growth. Preliminary data from Chainanalysis’ 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index shows a 52% growth for Sub-Saharan.
The verdict is that this growth is driven by problem-based utility, aligning with the observations and predictions of the two Lisk executives.
“Africa will be to Web3 what India became to IT services…And that will prove what this industry was always about—solving real-world problems, not chasing hype,”
Greaves concluded.
ETHSafari Continues…
ETHSafari is a Web3 and Ethereum-focused event currently holding in Kenya. It rounds up on 14th September, and is bringing together developers, founders, and enthusiasts for a week of Web3-themed activities. The event involves hackathons, conferences, and networking.
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