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JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP11: David & Gamifying Crypto Education with Play to Learn
David’s Entry into Web3David’s introduction to the crypto space came in an unusual way, through a referral-based Ethereum scheme called “Ethereum Million Money” back in 2017. While short-lived and ultimately structured like a pyramid scheme, the experience planted a seed of curiosity. His real turning point came later, when a friend needed to receive money from abroad. Watching crypto enable a fast, fee-less transfer showed David its real-world potential and pulled him deeper into Web3.The Sp...
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP8: A conversation with Yvonne Kagondu, Head of ICP HUB Kenya
In this episode of Spotlighting African Builders, we sat down with Yvonne Kagondu — Head of ICP Hub Kenya to explore her journey in blockchain and how she’s shaping the future of Web3 across the continent. Yvonne is at the helm of one of Africa’s most active Web3 ecosystems. Through ICP Hub Kenya, her mission is to evangelize, educate, incubate, and launch meaningful blockchain projects. To date, the hub has trained over 1,000 developers in Kenya, with additional ICP hubs emerging across Nige...
JED XOThe Missing Link to Blockchain Adoption
The first event I attended this year was in April, a Bitget event in Abuja. It leaned more toward marketing than education, but it was still interesting to see how people responded to the buzz around crypto. A few weeks later, I joined the Avalanche Campus Tour, which had a completely different energy. This one was focused on education and onboarding, especially for newbies. The atmosphere was fresh, exciting, and relatable—you could feel the curiosity in the room as people asked questions, s...
<100 subscribers
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP11: David & Gamifying Crypto Education with Play to Learn
David’s Entry into Web3David’s introduction to the crypto space came in an unusual way, through a referral-based Ethereum scheme called “Ethereum Million Money” back in 2017. While short-lived and ultimately structured like a pyramid scheme, the experience planted a seed of curiosity. His real turning point came later, when a friend needed to receive money from abroad. Watching crypto enable a fast, fee-less transfer showed David its real-world potential and pulled him deeper into Web3.The Sp...
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP8: A conversation with Yvonne Kagondu, Head of ICP HUB Kenya
In this episode of Spotlighting African Builders, we sat down with Yvonne Kagondu — Head of ICP Hub Kenya to explore her journey in blockchain and how she’s shaping the future of Web3 across the continent. Yvonne is at the helm of one of Africa’s most active Web3 ecosystems. Through ICP Hub Kenya, her mission is to evangelize, educate, incubate, and launch meaningful blockchain projects. To date, the hub has trained over 1,000 developers in Kenya, with additional ICP hubs emerging across Nige...
JED XOThe Missing Link to Blockchain Adoption
The first event I attended this year was in April, a Bitget event in Abuja. It leaned more toward marketing than education, but it was still interesting to see how people responded to the buzz around crypto. A few weeks later, I joined the Avalanche Campus Tour, which had a completely different energy. This one was focused on education and onboarding, especially for newbies. The atmosphere was fresh, exciting, and relatable—you could feel the curiosity in the room as people asked questions, s...
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On episode 5 of Spotlighting African Builders, host Jed XO and co-host Gneric hosted a powerful two-hour conversation with Nigerian engineer, entrepreneur, and blockchain pioneer Ugochukwu Aronu. It wasn’t just a space, it was a blueprint for Africa’s decentralized future.
Ugochukwu shared the story of his journey into blockchain, tracing it back to 2016, a time when crypto was still relatively under the radar on the continent. Before the rise of tools like Trust Wallet, he was already experimenting with building wallet systems and trying to solve currency volatility issues in Nigeria.
These early experiences laid the groundwork for his first major project: Xend Finance, a DeFi platform that helps Nigerians and users in other unstable economies save and invest in stable currencies. It marked a turning point not just in his career, but in how decentralized finance could be used for real-world impact.
The highlight of the session was the deep dive into his latest and most ambitious project: Asset Chain, a Layer 1, EVM-compatible blockchain designed to support African liquidity, creators, and developers.
“If we don’t build this,” Ugochukwu said, “there’s already this narrative that Nigerians only feed off other people’s success. We don’t develop things of our own.”
Asset Chain is not just another blockchain, it's a direct response to the infrastructural gaps in Africa’s financial and trading systems. By focusing on P2P transaction flows, liquidity provision, and economic sovereignty, it offers a homegrown alternative to global chains that don’t prioritize African problems.
The upcoming mainnet launch, starting next week with an invite-only phase promises to be a huge leap for Africa’s place in the decentralized world.
Ugochukwu made it clear that Asset Chain is for everyone not just coders or DeFi nerds. Whether you're a trader, a content creator, or someone who just wants to support the movement, there’s space to contribute and grow.
The conversation also featured contributions from other African innovators, who shared ideas around integrating different tech stacks, building new protocols, and supporting the ecosystem from multiple fronts.
The energy was undeniable, a reminder that Africa doesn’t need to wait for the future. We’re building it now.
This episode was proudly sponsored by We Them Media, a Pan-African onchain media collective dedicated to amplifying the stories of African builders through community-led storytelling and strategic content.
Their role in showcasing pioneers like Ugochukwu is part of a larger movement to shape how African innovation is seen, supported, and celebrated both on and off chain.
As the Space wrapped, hosts Jed XO and Gneric expressed deep gratitude not only to Ugochukwu, but to every listener, speaker, and builder showing up for this moment in African tech.
From wallets to DeFi, from connectivity to liquidity, Ugochukwu Aronu’s journey proves that homegrown innovation can change everything. And as he reminded us, it’s time we stop waiting for permission and start owning the narrative.
Missed the live space? Listen to the full recording:
https://x.com/i/spaces/1mrGmPQbZPZKy
African innovation isn’t coming ,it’s already here!
On episode 5 of Spotlighting African Builders, host Jed XO and co-host Gneric hosted a powerful two-hour conversation with Nigerian engineer, entrepreneur, and blockchain pioneer Ugochukwu Aronu. It wasn’t just a space, it was a blueprint for Africa’s decentralized future.
Ugochukwu shared the story of his journey into blockchain, tracing it back to 2016, a time when crypto was still relatively under the radar on the continent. Before the rise of tools like Trust Wallet, he was already experimenting with building wallet systems and trying to solve currency volatility issues in Nigeria.
These early experiences laid the groundwork for his first major project: Xend Finance, a DeFi platform that helps Nigerians and users in other unstable economies save and invest in stable currencies. It marked a turning point not just in his career, but in how decentralized finance could be used for real-world impact.
The highlight of the session was the deep dive into his latest and most ambitious project: Asset Chain, a Layer 1, EVM-compatible blockchain designed to support African liquidity, creators, and developers.
“If we don’t build this,” Ugochukwu said, “there’s already this narrative that Nigerians only feed off other people’s success. We don’t develop things of our own.”
Asset Chain is not just another blockchain, it's a direct response to the infrastructural gaps in Africa’s financial and trading systems. By focusing on P2P transaction flows, liquidity provision, and economic sovereignty, it offers a homegrown alternative to global chains that don’t prioritize African problems.
The upcoming mainnet launch, starting next week with an invite-only phase promises to be a huge leap for Africa’s place in the decentralized world.
Ugochukwu made it clear that Asset Chain is for everyone not just coders or DeFi nerds. Whether you're a trader, a content creator, or someone who just wants to support the movement, there’s space to contribute and grow.
The conversation also featured contributions from other African innovators, who shared ideas around integrating different tech stacks, building new protocols, and supporting the ecosystem from multiple fronts.
The energy was undeniable, a reminder that Africa doesn’t need to wait for the future. We’re building it now.
This episode was proudly sponsored by We Them Media, a Pan-African onchain media collective dedicated to amplifying the stories of African builders through community-led storytelling and strategic content.
Their role in showcasing pioneers like Ugochukwu is part of a larger movement to shape how African innovation is seen, supported, and celebrated both on and off chain.
As the Space wrapped, hosts Jed XO and Gneric expressed deep gratitude not only to Ugochukwu, but to every listener, speaker, and builder showing up for this moment in African tech.
From wallets to DeFi, from connectivity to liquidity, Ugochukwu Aronu’s journey proves that homegrown innovation can change everything. And as he reminded us, it’s time we stop waiting for permission and start owning the narrative.
Missed the live space? Listen to the full recording:
https://x.com/i/spaces/1mrGmPQbZPZKy
African innovation isn’t coming ,it’s already here!
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