A Breakthrough Week for Kenya’s Tech & Blockchain Ecosystem
Last week marked one of the most consequential moments in recent history for Kenya’s technology community. In just a few days, we saw major regional participation in global blockchain conversations, new investment pipelines forming, and rising builders receiving formal national recognition. More importantly, Kenya’s role as a continental innovation hub became clearer than ever.
From community-led participation in Binance Blockchain Week, to the return of Latitude59, to recognition of young African fintech leaders, the momentum building around Web3 and digital innovation is both undeniable and accelerating.
This article highlights the week’s defining moments, why they matter, and what lies ahead.
Binance Blockchain Week goes grassroots in East Africa
As global leaders in blockchain gathered in Dubai, Africa was not left behind.
Amplify Africa, an initiative focused on accelerating Web3 and AI adoption through curated education and community activities, coordinated cross-regional watch parties across East Africa.
The idea was simple: bring Africa into the global conversation in real time.
Community hubs streamed live sessions, while local founders, builders, creatives, and students unpacked the implications of the global dialogue.
Key takeaways included:
- Greater continental visibility during a global moment
- Real-time exposure to global blockchain thought leadership
- Discussions around emerging use cases and on-chain products
- Direct networking among local builders
Latitude59 x Kenya 2025
From December 3 to 5, Nairobi welcomed Latitude59 Kenya Edition, one of Estonia’s flagship innovation conferences and a globally respected platform for early-stage innovation, digital transformation, and green tech.
This was the largest Latitude59 event ever held in Africa, attracting thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, developers, venture funds, ecosystem builders, and policy delegations from multiple continents.
In addition to discussions around startup equity, digital identity, venture investment, and sustainability, the L59 Pitch Competition spotlighted some of Africa’s next breakout startups, with Payd HQ securing top recognition and financial support.
The event confirmed Kenya is a continental gateway for venture investment, frontier technology experimentation, and globally significant digital infrastructure initiatives.
Celebrating African founders: Top 40 Under 40 Men Awards
On December 5, Nairobi hosted the Top 40 Under 40 Men Awards gala at Serena Hotel, a night that honored innovators turning ideas into billion-shilling value chains across technology, finance, creative industries, and social impact.
Partway through the ceremony, Nation Media Group CEO Geoffrey Odundo paused to acknowledge the remarkable diversity of this year’s cohort. He remarked:
“Amongst you tonight sits a 24-year-old software engineer whose firm now produces 19.5 billion shillings monthly across 40 markets.”
For a moment, the room was left wondering who exactly he meant.
That young founder was David Nandwa. At just 24, he is the founder and CEO of HoneyCoin, a cross-border payments and treasury platform, and Peer, a consumer super-app. Together, these ventures are redefining how individuals and enterprises move money across borders.
HoneyCoin serves over 100 enterprise clients and processes over USD 100 million every quarter, cutting settlement times from weeks to hours through blockchain-enabled infrastructure. Its partners include MoneyGram, Stripe, and UBA. Peer, meanwhile, has rapidly emerged as one of Africa’s most active consumer fintech platforms, with well over 300,000 users and monthly transaction volumes exceeding USD 10 million.
In a space often dominated by global incumbents, David’s trajectory is a reminder that the next frontier of financial infrastructure is being built here, by African founders operating at world scale.
Next Stop: Kilifi
The Final Block – December 11–13, 2025
If last week proved anything, it is that Kenya’s Web3 community is moving confidently toward global leadership. And for many, the next chapter starts on the coast.
This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Kilifi will host The Final Block, a multiday Web3 experience combining learning, conversation, community, and celebration.
Program highlights include:
December 11 – Welcome & Registration
Hub arrivals, tours, networking, and informal dinner gatherings.
December 12 – DevConnect Diaries & The Final Block Party
Sharing insights from DevConnect Buenos Aires, followed by the largest Web3 end-of-year celebration in Kenya. Expect conversations, games, food, and cross-ecosystem networking.
Dress Code:
All-White, or White & Blue, or White paired with any accent color.
December 13 – Kilifi Excursion (Paid – 2,000 KES)
Sunset views, bird watching, and a social afternoon at Salty’s on the Creek.
Registration link: https://luma.com/8a5g4iw3?tk=7n7iAR
For anyone following Africa’s rise in Web3, fintech, and AI-enabled digital infrastructure, the message is clear: something structurally transformative is happening. The communities are stronger, the capital is deeper, and the global attention is real.
