Human rights activists and technology leaders in Africa are working on developing original research into rising bitcoin usage on the continent as they seek ways to both boost financial inclusion and counter digital restrictions by authoritarian leaders.
Anaïse Kanimba, the daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, the political activist whose story inspired the film Hotel Rwanda, is leading the new Africa Bitcoin Institute, which is being supported by organizations including the Human Rights Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Bitcoin use has grown on the continent in response to unstable local currencies, difficult and high-cost cross-border transactions, and as a store of value in the face of rising inflation. But as much of the research on bitcoin has come from outside the continent, Kanimba told Semafor she is building a team to address a gap in the global bitcoin and digital currency narrative with African voices, data, and leadership: “We have a problematic cycle where African policymakers rely on global precedents rather than African realities when crafting digital currency policies,” she said.