Nairobi, Kenya, April 11, 2025 / AlexaBlockchain/ – — DirectEd Development launches its first, hybrid virtual and in-person blockchain development competition with over $30,000 in prizes, provided by eight international blockchain and AI companies. The inaugural championship has over 15 venues across the continent, with local partners in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa and Rwanda. The objective of the African Blockchain Championship is to ignite the next generation of blockchain-powered solutions.
“The African Blockchain Championship is grounded in the realization that blockchain is most useful in low-trust environments. In environments where middlemen cannot be trusted because they are exploiting their position of power, this is the case in many places around the world, but in particular in Africa. So the African Blockchain Championship is our way of giving young people the opportunity to explore this new technology and showcase the real-world use and utility of blockchain.” —Simon Sällström, African Blockchain Championship Lead Organizer
Pioneering African Blockchain Event
The African Blockchain Championship is a Pan-African competition that brings together and trains developers to use blockchain technology to solve real-world problems. The inaugural event is collaborating with a division of the United Nations Development Program, UNDP AltFinLab, which will contribute challenges and use cases for contestants to address during the event. Competing teams will have the choice of remote or onsite attendance in partner facilities co-located at top technical universities.
Unlike most conventional hackathons, participants will have over a month to learn and build complex blockchain projects, with the desired outcome being several viable African startups ready to scale. The teams with the best solutions will obtain a chance to join the second cohort of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, implemented by UNDP AltFinLab in September 2025.
Why Africa & Why Now?
African cryptocurrency adoption is on the rise, with a recorded $125 billion in cryptocurrency transactions between July 2023 and June 2024. In 2023, Nigeria ranked number two on the Global Crypto Adoption Index. Africa’s cultural influence is undeniable in the film industry via Nollywood, as well as the music industry, with Afrobeats and Amapiano taking over the music charts globally.
African entrepreneurs are disrupting petroleum markets and leather fashion supply chains by building successful home-grown brands and refineries. Mix in the youthful population and the flood of foreign investment, from the West, China and Russia, creates a fertile environment to build blockchain companies and the workforce of the future.
Program Experience
1000+ Contestants will compete for over $30,000 in prizes and the opportunity for post-hackathon project acceleration. The championship programming comprises:
- Weekend Kick-Off April 12th & 13th with Opening Keynote speeches and Bounty Sponsor workshops.
- Builder Phase: Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and the Grand Finale
- Post-Championship Incubation and Acceleration with Partners
Timeline & Schedule
The blockchain competition lasts over a month with four phases.
Phase 1: Kick-Off Weekend
April 12th–13th—Kick-off Weekend at Primary and Satellite Venues.
April 14th, noon GMT—Project submission to qualify for the next phase.
Phase 2: Quarter Finals
April 14th–28th Quarter Finals’ builder phase (virtual). April 28, 5 pm GMT, Submission for the next phase.
Phase 3: Semi-Finals
May 1–May 12: Semi-Finals’ builder phase for projects that qualify. May 12, 5 pm GMT Final Submission.
May 12–May 16: Bounty sponsor’s evaluation and Finalist nominations.
Phase 4: Finalists & Winners Selected
May 19–May 24: Grand Finalist evaluation by the panel of final judges.
May 26, 4 pm GMT Virtual Closing Ceremony & Winners Announcements!
June 1st–Post-championship startup incubation.
The Esteemed Judges
Joseph Kibur is the founder of Yaya Labs. He is the first Ethiopian to have a Nasdaq-listed company. He is an Ethiopian-born Canadian entrepreneur and AI researcher. Joseph co-founded NetNation in 1996, which became Canada’s largest web-hosting company. After 28 years of launching and running startups, he has returned to academia to pursue a Doctor of Business Administration focused on generative AI.
Ahmed is a seasoned frontier tech investor, having managed $200M+ in investments across blockchain, AI, drone tech, and robotics. His expertise in real-world asset innovations, Fintech, payments, climate, and trade finance makes him an incredible addition to our judging panel.
As the CEO of EMURGO Africa, a $100M fund-of-funds, and Founder of EMURGO Labs, a venture builder focused on Web2 to Web3 migration, Ahmed is at the forefront of blockchain-driven financial transformation.
One of Silicon Valley’s top startup mentors and judges. Vince is an early-stage investor, 7× tech entrepreneur, and veteran mentor with extensive experience guiding startups at prestigious institutions including MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Google, NASA, StartX, and Meta.
His expertise in blockchain and Fintech, combined with his role on the MIT Technology Review Global Panel, offers startups exceptional insights and strategic direction as they present their innovative solutions in the finals.
Adaku Jennifer Agwunobi, PhD Dr. Adaku, is a British-Nigerian academic, entrepreneur, and creative powerhouse. She is the President of the Oxford Blockchain Society, a Postdoctoral Researcher at Oxford University, and a self-taught software developer who has won and organized multiple hackathons globally.
With expertise spanning blockchain, AI, cybersecurity, and health tech. She has been at the forefront of innovation, securing an Innovate UK grant and leading major Web3 initiatives worldwide. She has also spoken on global stages, moderating panels with top VCs and developers in New York, Denver, and beyond.
Nimo is a mechanical engineer and blockchain startup inventor. Rotem is the founder of Grabo and Nemo Power Tools. He is an active angel investor and has invested in companies like Netlify and Flytrex. He also serves as an advisor to ScalingX.
Key Sponsors
Diamond
- Cardano
- Flock.io
- Avalanche
- Masumi Network
Platinum
Gold
Phone Sponsor
Participating Universities
- Obafemi Awolowo University
- University of Abuja
- HiLCoE School of Computer Science & Technology
- Makerere University
- Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
- Kenyatta University
- University of Rwanda
- Addis Ababa University
- Niles University
- Kigali Independent University
- Kabarak University
- Pwani University
- Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology
- Catholic University of Eastern Africa
- Egerton University
- University of Nigeria
- Technical University of Kenya
- African Leadership University
- University of Ilorin
- Uganda Christian University
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Strathmore University
- Federal University Gusau
- Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
For Web3 startups building in Africa, the African Blockchain Championship is a unique opportunity to connect with judges, mentors, and investors face-to-face and virtually. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to take part in the 1st Annual African Blockchain Championship Conference on April 12th.
To compete, go to the African Blockchain Championship website and apply.
For event partnerships, e-mail Moses Kahures at moses@africanblockchamp.com
About The African Blockchain Championship
African Blockchain Championship is a hybrid blockchain competition that brings together top talent from universities across Africa to develop innovative blockchain solutions. The championship includes workshops, mentorship, and networking to showcase real-world blockchain applications for developing African economies.
About DirectEd Development
DirectEd Development provides world-class training and apprenticeships designed to prepare African students for remote roles with top Western tech companies. Learn web development, UI/UX design and AI through our foundational courses. Excel, and secure a spot in our Talent Program for hands-on apprenticeships with tech startups and specialized training in blockchain, cybersecurity, or cloud computing.
Media Contact
Courage Kimber
KB4UC
ckimber@adn-ifm.stationf.co
Source: DirectEd Development
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