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<p>Imagination is more important than knowledge. Are creative industries Africa&#8217;s secret weapon to lead the global economy? How can the continent optimize and leverage on this? Join CNBC Africa as the leading industry experts from across the continent gathers at WEF Davos as they delve deeper into this.</p>


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DAVOS 2024: Creative Industries Africa: The Creative Cradle

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<p>During a time when the global economy is battling inflation, coupled with the call for countries to increase their effort to become more sustainable, how will Africa bond together to rise up to the challenge? A panel of industry experts joins to discuss sustainability and inclusion as Africa unite to rise together.</p>


DAVOS 2024: Sustainability and Inclusion: Together We Rise

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<p>Technology is advancing at an alarming rate. Artificial Intelligence – or AI – is a hot topic discussed at this year’s WEF. Africa is left asking itself whether it’s playing catch up or can Africa lead the pack. A panel of experts share their knowledge on blockchain, tokenization and what is the best way forward.</p>


DAVOS 2024: Technology to Leapfrog: Leading Innovation, Blockchain, AI & Tokenization

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<p>This week, we saw the price of bitcoin jumping above $37 000  &#8211; with the announcement that Central American country El Salvador passed a law to adopt the cryptocurrency as a legal tender. This is amid the crackdown on cryptocurrencies that we have seen in China in recent weeks, and also discouraging tweets from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Tone Vays, Blockchain and Bitcoin Analyst joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


El Salvador passes law to adopt bitcoin as legal tender

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<p>Blockchain is revolutionising the speed and efficiency of transactions. While the application of the technology is still in the proof-of-concept stage, it could play a positive role in a diverse range of industries and sectors including banking, for more on how best it could change banking as we know it, CNBC Africa is joined by Micheal Awori, Chief Operating officer for the Trade and Development Bank for more.</p>


TDB’s Awori on how blockchain technology is transforming the banking industry

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<p>Globally, central banks are split on how to regulate digital assets. While some like the People&#8217;s Bank of China are carrying out pilot tests with commercial partners, some others like Nigeria are deeply concerned about the risks posed to its financial system. On Monday, electric vehicle maker, Tesla purchased 1.5 billion dollars&#8217; worth of bitcoin, a strong backing for the crypto on the corporate level. For the crypto community in Nigeria, how best can they navigate the regulatory waters? Joining CNBC Africa for this conversation are Senator Ihenyen, President of the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria and Hanu Fejiro Agboje, CEO and Founder of Patricia.</p>


How Nigeria’s crypto community can navigate the regulatory waters

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<p>Bitcoin has reached record highs this year, smashing through the $23000 mark yesterday. The cryptocurrency is on a supercharged rally, as interest for it grows, particularly from institutional investors. Some are saying that if  Bitcoin keeps this momentum, it could test $36000 next year. Joining CNBC Africa for a conversation on the cryptocurrency is Tone Vays, Blockchain &#038; Bitcoin Analyst.</p>


What’s behind the Bitcoin’s supercharged rally?

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On a single day this week the value of the entire cryptocurrency market fell over $26 billion. That day was on Monday. The sell-off followed a plummet in oil prices. Today they are down again. To find out what gives and to discuss the hidden opportunities in decentralised financing, CNBC Africa is joined by Richard de Souza, CEO of AltCoin Trader.</p>


The hidden opportunities in decentralised finance


<p><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/vicky-mckeever/">Vicky McKeever</a><br><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/@vmckeevercnbc" target="_blank">@VMCKEEVERCNBC</a><br>Blockchain has topped the list of skills bosses are looking for in employees around the world this year, according to professional social media platform LinkedIn.</p>



<p>The record-keeping technology first emerged in 2009 with the birth of cryptocurrency but has since moved on from supporting the use of the likes of Bitcoin.</p>



<p>The ability to store, validate, authorize, and move data across the internet with blockchain means it is now being used to securely store and send any digital asset. The technology also stores a permanent and non-editable record of data entry.</p>



<p>Blockchain was the top priority for employers hiring in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Australia, LinkedIn found. Yet it was both first time blockchain made it onto LinkedIn’s rankings of in-demand skills and came in first place.</p>



<p>Namrata Murlidhar, marketing director at LinkedIn, said blockchain had emerged from the “once shadowy world” of cryptocurrency to become a “transformative business solution.”</p>



<p>Industries outside the financial services sector were increasingly seeking talent with experience in blockchain, she added, including retail, shipping, healthcare, farming and gaming.</p>



<p>LinkedIn measured demand by looking at the profiles of its users, to determine the frequency that people with different skillsets were getting hired.</p>



<p>Cloud computing came in second place, which is the technology allowing data to be stored and managed on the internet. People working in this area would be developing the architecture, design and delivery of cloud systems.</p>



<p>In third place was analytical reasoning &#8211; the ability to make sense of data and uncover insights that can help business decisions.</p>



<p>Artificial intelligence (AI), which is the technology developing machine-learning, was the fourth most in-demand area of “hard” skills for employers.</p>



<p>Rounding out the top five was UX design, the focus on users’ experience of products, particularly technology.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The top 10 most in-demand hard skills globally</h2>



<ol><li>Blockchain</li><li>Cloud computing</li><li>Analytical reasoning</li><li>Artificial intelligence</li><li>UX design</li><li>Business analysis</li><li>Affiliate marketing</li><li>Sales</li><li>Scientific computing</li><li>Video production</li></ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Soft skills</h2>



<p>LinkedIn also ranked “soft” skills – the interpersonal qualities employers want most in their staff. The list looked very similar to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/04/the-30-most-in-demand-skills-in-2019-according-to-linkedin-.html">2019 rankings</a>, with creativity holding onto the top spot.</p>



<p>However, emotional intelligence also made an appearance in this year’s top five. This is the ability to perceive, evaluate and respond to both your own emotions and those of others.</p>



<p>LinkedIn said this emphasized the “importance of how we respond to and interact with colleagues.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The top 5 most in-demand soft skills globally</h2>



<ol><li>Creativity</li><li>Persuasion</li><li>Collaboration</li><li>Adaptability</li><li>Emotional intelligence</li></ol>



<p><em>This article first appeared on CNBC  <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/17/blockchain-is-the-most-in-demand-job-skill-in-2020-says-linkedin.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/17/blockchain-is-the-most-in-demand-job-skill-in-2020-says-linkedin.html</a> and is republished with its permission</em><br></p>


LinkedIn reveals the most in-demand job skills in 2020

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<p>Emerging South African stock exchange ZAR X will become the country’s first blockchain based trading platform. The new technological creation aims to make the process of transacting easier and more efficient for directly buying and selling a range of unit trust funds. Joining CNBC Africa for more is Etienne Nel, CEO of ZAR X.</p>


ZAR X launches SA’s first blockchain trading platform for unit trusts

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<p>CNBC Africa is joined by Yaliwe Soko, a woman who has taken on the male dominated arena of technology and cryptocurrency and aims to use blockchain technology to solve Africa’s issues of job creation, skills developments, poverty alleviation and much more. She is the Chairwoman of the United Africa Blockchain Association and the Founder of Essence Crypto Consultants.</p>


Tackling Africa’s socio-economic challenges with blockchain

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<p>As Africa’s population doubles to two billion over the next several decades, its GDP has been predicted to increase from $2 trillion today to $29 trillion by 2050. With a growing population and expanding economy, the continent requires innovative solutions to overcome the hurdles that continue to plague governments across the continent. Chris Cleverly, CEO of Kamari joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Kamari CEO: Why Blockchain is the answer to Africa’s growth challenges

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<p>MERJ, an exchange in Seychelles is on a mission to use pioneering technology to change the global financial markets for the next generation. To do this the company is integrating blockchain technology into their exchange. Bobby Brantley, CEO and Managing Director of MERJ Clear and Depository.</p>


MERJ plans to integrate Blockchain technology into markets


<p>By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/julia-boorstin/">Julia Boorstin</a> </p>



<p>Facebook is unveiling an ambitious plan to create a new digital currency and financial system to transform the way money moves around the world, and not just on its own apps.</p>



<p>It’s leading a consortium to create an open-source digital currency called Libra, set to launch in the first half of next year. The goal is for developers to create services for consumers to send money around the world easily and for free — with the same convenience as sending a photo or a message.</p>



<p>The Libra currency will not be run by Facebook, but rather by a nonprofit association supported by a range of companies and organizations. But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=FB" class="">Facebook</a>&nbsp;does have a plan to profit from it with a new subsidiary, Calibra, which is building a digital wallet of the same name for storing and exchanging the currency.</p>



<p>The financial information from your digital wallet will not be used for ad targeting on Facebook’s platforms because the two divisions will be kept totally separate, the company said.</p>



<p>“We’ve seen internet change the game for everything that could be digitized, except for money,” said David Marcus, the leader of Facebook’s Calibra division.</p>



<p>“The numbers really speak for themselves. There’s 1.7 billion people around the world that are unbanked, the same number are underserved by financial services,” said Marcus, who before taking over Facebook’s blockchain initiatives ran its Messenger division and was previously president of PayPal. “Now, anyone with a cheap smartphone has access to all the info they want in the world for free with a basic data plan. Why doesn’t money work the same way?”</p>



<p>The announcement comes after Facebook has faced a slew of privacy issues, raising real questions about whether people will trust the social platform with their financial information. Marcus says that’s why it’s so important that Facebook not be in control of the currency.</p>



<p>“It may sound super controversial but there’s no better way to demonstrate the evolution of our thinking, what we know we should control and what we should not and can not control,” Marcus said. “A network that enables billions of people to move money around the world should not be something we can or should control.”What is Libra?</p>



<p>The new digital currency is set to launch in the first half of 2020. It will be run by a nonprofit, the Libra Association, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Its goal is to be broadly accessible, stable and secure.</p>



<p>Unlike bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which can be hugely volatile and speculative, Libra will be backed by relatively stable government-backed money.</p>



<p>“If you buy $50 of Libra, your $50 makes its way to the Libra Reserve,” said Marcus. “It’s designed to be stable and confer values on Libra that makes it more like a traditional currency than any of the digital currencies are now. This is the way paper money was created.”</p>



<p>The fact that the Libra blockchain is open-source means that anyone can build a service or app that uses the currency. The wallets that are developed to use the service will be interoperable, so you’ll be able to send money from Facebook’s Calibra wallet to any other system that accepts Libra.</p>



<p>Consumers will not interact with the Libra Association, but will only interact with Libra through a digital wallet or an operator. For people who don’t have the ability to digitally purchase Libra with a credit card or digitally linked account, Marcus says he expects companies in emerging markets to create locations where people can exchange Libra for cash.Who’s involved in this digital currency?</p>



<p>Facebook is joined by 27 other companies and organizations that are founding members. The goal is to have at least 100 companies and organizations on board for its launch next year. Each member of the association will manage one of the “nodes,” or locations where transactions involving Libra are validated.</p>



<p>Founding members include companies in the payments space:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=V" class="">Visa</a>, Stripe and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=PYPL" class="">PayPal</a>, which will be able to help merchants accept Libra. Some tech companies are also on board, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=EBAY" class="">eBay</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=LYFT" class="">Lyft</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=UBER" class="">Uber</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=SPOT" class="">Spotify</a>, and Latin American payments platform Mercado Pago, which could drive adoption of acceptance of the currency. Two European telecom companies are also involved, Iliad and Vodafone.</p>



<p>Venture capital investment companies involved have experience with digital payments: Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Initiatives, Ribbit Capital, Thrive Capital, and Union Square Ventures. Nonprofit and academic organizations on board are focused on helping people who don’t have access to banking: Creative Destruction Lab, Kiva, Mercy Corps, and Women’s World Banking. And four blockchain companies are involved: Anchorage, Bison Trails, Coinbase and Xapo Holdings.</p>



<p>“The idea is that [Libra] has mass adoption — lots of trusted companies that want to join the journey, so there’s a chance of this becoming mainstream,” Marcus said.</p>



<p>This list of founding members invested a minimum of $10 million to fund the operating costs of the nonprofit association as well as to launch an incentive program to jumpstart the underlying Libra blockchain and to drive adoption of the currency.Facebook’s Calibra digital wallet</p>



<p>Facebook’s Calibra is a digital wallet that will be accessible as a stand-alone app and integrated into Messenger and WhatsApp. Facebook says it’s designed to enable anyone to securely store money for free on their phone and to allow people to securely send and receive Libra around the world, with no fees for consumers, although Facebook is considering “very low” fees for merchants.</p>



<p>Down the line, Marcus anticipates Facebook will offer other financial services, such as loans, from which it could profit: “If the network is successful, it will be a big opportunity for us to provide lending to all these consumers,” he said.</p>



<p>Facebook’s larger goal is to get people to spend more time on its platforms. This launch will enable the 2.7 billion people who use its various apps every month to more easily make purchases from the 90 million businesses on its platform. The easier it is for these businesses to drive sales on Facebook, the more likely they are to buy ads.</p>



<p>Although Calibra is fully owned by Facebook, it’s operating as a subsidiary kept separate from Facebook’s advertising businesses, so it can be regulated appropriately.</p>



<p>One key use case for Calibra is remittances. Facebook says that every year $25 billion is lost by migrants on fees from the likes of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=WU" class="">Western Union</a>. Marcus says the current process is antiquated: Immigrants send a photo of their receipt from Western Union to family members via WhatsApp so they can collect the money, minus a fee. Calibra would cut Western Union and other money-transfer services out of the equation.</p>



<p>A key for Calibra’s adoption is making it easy to understand exchange rate and transfer money in and out of the currency, says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/15/instagram-kevin-weil-helped-facebook-beat-snapchat.html" class="">Kevin Weil,&nbsp;</a>Calibra’s VP of Product who formerly oversaw Instagram Stories, Facebook’s successful attempt to battle Snapchat.</p>



<p>“The easier it is to go back and forth [from the local currency to Libra] the more confidence people will have,” he said. “If you’re banked you can imagine connecting your bank account, if you’re not banked then you can imagine a map that shows nearby money transfer experiences.”</p>



<p>

Will this whole thing take off?</p>



<p>Libra is the first new cryptocurrency that has a real opportunity to bring digital currency to the mainstream, according to one of Libra’s founding partners, Anchorage, which acts as an institutional custodian for crypto assets.</p>



<p>It solves some of the underpinning issues that other cryptocurrencies have not been able to, to reach this promise, ” says Anchorage President and co-founder Diogo Monica.</p>



<p>“It’s based on a very scalable, highly efficient blockchain, that can do many thousands of transactions per second. And it’s backed by bank deposits and government securities like the U.S. dollar, so it will have low volatility,” Monica said. “The association has so many big players that already have relationships, which solves the chicken-and-egg problem of adoption.”</p>



<p>Monica says that Anchorage will operate one of the many nodes to handle Libra transactions and could sell its services to other members of the association for safekeeping of their Libra assets.</p>



<p>Marcus says if people don’t want to trust Facebook’s Calibra, there will be other apps to access the currency.</p>



<p>To boost its security, Calibra will have the same verification and anti-fraud processes that banks and credit cards use. To gain access users will have to have a valid government ID and use two-factor authentication, leveraging the likes of FaceID. The service will have built-in fraud production and dedicated live support. And if someone accesses a user’s account, Calibra promises to refund any lost assets.</p>



<p>Launching a whole new system comes with its challenges. “Every direction you look there’s stuff you have to figure out from scratch,” said Weil. “Not everyone is familiar with exchange rates, and even the folks that are, aren’t necessarily familiar with digital currency. I’ll take a lot of time to educate people.”</p>



<p>There’s also the question of regulatory approval. Weil says they’re talking to regulators and are in the process of getting money-transfer licenses, which they expect to have secured for a launch next year.</p>



<p>“People will misunderstand and think this is a <em>Facebook</em> thing, ” said Weil. “We incubated it, but it’s designed to be run in a decentralized way.”</p>



<p><em>This article first appeared on CNBC  </em><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/17/facebook-announces-libra-digital-currency-calibra-digital-wallet.html"><em>https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/17/facebook-announces-libra-digital-currency-calibra-digital-wallet.html</em></a><em> and is republished with its permission.</em></p>


Facebook leads consortium creating Libra digital currency, launches Calibra digital wallet

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<p>Matthew Arnett, CEO of PO8 is using Blockchain to better the lives of his fellow Bahamians, by recovering and reshaping the ownership of sunken treasures and artefacts. PO8 is marine archaeology start-ups that excavates such treasures from the ocean floors to generate unearthed sources of revenue. PO8 CEO Matthew Arnett joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How this archaeology start-up is using Blockchain to uplift Bahamians

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<p>Are cryptocurrencies and their underlying technology, Blockchain all puff or do they hold value? Joining CNBC Africa to discuss this is Rob Jesudason, Block.one President, who has just kicked off the Grand Finale of its EOS Global Hackathon series in Cape Town this week where three African teams are competing.</p>


Blockchain: Hype or a technology that will redefine the internet & society?

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<p>Interswitch is exploring a blockchain-based supply chain financing service in partnership with Microsoft Azure that aims to digitise the process between corporates and banks when providing trade financing to entrepreneurs and business owners in the Supply Chain sector. Akeem Lawal, Divisional Chief Executive Officer, Payment Processing at Interswitch, joins CNBC Africa for more insight on this platform.</p>


Blockchain

DAVOS 2024: Creative Industries Africa: The Creative Cradle

DAVOS 2024: Sustainability and Inclusion: Together We Rise

DAVOS 2024: Technology to Leapfrog: Leading Innovation, Blockchain, AI & Tokenization

El Salvador passes law to adopt bitcoin as legal tender

TDB’s Awori on how blockchain technology is transforming the banking industry

How Nigeria’s crypto community can navigate the regulatory waters

What’s behind the Bitcoin’s supercharged rally?

The hidden opportunities in decentralised finance

LinkedIn reveals the most in-demand job skills in 2020

ZAR X launches SA’s first blockchain trading platform for unit trusts

Tackling Africa’s socio-economic challenges with blockchain

Kamari CEO: Why Blockchain is the answer to Africa’s growth challenges

MERJ plans to integrate Blockchain technology into markets

Facebook leads consortium creating Libra digital currency, launches Calibra digital wallet

How this archaeology start-up is using Blockchain to uplift Bahamians

Blockchain: Hype or a technology that will redefine the internet & society?

Interswitch explores Blockchain for supply chain financing

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Blockchain

DAVOS 2024: Creative Industries Africa: The Creative Cradle

DAVOS 2024: Sustainability and Inclusion: Together We Rise

DAVOS 2024: Technology to Leapfrog: Leading Innovation, Blockchain, AI & Tokenization

El Salvador passes law to adopt bitcoin as legal tender

TDB’s Awori on how blockchain technology is transforming the banking industry

How Nigeria’s crypto community can navigate the regulatory waters

What’s behind the Bitcoin’s supercharged rally?

The hidden opportunities in decentralised finance

LinkedIn reveals the most in-demand job skills in 2020

ZAR X launches SA’s first blockchain trading platform for unit trusts

Tackling Africa’s socio-economic challenges with blockchain

Kamari CEO: Why Blockchain is the answer to Africa’s growth challenges

MERJ plans to integrate Blockchain technology into markets

Facebook leads consortium creating Libra digital currency, launches Calibra digital wallet

How this archaeology start-up is using Blockchain to uplift Bahamians

Blockchain: Hype or a technology that will redefine the internet & society?

Interswitch explores Blockchain for supply chain financing

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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