For years, blockchain has been promoted as a technology capable of transforming finance, but for Africa, the bigger opportunity may lie in something less glamorous: building trust.
That is the view of Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, founder and CEO of Ubuntu Tribe, who believes the continent’s digital future will depend less on speculative crypto assets and more on practical solutions that make ownership, savings, and investment accessible to ordinary people.
Speaking to The Coin Headlines about blockchain’s role in Africa, Toure argues that the continent’s financial challenges extend far beyond access to bank accounts.
“Many Africans can move money today through mobile channels,” he said. “But wealth creation requires more than payment access.”
In his view, blockchain’s biggest contribution is not simply faster transactions but the ability to record and verify ownership in a transparent and affordable way. By tokenizing assets, the technology could allow people with limited financial resources to own small portions of investments that were once reserved for institutions and wealthy individuals.
Blockchain still not cure for all
Despite the optimism, Toure is quick to caution against viewing blockchain as a cure-all.
“None of that happens without clear regulation, trusted infrastructure, and local payment rails,” he said.
That emphasis on trust shapes Ubuntu Tribe’s own strategy. The company has developed GIFT Gold, a digital token backed by physical gold, with the aim of making precious metal investments more accessible across African markets.
Gold, Toure argues, already has a natural advantage.
“Across the continent, people recognize it as a store of value that goes beyond one country, one currency, and one political cycle.”
Traditionally, however, investing in gold has required significant capital, secure storage, trusted dealers, and insurance. Tokenization lowers those barriers by allowing physical gold to be represented digitally in smaller units.
Ubuntu Tribe’s model combines digital ownership with custody services, proof-of-reserves systems, regular audits, and a mobile wallet designed for easier access.
The timing may be significant. Currency volatility remains a challenge in many African economies, affecting household savings, small businesses, and long-term financial planning. Toure believes tokenized assets could offer an alternative for people looking to preserve purchasing power.
The broader challenge, however, extends beyond individual investors.
Having worked on more than $25 billion in transactions across infrastructure, mining, and technology, Toure says African entrepreneurs continue to face difficulties attracting global capital.
“The opportunities are there,” he said. “Making them legible to global investors is the harder problem.”
Many businesses operate in markets where risks are difficult for international investors to assess. That uncertainty increases due diligence costs and can discourage investment, even when the underlying opportunity is strong.
African startups also tend to require patient, long-term funding, while many investors seek larger deals and clear exit strategies.
“Global capital moves toward what it can understand and underwrite,” Toure said.
Building that understanding requires more than technology. It also requires regulation.
According to Toure, the digital asset industry has already experienced enough failures to demonstrate that custody, transparency, and consumer protection cannot be treated as optional features.
He also believes regulators should distinguish between different types of digital assets.
An unbacked speculative cryptocurrency, he argues, should not be regulated in exactly the same way as a token backed by audited and insured physical gold.
Instead, he supports a collaborative, risk-based approach that allows innovation through controlled pilot programmes while enforcing proof-of-reserves standards and investor protections.
Blockchain in Africa
Looking ahead, Toure sees several areas where blockchain could have the biggest impact across Africa.
Savings and wealth preservation top the list, particularly as households look for ways to protect themselves from currency fluctuations. Cross-border payments and remittances also present a significant opportunity, especially if blockchain networks can integrate with existing local payment systems.
He also points to commodity markets and small business finance, where tokenization could help verify ownership of assets and improve access to working capital.
Ultimately, Toure believes the future of blockchain in Africa will not be determined by speculative trading or short-term market cycles.
“The strongest projects will be the ones that make trust less expensive,” he said.
For Africa, that may be blockchain’s most important promise—not creating the next crypto boom, but reducing friction in financial systems and opening investment opportunities to people and businesses that have long been excluded from traditional markets.
