Near Foundation Establishes Blockchain Hub in Kenya: Report

Near Foundation – the Swiss non-profit that oversees the development of Near Protocol – reportedly teamed up with the Kenyan blockchain community Sankore to launch a regional hub in the African country. The unit will focus on crypto innovations, education, and talent development throughout the continent.

Africa’s Latest Crypto Project

Several recent studies estimated that emerging economies and developing countries are particularly thriving areas for the crypto industry. Keeping in mind that the majority of African nations fall into this column, it is no wonder why locals are so intrigued by bitcoin and altcoins. Kenya, for one, ranked fifth in last year’s Global Crypto Adoption Index.

A recent coverage informed that the country took another step towards further interaction with the digital asset sector. Specifically, Near Foundation collaborated with the domestic blockchain community Sankore, which vowed to create a regional hub that will provide crypto education for the locals. The unit will also aim to find and develop talents for the sector across the African continent.

The hub’s leader will be Kevin Imani – the founder of Sankore. He argued that the mutual collaboration with Near could educate numerous people in the region and “nurture talented individuals to become world-class blockchain developers.”

“Our dream is to lead the way in blockchain innovations in providing solutions to Africa’s biggest problems. The Near Protocol allows tomorrow’s biggest developers to build custom solutions with scalability, security, and transparency and this hub is the next step in turning our shared vision into reality,” Imani stated.

Marieke Flament – CEO of the Near Foundation – opined Africa could play a vital role in the future development of the blockchain universe. Additionally, she noted that the hub represents a “unique opportunity to partner with local talent.”

Sankore has already launched several projects aiming to support the Kenyans’ well-being. Not long ago, it sought to hedge locals against agricultural events such as bad weather by introducing insurance based on smart contracts. The feature gathers data on uncertainties and automatically compensates farmers.

NEAR’s Price Glows Green

Speaking of Near Protocol, it is worth observing its native token – NEAR – one of the few coins trading in the green today (May 9). Unlike most digital assets, including bitcoin and ether, which are in a state of free fall during the last couple of days, NEAR is up by almost 6% for the last 24 hours.

The token’s growth in the past year has been more than impressive. At the beginning of 2021, it traded for less than $1.50, while in January 2022, it reached an all-time high of over $20. However, in the following months, it declined and currently hovers around $11.