Kipochi launches M-Pesa integrated bitcoin wallet in Africa
Global bitcoin wallet service Kipochi has launched a product that allows people in Africa to send and receive bitcoins, plus convert them to and from the Kenyan currency M-Pesa. This will allow Kenyans to transfer money in an easier, faster and more cost effective way than is currently offered by banks and money transfer companies, such as Western Union and MoneyGram. Kipochi works on all mobile phones as it has SMS, USSD and HTML5 frontends, so there is no requirement for users to have the most up-to-date handsets. "We believe Bitcoin can truly help people in the developing world and....
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Bitcoin startup Kipochi struggled to maintain its bitcoin service in Kenya, after the country’s largest mobile operator Safaricom terminated the firm’s operation with Kopo Kopo, popular Kenya-based merchant payment service provider. Kipochi’s service enabled users of M-pesa, a mobile phone-based money transfer, financing and micro-financing service launched by Vodafone for Vodacom and Safaricom to trade and receive remittances in Bitcoin using the M-Pesa network. Instead of securing partnership directly with M-Pesa however, the Kipochi team launched their service through Kopo Kopo, which....
If you are a member of Africa’s expanding diaspora, then Bitcoin could potentially hold the key to a better life for your friends and relatives in the motherland. Many nations on the African continent are dependent on money transfers from abroad known as remittances. In fact, it comprises a significant portion of the GDP of many African countries where 326 million people lack access to basic banking services. Among the Bitcoin related companies spearheading the movement are Kipochi, BitPesa and M-Pesa. In Swahili, Kipochi means wallet or purse - a fitting name for a Bitcoin wallet that....
Pelle Braendgaard is the co-founder of Kipochi, a UK-based, globally focused bitcoin wallet service started in March 2013. Kipochi notably integrated with Kenya-based mobile payments provider M-Pesa in July 2013, allowing its users to send and receive bitcoins before converting them to local currency. Braendgaard recently spoke at Inside Bitcoins NYC as part of the a keynote panel called "Bitcoin, Remittances and the Developing World". The panel included Epiphyte CEO Edan Yago and Let's Talk Bitcoin! co-host Stephanie Murphy, among others. After the session, CoinDesk spoke to Braendgaard....
Bitcoin may soon be responsible for lighting up the streets of South Africa. Yes, because Invirohub, a South African smart meter developer, has integrated bitcoin payments into its smart meters. These meters allow consumers to "to up" an electricity allowance. Each meter will have a specific wallet address and 3G SIM card for connectivity. Once a user puts a deposit on the address their account will be credited at the current exchange rate. Months ago South Africa's Standard Bank, Africa's largest bank, was said to be testing bitcoin payment systems and more recent news of Johannesburg and....
To many, Africa may seem as a continent wth little or no technological development whatsoever, and that is the first time mistake people make. Most Africans do not own credit cards or bank accounts, but they are owners of cell phones, and it’s through these cell phones where African people make their transactions. But how is cell phone use influenced by cryptocurrency? Companies such as M-Pesa which handle a majority of transactions in Africa are the clear definition of how methods of digital transactions can rule a country’s economic system. Although M-Pesa works by using the Swahili as....