Crypto Projects in Africa Struggle with Localization and Sustainability

Crypto adoption is accelerating globally, with numerous projects promising financial inclusion in Africa. However, many of these ventures have failed to deliver on their promises, leaving users behind with little more than press releases and abandoned communication channels. The root of the problem lies in the assumption that Africa is a monolithic entity with a single user base waiting to be onboarded. This approach often results in pre-baked products and underused apps, as foreign teams fail to understand the region's unique needs and infrastructure gaps.

To address these challenges, it is crucial to engage with local leaders, developers, and communities. By spending time listening, learning, and building with those already working to solve complex problems, a more effective and sustainable approach can be developed. This involves recognizing the real-world challenges, such as smartphone penetration, unreliable electricity, high data costs, complex politics, and informal economies, and designing solutions that work within these constraints.

In regions where traditional financial infrastructure is fragmented and expensive, developers are creating tools that operate within real constraints, such as offline transactions, low-bandwidth environments, and local agent networks. These systems are pragmatic and effective, with local teams leading the design and implementation, while external partners provide support from the background. Inclusion also means thinking differently about how value flows, with payment systems structured to route a portion of transaction fees back to the communities that maintain the underlying infrastructure.

Sustainability is another critical area where crypto has failed Africa. In places where electricity is fragile or expensive, blockchain systems must be energy-efficient by design. There are blockchain consensus models being tested that only reward participation powered by certified renewable energy, flipping the default from energy-intensive to regenerative. Sustainability cannot be bolted on as an afterthought; it must be built in from the beginning. If blockchain is going to work in Africa, it cannot behave like an extractive industry. It must give back economically, environmentally, and structurally, actively reducing harm.

The uncomfortable truth is that Africa does not need another wallet app or remittance protocol designed for venture capital returns. It needs patient capital, culturally embedded tools, and collaboration with African talent from day one. This means empowering developers, translating documentation into local languages, and debugging in low-bandwidth environments. It also means recognizing that crypto is already present in Africa and learning from local talent to invest in the crypto already built there. Africa does not need saving; it needs respect, collaboration, and a seat at the table.