NEAR Foundation partners with Kenyan blockchain community Sankore to build a regional hub

• The regional hub will focus on blockchain innovation, talent development and community education in Africa
• NEAR Foundation CEO Marieke Flament said the collaboration presents an opportunity to work with local talent

NEAR Foundation has announced the launch of a regional hub in partnership with Kenyan blockchain community Sankore. The Swiss non-profit organisation is responsible for managing the evolution and governance of the NEAR protocol, a smart contract-capable blockchain launched in 2020.

The hub would be backed by a core team of four people and led by Sankore founder Kevin Imani. It would support blockchain innovation, educate the communities, and enhance talent development in the larger continent of Africa. The hub will also feature the Sankore Bounty ecosystem, have an incubation program, academy and also hold events. 

All of this is towards providing a platform for Africa’s top blockchain developers.

“We are thrilled to be working with NEAR to educate and nurture talented individuals to become world-class blockchain developers. […]  The NEAR Protocol allows tomorrow’s brightest developers to build custom solutions with scalability, security, and transparency and this hub is the next step in turning our shared vision into reality,” said Imani.

Kenya and Africa in general rife with potential  

The newly-established program will enhance the position of blockchain technology in Kenya. Current market data confirms that the East African country is already a leader in the adoption of this technology.

Blockchain and data analytics platform Chainalysis last September revealed that Kenya ranked fifth in 2021’s Global Crypto Adoption Index. It also said Kenya is a leader in crypto transaction volume, with peer-to-peer trading platforms recording the highest adjusted trading volumes.

CEO NEAR Foundation, Marieke Flament, noted this potential and projected that the entry into African could play a significant role in the evolution of the blockchain space. Flament also noted that the partnership presents an opportunity to work with local talent. 

The plan is to spread even beyond Kenya’s capital Nairobi, into regions with not much blockchain exposure in the country.

“We are excited by the potential avenues throughout Africa for blockchain solutions, which come from innovation in development, education and talent. This hub represents a unique opportunity to partner with local talent not only for the opportunities that we know exist today but also for the opportunities yet to be created in the future,” the NEAR Foundation CEO noted.

The effort should bear fruit, as Sankore NEAR-Meets have indicated.