Sankore, a Kenya-based blockchain community, has teamed with the Swiss nonprofit NEAR Foundation to establish a regional hub aimed at developing talent in the region and building projects to improve the local ecosystem.

Sankore supports initiatives such as Kilimo Shwari, a blockchain-based insurance policy that assists farmers in the event of natural disasters. Aside from that, the firm supports Ledja, an initiative that employs the NEAR Protocol for document verification to prevent fake documents in Africa.

Through its workshops, the alliance will support these projects by cultivating talent in the region. Sankore’s founder, Kevin Imani, stated that they are “ecstatic to be collaborating with NEAR to educate and nurture brilliant individuals” and support their journeys to become blockchain developers.

Sankore also organizes meetups to teach younger Kenyans about Web3. The collaboration with NEAR will also help with this. As the hub formalizes, its educational arm has already partnered with local colleges, and there are presently 84 students and six graduates who have been certified as developers through NEAR workshops.

According to Marieke Flament, CEO of NEAR Foundation, they are also “excited by the potential avenues for blockchain solutions throughout Africa.” Flament stated that the agreement allows the firm to find and partner with talent in the region.

In February, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) solicited public feedback on the development of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). They released a discussion paper in order to solicit feedback on the possible benefits and drawbacks, as well as the regulatory hurdles associated with the adoption of a CBDC in Kenya.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency usage has increased in various parts of Africa. The Central African Republic (CAR) made Bitcoin legal tender in April. This means that CAR citizens can use Bitcoin (BTC) in addition to the Central African CFA franc for their transactions.