Grace Ashiru
Zone, Africa’s first regulated blockchain network for payments, has been crowned the Financial Times and Statista’s Fastest Growing Companies in Africa category winner. The company is the first blockchain startup in Africa and one of just a handful of Nigerian fintechs to make a list.
The yearly ranking shows the best companies in Africa’s private sector. It recognizes companies that have grown quickly and made important contributions to their fields. After a thorough review of applications from hundreds of companies in Africa, Zone was chosen as one of only 100 companies on the list. It was also the first blockchain company on the whole continent.
The annual ranking shows the best companies in Africa’s private sector. It recognizes companies that have grown quickly and impacted their fields.
After thoroughly reviewing entries from hundreds of companies in Africa, Zone was chosen as one of only 100 companies on the list. It was also the first blockchain company on the whole continent to be on the list.
Obi Emetarom, co-founder and CEO of Zone, was excited about the news and said, “This recognition from the Financial Times and Statista is a great honor for our team.”
He also said that this recognition would push the team to double down on their goal of using the power of blockchain to connect every place where money is kept. “By finishing our goal, we are laying the foundation for a world without cash. We are also making it easier for more people to use financial services and creating a brighter future for everyone on the African continent.”
The company also got a payment switching license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. This allowed it to build its decentralized payment network and join different financial services providers.
Zone is paving the way for a world where digital payments are frictionless, borderless, and compatible with every form and store of money, having already connected more than 20 of the largest commercial banks, fintechs, and OFIs in Africa to its Layer-1 blockchain network.
Being named one of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times and Statista is very exciting for us at Zone,” said Olayiwola Osoba, vice president of marketing at Zone. This award shows how hard our team has worked to change how payments are made in Africa using an innovative design and a better tech stack.
Zone is Africa’s first decentralized payment network. It lets institutions connect directly with each other and make payments without a middleman. Settlement, reconciliation, and conflict management are all done automatically.
Experts say that the fact that Zone won the Financial Times and Statista’s Fastest Growing Companies in Africa award shows that the company is committed to using new technology to change how payments are made in Africa.
As the company continues to build out its decentralized payment network and connect different financial services providers, it is laying the groundwork for a genuinely cashless world and creating a more open and prosperous future for the African continent.
