Africa Blockchain Festival Opens in Nairobi on Oct 15

In Short

• Africa Blockchain Festival has opened in Nairobi, Kenya.
• The three-day event runs from October 15 to October 17, 2026, at Sarit Expo Centre.
• Organisers say 50 African startup founders are taking part in a startup fellowship focused on fundraising and partnerships.
• Regulators and policy groups are also present to discuss digital assets, stablecoins, and cross-border payments.

What Happened

Africa Blockchain Festival opened in Nairobi with a focus on connecting founders, investors, regulators, and tech leaders around digital finance. The organisers say the event includes 50 startups selected for a fellowship that centres on investor meetings and pitching.

A core part of the fellowship is an “investment deal book”, which is a document that summarises each startup and its funding needs for potential backers. Organisers also plan to track funding commitments and partnerships that come out of the festival.

US venture capitalist Tim Draper, founder of Draper Associates, is among the investors participating. Draper pointed to Africa’s growing involvement in the Bitcoin economy, as more people and businesses try cryptocurrency for payments and trade.

The festival also includes regulatory discussions with representatives linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Central Bank of Kenya, Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority, and Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission. Topics include stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies designed to stay close to a fixed price like the US dollar, cross-border payments, and digital assets.

A closed-door policy roundtable will review the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol and what it could mean for more consistent rules for digital transactions across countries.

Why It Matters

African blockchain startups often face two connected problems, limited access to growth capital and fragmented regulation across markets. A festival that brings investors and regulators into the same room is trying to address both.

For founders, the practical value is not just stage time. It is structured introductions, scheduled meetings, and clearer signals about what regulators are focusing on.

For policymakers, the discussions are a chance to compare approaches on issues like stablecoins and cross-border payments, where inconsistent rules can slow product launches and regional expansion.