At Moonshot 2025 by TechCabal, one of Africa’s most anticipated gatherings for technology, startups, and innovation leaders, the President of the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN), Mr. Obinna Iwuno, took center stage in two influential sessions that reaffirmed SiBAN’s commitment to fostering blockchain inclusion, responsible innovation, and regulatory clarity across Africa. 

Adding to the association’s strong representation at Moonshot 2025, Roqqu, a distinguished SiBAN member, was one of the official sponsors of the event. The SiBAN community was also well represented by other members including Jeremiah Mayowa, Founder of Jeriod; Vivian Mbene, COO of Breet; Bidemi Oke, CEO of FlashChange; and Cyprian Obi, CEO of ZoneX, among others. Their participation reinforced SiBAN’s commitment to empowering its members, showcasing innovation, and ensuring that the voices shaping the future of blockchain in Africa are heard and recognized.

From contributing to the concept note that helped shape the event’s blockchain track to facilitating member representation on high-profile panels, SiBAN’s involvement reflected its commitment to building bridges between innovators, regulators, and policymakers in Nigeria and across the continent.

SiBAN’s Strategic Role and Industry Advocacy

As part of its mission to amplify member voices and create platforms for collaboration, SiBAN helped drive the inclusion of blockchain and digital assets on Moonshot’s agenda. This proactive engagement also secured speaking opportunities for its members and leadership, underscoring the association’s role as a connector ensuring that its community is always at the forefront of high-level industry discussions.

Through partnerships like this, SiBAN continues to create pathways of visibility, engagement, and influence for its members, reaffirming its reputation as Nigeria’s self-regulatory body (SRO) dedicated to inclusive blockchain innovation and policy dialogue.

Session One: Unlocking Africa’s Crypto Opportunities Beyond the Hype 

On Day One, SiBAN’s President, Mr. Obinna Iwuno, joined a fireside chat titled “Unlocking Africa’s Crypto Opportunities Beyond the Hype”, moderated by Bidemi Oke, CEO of FlashChange and a distinguished SiBAN member.

The conversation explored how Africa’s crypto evolution has moved beyond speculation toward real-world impact highlighting use cases in payments, identity, and remittances that are transforming access to finance across the continent.

Mr. Iwuno emphasized the need for an enabling environment that balances innovation and consumer protection, calling for strategic partnerships between fintech startups, banks, and regulators to unlock the next phase of sustainable crypto growth in Africa. His insights reinforced SiBAN’s message: that blockchain and digital assets are not just speculative tools but critical infrastructure for financial inclusion and economic resilience.

Session Two: Nigeria’s Evolving Crypto Regulatory Landscape

The following day, SiBAN's president  once again took center stage at the “Nigeria’s Evolving Crypto Regulatory Landscape” fireside chat, moderated by Chinedu Obidiegwu, Business Development Lead at Luno Nigeria.

In this discussion, he provided first-hand insight into Nigeria’s ongoing regulatory transformation from restriction to engagement, and from uncertainty to collaboration. He shared how SiBAN continues to lead advocacy efforts that build trust between regulators and innovators, ensuring that frameworks being developed today protect consumers while fostering innovation.

The session also underscored SiBAN’s role as a bridge institution, mediating dialogue between agencies such as the SEC, CBN, and other policy stakeholders, and offering industry intelligence that ensures regulations are practical, informed, and forward-looking.

The high level conversation at Moonshot 2025 underscored the need for Africa to move beyond being a consumer of global crypto solutions to becoming a producer of blockchain infrastructure and innovation. By promoting collaboration between fintech startups, traditional financial institutions, and regulatory agencies, the continent can unlock new growth pathways in remittances, cross-border payments, decentralized identity, and financial inclusion.

Unlocking Africa’s Next Chapter in Crypto and Digital Assets

Africa’s crypto ecosystem is at a defining moment in its evolution transitioning from early excitement to tangible impact. Over the past five years, the continent has emerged as one of the fastest-growing crypto markets globally, driven by startups that are solving real socioeconomic challenges such as cross-border payments, remittances, digital identity, and financial inclusion. However, as global sentiment toward crypto fluctuates, Africa’s focus is shifting from hype to utility from speculative adoption to building long-term infrastructure that drives sustainable economic growth. This transformation calls for a deeper intersection of policy, innovation, and investment, where clear regulatory frameworks and supportive financial systems can unlock the full potential of blockchain technology in shaping Africa’s digital future.

Within this context, discussions at Moonshot 2025 focused on the intersection of policy, technology, and impact, emphasizing that Africa’s strength lies in building solutions that respond to real socioeconomic challenges. The fireside chat showcased the unique perspectives of African innovators who are transforming challenges in payments, logistics, and identity verification into opportunities powered by blockchain infrastructure.

SiBAN: Empowering Voices, Driving Leadership

Mr. Iwuno’s participation at Moonshot 2025 reflects SiBAN’s broader mission to amplify the voices of Nigerian innovators and advocate for inclusion in global and regional dialogues on blockchain and AI. Through active engagement in platforms such as Moonshot, Nigeria continues to assert itself as a thought leader in Africa’s emerging digital asset ecosystem, driving responsible innovation and shaping the continent’s digital transformation agenda.

Beyond policy conversations, SiBAN’s leadership emphasizes community-driven growth, ensuring that startups, developers, and blockchain professionals across Nigeria and Africa gain access to opportunities that foster innovation, education, and ethical practice.

As conversations around Africa’s digital future evolve, SiBAN remains steadfast in its commitment to collaboration, education, and inclusivity, ensuring that blockchain technology transitions from a buzzword into a tool for sustainable economic advancement and social transformation.

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