The CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, recently embarked on a policy visit to West Africa.
Binance disclosed this on Thursday in a statement shared with Finance Magnates.
During the tour, the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange met with Presidents Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast and Macky Sall of Senegal.
Zhao reiterated the exchange’s commitment to partnering with policymakers in the continent.
Additionally, the Binance CEO emphasized the importance of blockchain to the financial economies during the visit.
“Africa is primed for crypto adoption as blockchain provides financial accessibility not currently available to lots of Africans,” Zhao was quoted to have said.
Binance in Francophone Africa
In the statement, Binance said that Zhao during the visit announced the exchange’s partnership with JokkoLabs, a non-profit organization that supports social entrepreneurship.
Under the partnership, both organizations will work on a blockchain awareness and education programme targeted at communities in Francophone Africa.
According to Binance, which recently raised $500m to fund cryptocurrency and third-generation web projects, the collaboration will include monetary donations for community education workshops.
These workshops will be designed to increase blockchain literacy and skills in the region, Binance said.
“Binance aims to build the fintech community across the Francophone Africa region, ensuring enthusiasts are empowered to build blockchain solutions and solve real-world problems,” Binance explained.
In January, Binance emerged as the exclusive cryptocurrency and blockchain sponsor of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021 tournaments, which is the biggest football contest in Africa.
During his recent visit to the Philippines, Zhao disclosed that Binance was after virtual asset service provider and the electronic money issuer licenses in the Asian country.
Binance in a statement said Zhao met with Philippine officials to discuss regulatory and banking support for the exchange’s expansion into the country.
Furthermore, the exchange recently signed a multi-year partnership deal with Portuguese football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, to exclusively launch a series of non-fungible token collections.