It is just a proposal: eliminate Bitcoin and broad cryptocurrency mining in the largest crypto mining nation in the world. Yes, Chinese government is mulling the plan to phase out cryptocurrency mining in China because mining “lacked safe production conditions, seriously wasted resources, polluted the environment”. Do not bank on it, China does make such lists and yet nothing happens. But if they follow through, it could be real paralysis in the Bitcoin world.

Cryptocurrency mining has become the latest target for the Chinese government seeking to phase out industries considered a drag on the country’s economy.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planning agency in the world’s largest market for bitcoin mining, released on Monday a list of sectors it plans to promote, restrict or eliminate. Crypto mining, the process of creating Bitcoin and other digital currencies through the use of computing power, was namechecked alongside a swarm of other sectors the agency wanted to “eliminate” because they “lacked safe production conditions, seriously wasted resources, polluted the environment,” among other issues.

Whether China bans or not, I do think there is still a market for regulated blockchain dapps in this world. Nigeria has opportunities to play a role at the creative side over the consumption part.

In this piece, I explain why Nigeria should work to become a global center for regulated cryptocurrency/blockchain apps. Since the leading nations like U.S. and Germany have refused to regulate these new technologies, Nigeria has an opportunity to lead and enjoy the benefits inherent in them. Whether the world likes it or now, bitcoin or its incarnate under the architecture of blockchain is certain to be part of future commerce. The earlier we understand that and make it legal, the better.

Making Nigeria A Global Center of Bitcoin/ Blockchain Dapps

It is very amazing for the session on yours truly by Radio Nigeria Kaduna (Supreme FM). I always like having a town hall conversation in NTA (Nigerian Television Authority). This FRCN (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) dimension is super-awesome.

Thank you all the amazing people in FRCN.

By Nnamdi Odumody

Amazon will launch a constellation of 3,236 satellites to help people access high speed internet. The initiative called ’’Project Kuiper’’ will help the ecommerce giant increase global access to the internet.  Tesla is doing the same thing with Starlink. Also, OneWeb is also working in the same domain: using satellites to improve penetration of Internet usage.

The United Nations estimates that half of the world’s population, mainly in the developing world, will still not have access to the internet by the end of 2019. In January 2018, it outlined a series of targets that if met would drastically improve worldwide internet access by 2025.

As noted above, Amazon joins space exploration company SpaceX which plans to launch its own satellite internet service and fellow technology giants Facebook and Google which have launched Facebook Basic and Project Loon moonshot projects, respectively,  to provide internet connectivity to the next billion in emerging markets like Africa.

Project Kuiper is a new initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit Satellites that will provide low latency, high speed broadband connectivity, to unserved and underserved communities around the world.

Project Kuiper is a new initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world. This is a long-term project that envisions serving tens of millions of people who lack basic access to broadband internet. We look forward to partnering on this initiative with companies that share this common vision.

Nigeria’s MainOne and Avanti Communications, a leading provider of satellite data communications services in Europe, Middle East and Africa, recently entered into a partnership to provide affordable broadband access to all Nigerians, irrespective of their locations, at affordable prices. This partnership which will see Avanti providing the latest Ka-band satellite communication services to ensure that enterprises, public locations including schools and hospitals as well as individuals, in the most remote areas of the country, benefit from the digital inclusion that reliable broadband connectivity provides.

MainOne should collaborate with Amazon on its Project Kuiper initiative to provide access to internet connectivity for all Nigerians, and the rest of West Africa, meeting the needs of millions of consumers across the country, and sub-region, who are currently without internet capacity, as this will lead to increase in the standard of living and the expansion of GDP.