Published in Helicarrier·PinnedIt’s early days — here’s whyIt’s very common to see proponents of blockchain/crypto/web3 technology talk about how it’ll completely change how the world deals with money. However, for most people today, it’s very difficult for them to connect their current experience with crypto to these proclamations of world upending greatness. …Cryptocurrency5 min readCryptocurrency5 min read
Published in Helicarrier·Updated Oct 6, 2022Buycoins Basic is moving to AccrueHelicarrier officially announces that it has today completed the signing of definitive agreements to acquire significant equity interest in Accrue. As part of this agreement, Buycoins Basic will be transitioning into Accrue effective immediately. “Embarking on this partnership underscores our dedication to democratising wealth building on the continent. Accrue has…Africa2 min readAfrica2 min read
Published in Helicarrier·Jan 29, 2022Utility Today, Part 1 — On Africa & Global Digital MoneyA lot of the time — I agree with detractors of cryptocurrency and all their associated technologies. There’s a lot to criticise: Majority of proclamations are utopian, mostly exaggerated because they lack nuance and a thorough understanding of the technology’s constraints at different levels of the stack. Majority of proponents…Cryptocurrency4 min readCryptocurrency4 min read
Published in Helicarrier·Oct 1, 2021Hey, we’re Helicarrier now.What’s in a name? — Today, we turn 4 years old. I find it particularly poetic that our birthday coincides with the Nigerian Independence Day, for multiple reasons, but I digress. For the past 3 years, we’ve been called Buycoins. We think it’s a great name, but recently, we’ve been feeling like it doesn’t do…Cryptocurrency2 min readCryptocurrency2 min read
Published in Helicarrier·Jun 16, 2021How we built the new Buycoins apps — Hybrid + “core” web technologiesAt Buycoins, we don’t have “loyalty” to any particular technology stack. We think that technical decisions should be made based on goals & constraints. Goals — what are we trying to achieve? Generally, the answer to the first question is: We’d like to be able to get a new experience to our users as fast as possible so…Web Development7 min readWeb Development7 min read
Published in Helicarrier·Feb 17, 2021How deposits & withdrawals now workOn the 5th of February 2021 the Central Bank of Nigeria circulated a letter to all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFs), and Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) in Nigeria. The letter, in summary, prohibited these institutions from working with cryptocurrency exchanges. What does this mean for BuyCoins? We no longer have any accounts or…Bitcoin2 min readBitcoin2 min read
Published in Helicarrier·Jan 3, 2021BuyCoins: Reflecting on 2020Our mission has always been to usher truly borderless exchange of value across the African continent and beyond. We’ve always been aware that this mission is a complex, multistage marathon and in 2020 we took some important strides that we’re admittedly proud of – not because we’ve achieved our mission…Bitcoin3 min readBitcoin3 min read
Published in Wammed·Aug 12, 2020Simulation Not [Un]ImportantSometimes I think about those interviews where Elon Musk is asked about whether or not he thinks we’re in a simulation à la The Matrix. …Simulation Hypothesis2 min readSimulation Hypothesis2 min read
Published in timigod·Jun 21, 2020Build for the worldNot (just) Africa — There are a lot of very serious, seemingly insurmountable problems in Africa. I live in Nigeria, a place that’s now considered as the poverty capital of the world. The thing I find the most ridiculous about that assertion makes the situation feel even bleaker — we have no idea how…Startup9 min readStartup9 min read
Published in Helicarrier·May 19, 2020Decentralised Finance & Apps — A PrimerA month ago, I wrote an article about a dApp game that someone anonymous built on top of NGNT. …Dapps11 min readDapps11 min read
