XEND FINANCE ANNOUNCES LARGEST BLOCKCHAIN HACKATHON IN AFRICA’S HISTORY WITH GOOGLE, BINANCE SMART CHAIN, HUOBI, AND COINDESK AS JUDGES
As one of the most prominent DeFi startups that has launched out of Africa in recent years, we feel a responsibility to give back to our community. We want to leave the African continent in a better place than when we received it and there’s much that we believe can be accomplished together. People do not have to be viewers to this movement; they can be active participants, as that’s what it will take to break down economic barriers.
One of the dreams and visions of blockchain and cryptocurrency is the tearing down of financial borders and decentralizing power so that it’s spread out amongst the masses. Africa has traditionally seen wildly fluctuating and devaluing local currencies and have been cut off from access to some of the modern world’s best investment opportunities.
We aim to change that with the first Xend Finance DeFi Hackathon: Decentralizing Africa and Beyond that features over $1 million in prizes! Our judges and speakers include Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital, Zack Seward, Managing Editor of Coindesk, as well as leaders from Google, Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, and Huobi. This hackathon is supported by DoraHacks.
You can register for the free Hackathon here — or just to watch the speakers and panel sessions: https://hackathon.xend.finance/
Read our press release below:
GOOGLE AFRICA AND BINANCE SMART CHAIN SET TO PARTICIPATE IN LARGEST BLOCKCHAIN HACKATHON IN AFRICA’S HISTORY
The Hackathon Also Features Huobi, Polygon, Coindesk, Mike Novogratz, And Over 100 International Universities And Developer Groups Building On Xend Finance’s Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Protocol And Platform
SEPTEMBER 16, 2021, Enugu, Nigeria — Xend Finance, the first decentralized finance (DeFi) platform for credit unions and cooperatives, today announces “Decentralizing Africa and Beyond”, the first Xend Finance DeFi Hackathon. The announcement corresponds with the Xend Finance Software Developer Kit (SDK) release, allowing individuals to build on top of the Xend Finance DeFi platform, a Layer-2 DeFi infrastructure. Binance Smart Chain, Google, Huobi, Polygon, and Coindesk will be amongst the judges and speakers of the three month Hackathon, starting on 21st September.
“The Xend Finance Hackathon is a movement for the future of blockchain and cryptocurrency usage throughout the African continent,” said Ugochukwu Aronu, CEO of Xend Finance. “The continent faces the most severe cases of currency fluctuation and devaluation in the world and this hackathon will play a major role in creating a borderless economy by laying the foundation of Layer-2 DeFi to be accessed by all.”
The Hackathon will be a three-month event, ending on the 21st of December, and features several keynote speeches, including Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners, and Onajite Emerhor, Head of Google For Startups Accelerator: Africa, amongst others. Over $1,000,000 worth of prizes are being offered, including $100,000 from Xend Finance, along with individual prizes from Binance Smart Chain, Huobi, Polygon and other partners. There will be weekly workshops with experts on developing DeFi protocols, building on the various blockchains, blockchain gaming, NFTs, fundraising for startups, and more. The contest is open to all companies and individuals and will have several categories for winners.
“Africa is one of the most important regions in the world for the advancement of cryptocurrency and realizing the full potential of blockchain technology,” said Gwendolyn Regina, Investment Director of Binance Smart Chain Accelerator Fund. “It’s an honor to be able to partake in an initiative that helps the people of Africa access borderless opportunities today and in the future.”
You can find out more about Xend Finance DeFi Hackathon here: hackathon.xend.finance and about the SDK here: docs.xend.finance/nodejs
We expect the developers to join our developer channel on telegram to get the real-time information on how to start building on Xend Finance.
About Xend Finance
Xend Finance provides the tools and platform for a decentralized financial credit union, regardless of geographic location and home country currency. Members can earn multiple levels of interest on their savings by seamlessly exchanging their crypto or fiat currency to stable cryptocurrencies and staking — the process of locking up crypto assets to earn yields — on lending platforms so members can earn compound interest on their money. The Xend Finance platform is the first decentralized finance (DeFi) credit union.
The team is made up of experienced professionals with backgrounds in mathematics, finance, cryptography, and blockchain development, working for some of Africa’s largest employers, including KPMG, Chevron, and Stanbic Bank. Xend Finance is backed by Binance, Google Launchpad, NGC Ventures, Hashkey, and AU21 Capital, amongst others, and is headquartered in Enugu, Nigeria.
We’re excited about what this means for the developers around the world who will be participating, but also excited for the opportunities this provides to everyone out there who is stuck in a situation where they want the opportunities that are afforded to the rest of the modern world.
Register to watch here: https://hackathon.xend.finance/
Here’s to Africa and to bringing DeFi to all!
Sincerely,
Ugochukwu Aronu
CEO of Xend Finance
