Kenya Local Node - Regional Evaluation
Prepared by: Web3Clubs;
Reviewed and Endorsed by: ViFi Labs; Virtual Assets Chamber of Commerce; Joan Jerop (One Dev); Kokeb Solomon (SafariDAO);
Kenya is emerging as a key hub for Web3 innovation in Africa, supported by a strong developer community, increasing crypto adoption, and proactive regulatory engagement. According to Chainalysis’ 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index, Kenya ranks 28th worldwide and 2nd in Africa, highlighting its growing role in the global crypto economy. With a vibrant and rapidly expanding Web3 ecosystem, Kenya presents a strategic opportunity for Scroll to establish a Local Node in Nairobi. This initiative would nurture a new generation of scalable, Scroll-native startups by harnessing the country’s infrastructure, technical talent, and grassroots momentum.
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Global Ranking: Kenya ranks 28th globally in the 2024 Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index, reflecting a strong grassroots embrace of cryptocurrency. Chainalysis+1BitcoinKE+1
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Regional Leadership: Among Sub-Saharan African nations, Kenya is a leading adopter, following Nigeria and South Africa. Chainalysis
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Market Volume: In 2023, Kenya’s crypto market transacted over $20 billion, highlighting significant economic activity within the sector.
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Stablecoin Utilization: Stablecoins like USDT and USDC are increasingly utilized for remittances and business settlements, accounting for approximately 43% of the region’s total transaction volume. Chainalysis
- Adoption Metrics
| Category/Focus Area | Equity Raised (Estimate) | User Numbers + Transaction Volumes | Why It Matters to Scroll Ecosystem |
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| Cross-border Payments & Crypto Payment Apps | ~$100M+ | ~3–4 million users; ~$4B+ processed annually | Scroll can offer ultra-low-cost, fast settlement for cross-border stablecoin payments, enabling mass-market financial products at scale; opportunity to onboard fintechs and infra providers. |
| Remittances (Stablecoin-powered) | ~$100M+ | ~500,000+ users; ~$500M+ stablecoin flow annually | Stablecoin remittances are ripe for Layer 2 scaling; Scroll could serve as the default chain for remittance startups seeking lower fees and regulatory-friendly solutions. |
| Exchanges and P2P Markets | ~$10M+ | ~4 million users; ~$5–6B annual P2P volume | Scroll could be the go-to L2 settlement layer for African OTC desks, DEX aggregation, and new forms of compliant P2P crypto trading. |
| Stablecoins (General Use) | ~$8–10M+ | ~1M+ users; ~$2–3B annual volume | Local currency stablecoins (e.g., vKES by ViFi Labs, which is already part of the Scroll ecosystem) USD stablecoins will need fast, cheap minting, redemption, and bridging — ideal Scroll primitives for DeFi and fintech integrations. |
| Lending (Crypto/Stablecoin Collateral) | ~$5M+ | ~50,000–100,000 users; ~$30–50M loaned | Lending on Scroll would unlock micro-loans, merchant financing, and SME credit rails that cannot exist on expensive L1 networks. Big wedge for adoption. |
| RWA Tokenization (Financial and Real Estate Assets) | ~$3–5M+ | Early-stage; <10 pilots; ~$5–10M assets tokenized | RWA tokenization on Scroll can pioneer compliant asset issuance in emerging markets, positioning Scroll as the default chain for institutional-grade African assets. |
| DeFi (local participation) | ~$2–3M+ | ~100,000 active users; ~$50–100M TVL | African users need cheaper, faster DeFi rails; Scroll can become the core DeFi liquidity layer where local users farm, borrow, and trade at low cost. |
| NFTs & Digital Collectibles | ~$15M+ | ~200,000 users; ~$50M+ volume | NFTs can drive cultural and creative industries in Kenya, leveraging Scroll for gas-efficient minting and secondary market transactions; a booming sector in Africa’s youth-led digital economy. |
| Insurance (Blockchain-based) | ~$10M+ | ~100,000 users; ~$50M+ in policies | Blockchain-enabled insurance products, like micro-insurance, are a huge opportunity in African markets — Scroll can enable instant policy settlements and compliance for these products. |
| Identity & KYC Solutions | ~$8M+ | ~500,000+ users | Decentralized identity management can help facilitate financial inclusion in the region by ensuring privacy-preserving, cost-effective KYC for underbanked populations, with Scroll offering low-cost infrastructure. |
| Gaming & Play-to-Earn (P2E) | ~ | ~1M+ users; ~$100M+ in-game economy | The play-to-earn market is booming in Africa, and Scroll’s low fees are perfect for enabling high-volume, micro-transactions in gaming ecosystems and metaverse projects. |
| DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) | ~ | ~50,000 active members | Scroll can enable cost-effective DAO governance for Africa-based organizations, especially for community-driven projects in sectors like agriculture, fintech, and education. |
Source: CVVC Africa Blockchain Report; Chainanalysis: The 2024 Global Adoption Index ;
| Virtual Assets Service Provider Bill, 2025: | The Kenyan Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill 2025 gives guidelines for the regulation of virtual asset service providers operating in Kenya; it creates a legal framework for licensing, supervising, and enforcing compliance requirements for businesses dealing with virtual assets like cryptocurrencies. Web3Clubs, through its sister organization Virtual Assets Chamber, is actively engaged in consultations with the Kenyan government. - HERE |
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| Digital Asset Tax (Finance Act 2023): | The Finance Act 2023 introduced a Digital Asset Tax, initially at 3% and now reduced to 1.5%, on income from transferring or exchanging digital assets like cryptocurrencies and tokens. In partnership with the Virtual Assets Chamber, we’ve submitted feedback urging fair and balanced taxation. |
| The Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorism Financing (TF) Risk Assessment Report, 2023. | This report highlights the risks associated with money laundering (ML) and terrorism financing (TF) in the virtual asset space. It provides essential insights into the potential vulnerabilities in virtual asset ecosystems and offers recommendations for mitigating these risks. - Link |
| The IMF Technical Assistance Report on Crypto Regulation and Legislation, December 2024. | This IMF report offers guidance on crypto regulation and legislation, further shaping the VASP Bill 2025. The IMF’s insights help inform the development of regulatory frameworks that are effective, balanced, and conducive to fostering the growth of the digital asset sector.Link |
The overall regulatory landscape in Kenya is currently bullish towards crypto, driven by strong public-private stakeholder engagement and collaboration between the government and private sectors. This cooperative approach fosters a progressive environment for blockchain innovation, with both parties working together to create a regulatory framework that supports the growth of the crypto and virtual asset industry. This positive momentum is reflected in recent developments, including the introduction of the VASP Bill 2025 and other initiatives aimed at ensuring a secure and transparent digital asset ecosystem.
| Virtual Asset Chamber of Commerce | The Virtual Asset Chamber of Commerce is a leading policy think tank serving as a platform for dialogue between the virtual asset industry, policymakers, and regulators, promoting a secure, compliant, and innovative environment for digital assets. The Chamber focuses on advocating for fair regulatory frameworks, educating the public and stakeholders about the benefits and risks of virtual assets, and fostering collaboration to drive economic growth through blockchain and Web3 technologies. |
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| Konza Technopolis | Konza Technopolis, dubbed the “Silicon Savannah,” is Kenya’s flagship Vision 2030 project—a 5,000-acre smart city located 60 km from Nairobi. Designed to drive innovation, tech, and economic growth, it aims to position Kenya as a leading digital hub and contribute at least 2% to the national GDP. |
| Ministry of ICT | The Authority is mandated to enforce ICT standards, manage secure infrastructure, oversee electronic communications, and promote digital skills and innovation. Its mission is to digitally empower society by delivering quality ICT services and leveraging technology to unlock opportunities. |
| Capital Markets Authority Regulatory Sandbox | The Capital Markets Authority Regulatory Sandbox is a tailored regulatory environment that allows for the live testing of innovative capital markets related products, solutions and services with the potential to deepen and develop the capital markets prior to launching into the mass market. |
| Digital Financial Services Association of Kenya | The Digital Financial Services Association of Kenya (DFSAK), formed in 2019, unites digital-first lenders to promote ethical standards, engage policymakers, and support the growth of Kenya’s digital lending and fintech sector in line with Vision 2030 and the SDGs. |
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Recurrent Crypto Scams: Recurrent crypto scams have been a significant barrier to mass adoption in Kenya, undermining trust and delaying the widespread acceptance of digital assets. These scams have created skepticism among potential users and investors, hindering the growth of a secure and reliable crypto ecosystem. Until these issues are addressed through stronger regulations, education, and transparent practices, trust in the space will remain a critical challenge to overcome.
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Lack of enough local products leveraging Web3 to solve local problems: The founder and builder community of Kenya is waking up to the opportunities in the Web3 space. However a large majority of stakeholders in these spaces are still in the dark on what Web3 technology holds for them. A lot of work needs to be done in this area to stimulate them to leverage this technology to either innovate around new products and use cases or to leverage Web3 to improve on their current offerings. An increase in innovative local products will increase the adoption of onchain activity from this region.
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Lack of awareness by the general public
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Innovators and entrepreneurs.
Lack of awareness of the opportunity in the Web3 Space by innovators and entrepreneurs, leading to them not being in a position to leverage this opportunity -
Builder communities.
The largest share of the developer capacity in Kenya is in Web2. Through learning initiatives such as our developer cohorts and efforts by other local Web3 communities. The word is reaching out, however a lot more can be done in the region to significantly increase awareness. See -
Businesses, Organizations and Institutions
Not enough businesses and organizations in the region are aware of the potential that blockchain technology presents to their operations and processes. This is one area that we are looking to venture into through the Kenya Scroll node, through holding awareness campaigns through hosting events IRL and virtual sessions with our network of partners that cut across several fields such as Business and Media partners.
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| Exchange | Supports Scroll Network? |
|---|---|
| Binance | Yes |
| OKX | Yes |
| Bitget | Yes |
| Bybit | Yes |
| KuCoin | Yes |
| Luno | No |
| Noones | No |
| Yellow Card | No |
Given the rising trend of dollarization in cross-border trade, businesses are increasingly leveraging stablecoins for settling transactions. In Kenya alone, over $2 billion in stablecoin volumes were moved in 2024, as per Chainalysis, reflecting the growing role of stablecoins in facilitating international trade and remittances. These stablecoins help businesses bypass traditional banking and payment systems, offering faster, more cost-effective, and transparent solutions for cross-border payments.
Kotani Pay – kotani.pay; Yellow Card – yellowcard.io ; HoneyCoin – honeycoin.africa; FonBnk – fonbnk.com; Flutterwave – flutterwave.com; JamboPay – jambopay.com; Paxful – paxful.com; BitPesa - bitpesa.co ; Chipper Cash – chippercash.com; SendCrypto – sendcrypto.com ; MFS Africa – mfsafrica.com; Paystack – paystack.com; Aza Finance – azafinance.com; WapiPay – wapipay.com; Remitano – remitano.com
- Bullish TradFi Mentions.
| Category/Focus Area | User Numbers + Transaction Volumes | Why It Matters to Scroll Ecosystem |
|---|---|---|
| M-Pesa (Mobile Money) | ~50 million users; ~28.3 billion transactions valued at KSh 40.2 trillion (2024) | M-Pesa, which handles $5–6B annually in P2P volume from over 4 million users, has joined virtual asset discussions for the first time—starting with a keynote at Token 2049 in Dubai. This marks a major opportunity for Scroll to engage with Africa’s leading mobile money platform and signals strong potential for local builders to integrate with M-Pesa’s mass-market financial services. See- Inaugural Event: Building Financial Infrastructure for Billions: A Conversation with Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO of M-PESA Africa and Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle; Token 2049: Dubai |
| Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) | ~2,000+ listed securities; 20% increase in digital asset-related trades | Nairobi Securities Exchange <> Hedera <> Virtual Assets Chamber Partnership The Virtual Assets Chamber, in partnership with Hedera, the Nairobi Securities Exchange, and Kenya Tech Events, is driving blockchain and tokenization adoption in African capital markets. This initiative aims to build a scalable, compliant framework for integrating tokenized assets into traditional finance and positioning Kenya as a regional leader in RWA tokenization. The effort gained momentum with a Hedera Hackathon that drew nearly 100 submissions across sectors like finance, payments, and climate. Nairobi Securities Exchange <> Valour <> SovFi Partnership In another strategic partnership, DeFi Technologies, SovFi, and Valour Inc. have teamed up with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (“NSE”) to create and launch the Kenya Digital Exchange (“KDX”). KDX is a fully regulated platform designed for tokenizing real-world assets, aimed at strengthening Kenya’s financial market infrastructure and positioning it as a leader in the tokenization space. Scroll’s integration can streamline liquidity and settlement for tokenized traditional assets and bring in more regulated financial players. |
| Category | Specific Communities & Number of Members | Mode of Community Activities | Synergy with the Scroll Kenya Node Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protocols-Focused Builder Communities | Lisk Africa (~500 members) ICP Hub Kenya (~3,000 members) Celo Africa DAO (~2,000 members) Btrust Builders (~3,9000 members) Brave Community Kenya (~3,000 members) Base East Africa (~400 members) Solana AyaHQ | - Telegram groups - Twitter Spaces - Hackathons - Meetups | N/A - These communities exclusively focus on building within specific protocols. |
| Chain-Agnostic Builder & Training Communities | - Web3 Developer Clubs (~5,000 members) - Ledger Lady (~1,200 members) - Kenya NFT Club (~4,500 members) - Adamur (~1,000 members) | - Telegram - Cohorts - Meetups - Webinars - Hackathons | These communities work on projects that are not tied to any particular blockchain and can be excellent collaborators for Scroll’s cross-chain ecosystem, promoting Scroll’s compatibility with various protocols and enhancing training in Web3 development. |
| Startup & Founders/Builders Community | - Web3 Developer Clubs (~5,000 members) - Borderless Africa (~2,500 members) | - Discord - Telegram - Hackathons - Pitch events - Demo days | These communities are ideal for leveraging Scroll as a launchpad for startups and founders, as they focus on building new ventures that could benefit from Scroll’s scalable solutions for tokenization and decentralized finance. |
| Education & User Onboarding | - Web3 Developer Clubs (~5,000 members) - Africa Onchain Collective (~2,500 members) - HERDAO Kenya (~1,000 members) - Kamusi DAO (~1,500 members) | - Webinars - Online courses - Workshops - Educational Twitter Spaces | With Scroll’s focus on providing infrastructure for decentralized apps, these education-focused communities can aid in onboarding new users to Scroll’s network and help train developers and entrepreneurs on integrating with Scroll’s ecosystem. |
| Policy & Stakeholder Engagement | Virtual Assets Chamber of Commerce | - Policy workshops - Community discussions - Webinars - Telegram/Discord discussions | These communities have strong ties to advocacy and policy discussions and can help Scroll navigate regulatory frameworks, engage with stakeholders, and develop policy-aligned use cases in the Web3 space, particularly around tokenization and digital finance. |
| Events & Conferences | - Code Africa (~4,000 members) - Safari DAO (~1,200 members) - Kenya Blockchain and Crypto Conference - Zanzalu | - Conferences - Meetups - Hackathons - Networking events | These communities focus on hosting events that could feature Scroll, expanding visibility and fostering collaborations between developers, investors, and other ecosystem participants. Events such as ETHSafari and local hackathons could serve as platforms to promote Scroll’s network. |
Web3Clubs is East Africa’s premier Web3 builder training, incubator and innovation lab, cultivating a thriving network of over 5,000 builders, including founders, engineers, artists, traders, legal minds at the frontier of blockchain technology. Anchored in a physical lab in Nairobi and rapidly expanding through a dynamic partner ecosystem across the continent, Web3Clubs is redefining the future of innovation in Africa. As a leading launchpad for blockchain talent and infrastructure, we equip the next generation of African builders with the tools, networks, and expertise to create scalable, real-world solutions. Our programs are designed to catalyze high-impact ventures across DeFi, digital identity, real-world assets, and financial inclusion, bridging the gap between frontier technology and local challenges.
Web3Clubs functions as both an incubator for Web3 startups and a capacity-building engine for Africa’s most promising technical and business minds. We provide hands-on support, access to capital, mentorship, and go-to-market strategies to help founders build, launch, and scale next-generation applications. Our ecosystem also plays a critical role in mapping the African Web3 landscape, tracking talent pipelines, viable projects, and emerging trends with unparalleled insight.
We propose that Web3Clubs lead the Kenya Scroll Node, supported by a robust ecosystem of partners. Here’s why:
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Strong partnerships with Founder mentors: who are industry leaders in their fields.
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Founder Enablement Curriculum: Custom-built by a network of mentors from across Web3, legal, venture, and growth backgrounds.
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Policy Engagement: Co-leading virtual assets policy through Virtual Assets Chamber.
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Government Partnerships: Active collaborations with Kenya’s Ministry of ICT, Konza Technopolis, and local government initiatives.
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Track Record: 5+ years of building local Web3 talent and user awareness through bootcamps, community events, and cohort-based learning.
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Community Size: 5,000+ builders, founders, creatives, and students across Kenya.
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Cross-Community Alliances: Deep affiliations with local and global DAOs, founder networks, and blockchain ecosystems.
Web3Clubs is not starting from scratch, we’ve spent the last five years laying a solid foundation for
scalable impact. Our key achievements include:
Physical Presence & Operational Base
- Centralized Lab in Nairobi: We run a fully equipped physical base of operations in Nairobi, Kenya, with room to scale. Recently, we hosted the Scroll and Raza teams at our lab, underscoring our role as a regional hub. See
Community & Ecosystem Development
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Living Ecosystem Database: We’ve built and continue to expand a living database of 100+ Web3 products and 5,000+ builders across Kenya and the broader region.
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Leading Web3 Community: Web3Clubs hosts the region’s most active Web3 community, with 5,000+ members including founders, builders, creatives, and university-based chapters.
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Network of ICT Hubs: We leverage a network of 250+ government-run ICT hubs to scale community access and education(Jitume hubs)
Expert-Led Mentorship
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Founder Mentors Network: We’ve established strong partnerships with industry-leading mentors who offer hands-on support to Web3 founders. See
Policy & Government Engagement
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Regulatory Leadership: Through our sister organization, Virtual Assets Chamber, we play a leading role in policy advocacy and regulation for virtual assets in Kenya.
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Government Partnerships: We maintain deep collaborations with the Ministry of ICT and Konza Technopolis, a government-backed Special Economic Zone focused on tech innovation.
Continental Collaboration
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African Onchain Collective: In partnership with Web3 communities across the continent, we founded the African Onchain Collective, a pan-African initiative to align vision, share resources, and drive growth in Web3 across Africa. See
Track Record of Impact
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$1M+ in Direct Founder Support & Awards
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75+ In-Real-Life (IRL) Bootcamps
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30+ Builderthons
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Strong Regional & Global Web3 Community Partnerships
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Events & Hackathons:
Kenya and the neighboring East African region hosts frequent Blockchain events, meetups and hackathons. Several of these occur yearly.
Recent Hackathons: ETH Safari Hackathon (yearly), NEAR Hackathon, Hedera Hashathon, Privado x MPesa hackathon, Base Builderthon
Meetups & Events: Africa Bitcoin Conference (every year), L2 Africa Tour, Ethereum Frontiers, Eth Safari Conference (every year), Code Africa Conference (every year), Africa Tech Summit, Nairobi (every year), Magma (every year).
Zanzalu pop up city happens yearly at Zanzibar Island.
Web3Clubs is a co-organizer/partner for ETHSafari, Zanzalu, L2 Africa Tour, and CodeAfrica. -
Proposed Initiatives:
Our first initiative would be to launch a 3-month Web3 Founder Program designed to nurture early products that have potential to scale to build on Scroll. The program will focus on founder enablement, equipping teams with strategic, technical and community tools needed to launch scalable, Scroll-native startups.
We would kick off with a founder onboarding sprint to identify high-potential teams and guide them through Scroll’s tech stack and ecosystem. This would be followed by structured mentor tracks, covering product design, token models, compliance, fundraising, and growth. A strong mentorship layer will be built with experts in venture, legal, technical architecture, and go-to-market strategy.
In parallel, we would launch community engagement and visibility activities including founder meetups, AMAs, and collaborative Twitter Spaces to build excitement around Scroll in the local ecosystem and attract quality talent and partners into the program.
- Support Needed:
The following are ways that Scroll can provide support to make the Kenya Scroll local node a success
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Strategic Alignment & Ecosystem Visibility
Guidance from the Scroll core team to align the founder program with ecosystem priorities and ensure visibility across Scroll’s community channels.
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Technical & Mentor Support
Access to Scroll developer advocates, ecosystem partners, and potential mentors to support founders with protocol-specific insights, technical reviews, and integration support.
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Funding & Incentives
A budget allocation to cover operational costs for running the founder program, including workshops, mentor sessions, community events, and core team coordination. Stipends and demo day support could be co-designed separately if needed.
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Partnership Amplification
Collaboration in identifying and engaging regional partners (VCs, accelerators, legal experts, and growth advisors) that align with Scroll’s vision and can further enrich the program.
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Why Your Region:
Africa, particularly Kenya and the broader East African region, is emerging as one of the most dynamic frontiers for Web3 innovation. With a rapidly growing developer base, a thriving youth population, and increasing interest in blockchain applications for real-world problems, the region offers fertile ground for a Scroll Local Node. Web3Clubs has already laid strong community foundations through education, IRL labs, and ecosystem partnerships, making us uniquely positioned to anchor Scroll’s local presence.
Our vision is to establish a founder-focused Local Node that becomes a launchpad for scalable, impactful Web3 startups built on Scroll. Over the next few years, we aim to cultivate a steady pipeline of high-quality builders by embedding Scroll into our training programs, startup accelerators, and regional hackathons. Through strategic mentorship, funding readiness, and developer support, we see the Local Node evolving into a flagship hub that represents Africa’s contributions to the Scroll ecosystem and the broader ZK rollup space.
According to statista the projected revenue in the Cryptocurrencies market in Kenya is expected to reach US$40.0m by 2025. By investing in the region now, Scroll has the opportunity to grow alongside a new generation of builders solving uniquely African challenges, ultimately driving adoption, innovation, and long-term ecosystem value.