Blockchain & FinTech @uct_news // Building @mandlamoney // @tenity_global ‘23 // @SchmidtFutures awardee 🏆 // He/Him.
Cape Town, South Africa
Joined July 2011
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I recently had the opportunity to speak on financial inclusion and bulk micropayments using the @Ripple $RLUSD stablecoin & @MandlaMoney WhatsApp Wallet at the @rippleswell 2025 conference in Singapore 🇸🇬 . /1
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juliank.eth retweeted
Congratulations to our partners and team. Stable coins will be the foundational layer for the future of finance and we are proud partners in driving this change.
Today, we’re announcing @ZARUniversal (ZARU), an institutional-grade, Rand-backed stablecoin developed in partnership with @LunoGlobal, @EasyEquities, @sanlam, and Lesaka, to modernise South Africa’s payment and settlement infrastructure.
Every ZARU token is fully backed by Rand reserves held at @StandardBankZA, in the form of cash, bank deposits, and government bond equivalents, managed by Sanlam with monthly independent attestations by @MooreSAfrica.
Built for both retail and institutional use, ZARU enables instant, low-cost, always-on payments and cross-border settlement, helping connect the Rand to the global digital economy while keeping its reserves within South Africa’s regulated financial system.
Read the full announcement: zaru.network/blog/leading-so…
juliank.eth retweeted
Stablecoins like @ZARUniversal are not designed for speculation. Instead, their stable value 1. allows for instant settlement using the blockchain, 2. enables fractional ownership through tokenisation and 3. facilitates automation through smart contracts.
juliank.eth retweeted
This is the beginning of something huge. A Rand stablecoin backed by top institutions. Next step is to build use cases and add more partners.
Today, we’re announcing @ZARUniversal (ZARU), an institutional-grade, Rand-backed stablecoin developed in partnership with @LunoGlobal, @EasyEquities, @sanlam, and Lesaka, to modernise South Africa’s payment and settlement infrastructure.
Every ZARU token is fully backed by Rand reserves held at @StandardBankZA, in the form of cash, bank deposits, and government bond equivalents, managed by Sanlam with monthly independent attestations by @MooreSAfrica.
Built for both retail and institutional use, ZARU enables instant, low-cost, always-on payments and cross-border settlement, helping connect the Rand to the global digital economy while keeping its reserves within South Africa’s regulated financial system.
Read the full announcement: zaru.network/blog/leading-so…
juliank.eth retweeted
The real challenge for an Africa-wide currency or stablecoin isn't infrastructure.
It's coordination. The rails largely exist, but aligning different countries on a currency (or basket of currencies/stablecoins) and establishing governance is key.
Focusing on effective coordination is paramount for success.
@julzthevoice – Researcher at @CSIR and Founder @MandlaMoney
#AfricaStablecoinSummit #Currency #Stablecoin #Trade #Coordination
juliank.eth retweeted
🌍 Did you catch the panel on “Blockchain Research to Real-World Impact: How @Ripple's UBRI Is Powering Africa’s Digital Asset Future”?
Now available at bit.ly/4rvwKSP
🎥💡 Watch the panel address tough questions on students entering the job market, the role of universities in entrepreneurship and start-ups, payments, and more.
Lauren Weymouth: Senior Director of University Partnerships at @Ripple
Julian Kanjere: Co-founder at @MandlaMoney
Dr. Allan Davids: Director of the Financial Innovation Hub in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town
You don’t want to miss this!
juliank.eth retweeted
🌍 Panel Spotlight: “Blockchain Research to Real-World Impact: How Ripple's UBRI Is Powering Africa’s Digital Asset Future” 🌍
We’re looking forward to this powerful conversation featuring:
💡Lauren Weymouth, Senior Director of University Partnerships at @Ripple
💡 Julian Kanjere, Co-founder at @MandlaMoney
💡 Dr. Allan Davids, Director of the Financial Innovation Hub in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town
You don’t want to miss this! 🚀
🎟️Only a few tickets left — secure yours now: cryptofest.co.za/tickets
#CryptoFest2025 #Ripple #UBRI #Web3Education
juliank.eth retweeted
@julzthevoice will be speaking @Afristablecoins Africa Stablecoin Summit 2025 on a panel 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
juliank.eth retweeted
Stablecoins are one of the cheapest ways to send a dollar – in less than 1 second for less than 1 cent.
The use case I demonstrated was cash and voucher assistance by NGOs for civil contingencies, but this is also applicable to government-to-person grants, paying gig workers etc.
Here is a the demo: youtube.com/watch?v=TNhqHW2N… /2
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juliank.eth retweeted
Stablecoins are a viral loop for crypto onboarding:
Businesses Instantly feel
receive stables → the benefits
↑ ↓
Pay vendors ← shocked.JPEG
in stables
juliank.eth retweeted
For me, one of the best talks + demos at @rippleswell so far was @julzthevoice on how his MandlaMoney project can bulk deliver RLUSD on XRPL for humanitarian aid using SMS and WhatsApp. Impactful use case.
juliank.eth retweeted
That’s a wrap on #ILPSummit24! 🎉 Thank you to everyone who attended and shared insights that are shaping #Fintech.
Special shoutout to leaders like @bmarbury, @justmoon, @avolakatos, @chrislarry33 & @copernicc
Stay tuned for more highlight! 🌍💡
#opepayments #ILPSummit24
juliank.eth retweeted
Starlink now available in Zimbabwe!
Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Zimbabwe! 🛰️🇿🇼❤️ → starlink.com/zw/map
juliank.eth retweeted
Join us for an insightful webinar on “Blockchain and Insurance 4.0”. Gain knowledge on blockchain technology, and some ideas on how it can be applied in insurance 4.0. This session is free for all Professional Members of the IISA. Register on mms.iisa.co.za/secure/events…
juliank.eth retweeted
1/ The stablecoin market is booming – around $150B today, and projected to soar past $2.8T by 2028. There's a clear demand for trust, stability, and utility.
That's why later this year we’re launching a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the USD on the XRP Ledger and Ethereum.
ripple.com/ripple-press/ripp…
juliank.eth retweeted
Excited to be showcasing our work at XRPL Accelerator Demo Day in Singapore in a few hours cc @tenity_global 🚀eventbrite.co.uk/e/xrpl-demo…