Best Bitcoin Card for Ethiopia
The latest project by Blockchain pioneer Charles Hoskinson aims to equip Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, with Blockchain technology. The co-founder of Ethereum and head of the decentralized Smart Contract Blockchain start-up Cardano has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian Ministry of Science and Technology.
Cardano – a project of the IOHK
The company Input Output, or IOHK for short, was founded in 2015 by Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood. It is a technology company that investigates peer-to-peer technology for financial services. Its target group are countries that do not yet have access to this technology. These are mainly developing countries and emerging markets.
Two current projects of IOHK are Cardano and Ethereum Classic (ETC). Ethereum Classic is a continuation of the original Ethereum Blockchain. Cardano is a decentralized open source blockchain and crypto currency project. The company is working on the development of a smart contract platform with extended functions. The team consists of an international development team of experienced engineers and researchers.
Cardano offers help for self-help for Ethiopia
Ethiopia, the world’s most populous landlocked country, is economically heavily dependent on its agricultural exports. Coffee accounts for the largest share. The majority of the population is dependent on agriculture and exports.
By cooperating with Cardano, Ethiopia hopes to find applications for the blockchain in the agricultural technology sector. One possibility would be to track the coffee along the supply chain or to document land register entries in order to exclude cases of fraud.
A statement on the website of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Ethiopia reveals what they hope for from the cooperation and use of the blockchain and what problems the country has to contend with.
As the IOHK officially twittered, the company plans to train Ethiopian developers with Cardano. Some of these developers will then work for IOHK. The other developers will use their acquired knowledge for the local economy and development. Cardano is also committed to women’s rights. The first class should be purely female.
IOHK Director of African Operations John O’Connor explained that the first Ethiopian developers will be using the Cardano platform by the end of 2018. The first course is scheduled to start in 2017.
Ethiopia is only the beginning
Cardano would like to offer the project not only for Ethiopia. As Hoskinson explained at the London School of Economics in early 2017, many developing countries have problems that could be solved with the blockchain. He addressed the problems associated with land registrations, which result in landowners losing their property due to inadequate records.
Other blockchain companies such as IBM and Binance are also offering their help in developing and implementing blockchain solutions in African countries. This deployment could improve the standard of living and mean economic progress for billions of people.