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Strike Launches Bitcoin Lightning Network-Enabled Money Transfers to Africa

United States-based Strike users can now instantly transfer funds to Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria using the newly added feature “Send Globally”. This feature converts funds into local currencies before moving them to the recipients’ bank accounts or mobile money accounts.

The High Cost of Sending Money to Africa

According to Strike, a digital payment platform built on Bitcoin’s lightning networks, a new feature has been added to their platform that allows for instant, low-cost payments to Africa. The feature, known as “Send Globally”, is currently only available to US-based users. It applies to payments to Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.

As the digital payments firm’s Dec. 6 press statement explains, the use of the Lightning Network’s rail makes transferring funds to any of the initially covered countries an almost costless exercise. According to a recent World Bank Migration and Development Brief, the cost of sending funds to the Sub-Saharan Africa region is currently the highest globally.

Direct deposits to the account

of the recipient

Strike has partnered up with Bitnob, an African payment platform, to overcome the cost and other difficulties associated with sending money across borders. Jack Mallers, founder and CEO of Strike, argued the case for the feature while he was still at it.

High fees, slow settlement, and lack of innovation in cross-border payments have negatively impacted the developing world. Payment companies in Africa are finding it difficult to do business. People cannot send money home because they can’t pay exorbitant fees for money transfers in and out Africa.

Mallers stated that users who wish to transfer funds to any one of these countries through Strike now have the option to “transfer their US dollars easily, instantly, across borders” via the new feature. Payments to any country are instantly converted into the appropriate currency and transferred to the recipient’s bank account or mobile money account.

The statement stated that Strike will continue to grow its payment service in Africa through integrations and partnerships, including with cross-border payment providers such as Chipper Cash.

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Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara, a Zimbabwean journalist, author, and writer has been awarded the Zimbabwe Journalism Award. He has written extensively on the economic problems of certain African countries and how digital currencies can offer an escape route for Africans.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not intended to be a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any products or services. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. The author and the company are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from or in connection to the content, goods, or services in this article.

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Introducing iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 – MENA’s No.1 B2B & B2C online trading event

Be part of the ultimate gathering of industry professionals in Dubai Mark your calendars! MENA’s most popular online trading event – iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 – returns to the region, with the latest instalment promising to be the biggest and best one yet. Taking place between January 14-16, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre,…


Be part of the ultimate gathering of industry professionals in Dubai

Mark your calendars! MENA’s most popular online trading event – iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 – returns to the region, with the latest instalment promising to be the biggest and best one yet.

Taking place between January 14-16, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the 2+ day exhibition is one of the largest B2B and B2C expos of its kind anywhere in the world, bringing together key players from across the globe. 

Whether you are a seasoned trader, new to the industry, or a business looking to grow your presence in MENA, iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 is set to be an unmissable event, with 7k+ professionals from 120+ countries set to be in attendance.

Building on the huge success of last year’s event, passholders will be able to access 13+ hours of insightful content across three stages, Speaker Hall, Idea Hub, and Traders Arena, featuring a stellar lineup of influential experts and visionary thinkers.

A must-attend event for traders 

iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 has cemented its reputation as a global meeting point for the online trading community, offering traders the chance to experience unparalleled networking opportunities and cutting-edge industry insights. 

It is a gateway to learning and growth, with all areas of the venue providing fantastic learning opportunities. The main expo floor will serve as the primary marketplace where traders can network with top brokers, access industry leaders, and explore the latest trading platforms and state-of-the-art technologies.

As well as the insightful speaker sessions, Q&As, and panel discussions featured at the Speaker Hall and Idea Hub, traders will be able to head to the Traders Zone, comprising the exclusive Traders Lounge and Traders Arena. 

The Traders Lounge serves as an important hub for collaboration, where traders from around the world can exchange insights, build relationships, and keep updated with the latest industry trends in a more informal setting. 

Meanwhile, the Traders Arena provides a dynamic stage for trading education and community building, offering an ideal environment for traders to learn, share, and grow within the world of online trading.

Business sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities

iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 presents FX and fintech firms with a unique opportunity to showcase their business to a target audience of thousands of attendees from across the industry, including brokers, traders, affiliates and IBs, liquidity providers, fintechs, prop firms, institutional investors, and more.

From start-ups to established companies, the event offers the ideal platform to promote their offerings and put their brand on the map through a range of exclusive sponsorship and exhibitor packages.

By becoming an official sponsor or exhibiting at a booth, companies can not only boost their visibility but also unlock greater opportunities to form strategic partnerships, generate leads, and drive business growth.

Due to high demand, there are limited booths and sponsorship slots available, meaning interested parties are encouraged to get in touch with the event organisers quickly to avoid disappointment.

For more information about how to sponsor or exhibit as a business, click here

Counting down to Dubai 

The excitement is already building, with January fast approaching. iFX EXPO Dubai 2025 is gearing up to be the biggest online trading event of the year in MENA, offering unmatched opportunities for traders and businesses alike. 

Early bird registration is now open, so don’t miss the chance to secure a spot at the event everyone will be talking about. To guarantee attendance at iFX EXPO Dubai 2025, click here.


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Uniswap unveils own layer-2 network Unichain, UNI price soars 11%

Uniswap has launched its layer-2 network called Unichain The OP Stack-powered L2 is in testnet and is designed to improve transaction speed, lower costs, and boost liquidity UNI token’s price surged to $8.14, its highest level in over two months Uniswap, a leading decentralized exchange platform, has announced a major development for its network and…


  • Uniswap has launched its layer-2 network called Unichain
  • The OP Stack-powered L2 is in testnet and is designed to improve transaction speed, lower costs, and boost liquidity
  • UNI token’s price surged to $8.14, its highest level in over two months

Uniswap, a leading decentralized exchange platform, has announced a major development for its network and ecosystem.

The news helped Uniswap’s native token UNI to soar double digits on Thursday.

On October 10, the Uniswap team revealed that the DEX platform was looking to launch its layer-2 network on Ethereum. The L2, dubbed Unichain, is earmarked for decentralized finance (DeFi).

Per the Uniswap Labs announcement, its a solution to transaction speed and costs for the exchange’s users. Also key to the launch is the question of liquidity.

Introducing @unichain — a new L2 designed for DeFi ✨

Fast blocks (250ms), cross-chain interoperability, and a decentralized validator network

Built to be the home for liquidity across chains pic.twitter.com/lqfJh6Ltio

— Uniswap Labs 🦄 (@Uniswap) October 10, 2024

Unichain is powered by Optimism’s OP stack and offers one-second block times. Sub-block times of 200-250 milliseconds is also part of the development.

Uniswap Labs wrote on X:

“This type of speed isn’t just great for UX, it also improves market efficiency and lowers value lost to MEV.”

Uniswap has partnered with OP Labs for native interoperability, with this enabling implementation of cross-chain messaging and cross-chain liquidity. The platforms plan to bolster the ecosystem’s connectivity with cross-chain swapping across the Uniswap interface and wallet.

According to details in today’s announcement, the Unichain testnet is live, while the mainnet will go live later in Q4, 2024.

UNI price soars 11%

Native Uniswap DEX token UNI is among the top gainers in the crypto market. This follows a price explosion for the cryptocurrency after the news emerged.

With most altcoins down on the day or struggling for upside, UNI spiked more than 11% to hit highs last seen in July 2024. The token’s surge to the multi-month high of $8.14 saw Uniswap rank as the top performing coin among top 100 coins by market cap.

UNI traded around $8.05 at the time of writing, still up by more than 9%.


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Fundstrat’s Tom Lee Predicts Bitcoin Bull Market Surge Due to Supply Shock

Tom Lee, CIO of Fundstrat Capital, a financial research firm, has predicted that the bitcoin bull market will continue in December and announced that the first cryptocurrency will reach “well over $100,000” by year-end. Tom Lee Forecasts Bitcoin Reaching $100,000 By Year’s End in All-Asset-Encompassing Bull Market The bull market predictions for bitcoin prices keep [……
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