Stafford Masie, executive chairman of Africa Bitcoin Corporation, said bitcoin functions as everyday money in parts of Africa rather than primarily as a store of value.
He told Natalie Brunell on the Coin Stories podcast that the way people talk about bitcoin depends heavily on local conditions.
‘Bitcoin is money’ in some circular economies
Masie said some merchants in African circular economies prefer satoshis to dollars.
He said:
“Where I come from, Bitcoin is money.”
Masie added:
“In some circular economies in Africa, [merchants] won’t accept dollars — they accept satoshis.”
He contrasted inflation concerns in developed markets with what he described as faster debasement in parts of Africa.
Masie said:
“When you guys talk about debasement, you talk about 4% to 5% annually — we talk about 4% to 5% in an afternoon.”
From ‘broken money’ to a new financial rail
Masie compared the shift to Africa’s rapid adoption of mobile technology, arguing younger populations are bypassing legacy financial systems.
He pointed to the continent’s demographics, saying more than a quarter of Africa’s population is under 20, and described younger generations as eager adopters of new technologies.
He also framed bitcoin as “pristine capital” that people can build on.
Masie said:
“After the Bitcoin white paper and before the Bitcoin white paper. Our lives changed, because suddenly we had something that couldn’t be debased. It was immutable, decentralized, can’t be confiscated. That to an African is life or death.”
Chainalysis data points to rising onchain activity
Chainalysis reported that from July 2024 to June 2025, Sub-Saharan Africa received more than $205 billion in onchain value, up 52% year-on-year.
The report said March 2025 volume spiked to nearly $25 billion, driven largely by activity in Nigeria after a currency devaluation.
It also found retail-sized transfers under $10,000 accounted for more than 8% of total value sent in the region, compared with about 6% globally.
