Moneyweb Crypto
Moneyweb Crypto explores all things crypto and blockchain: the good, the bad and the impossible. If you're looking to invest in cryptocurrencies, or understand this evolving universe, you're in the right place.
'What happens when you tell an AI bot to ‘make money’
Carel de Jager of blockchain analytics firm Sixpence learned some valuable lessons about his AI bot after instructing it to venture out into the world and make money.
Public pressure prompts govt climbdown over cross-border crypto proposals
Rather than celebrating, it’s time for the industry to become proactive and collaborate with government in drafting cross-border rules that are fair, transparent and in the interests of the broader economy, says Carel van Wyk, CEO and co-founder of MoneyBadger.
What banking in Africa will look like in five years
Nicholas Allen, CEO of Arrel, explains how stablecoins could make African banking faster, cheaper and more accessible over the next five years.
Is crypto a gateway to offshore gambling ... or a way to curb it?
BetMatch founder Nick French says crypto exchanges could help keep social grants and student funding out of betting accounts, even as offshore operators offer ways around domestic controls.
Wheatley challenges 20-year debarment over R301 in ‘test trades’
Africa Bitcoin Corporation’s former CEO says trades intended to expose platform errors were treated as deliberate share price manipulation. He is challenging the findings and penalties.
How AI can help fix SA’s crippled municipalities
With only a small fraction receiving clean audits, Empowa’s Glen Jordan argues that AI could help councils scrutinise tenders, track spending and catch problems sooner. Blockchain could preserve the evidence.
Stablecoins take centre stage as bitcoin speculation fades
Absa digital assets head Rob Downes says stablecoin flows across the bank’s African markets have more than doubled over the past four years.
R2.2bn in investment on hold over proposed crypto controls – VALR
VALR CEO Farzam Ehsani warns that the draft crypto rules on exchange controls could drive businesses, jobs and tax revenue offshore.
Crypto privacy is dead… and Sars knows where the bodies are buried
Crypto investors may have years of transactions scattered across exchanges and wallets. New international reporting rules mean Sars will increasingly have data to check what taxpayers declare, explains Carel de Jager, CEO of blockchain analytics firm Sixpence.
South Africans are getting better at spotting fraud
The scams are becoming more convincing, helped by AI, with an astonishing 85% of South Africans encountering one in the past year, says Thalia Pillay of Orca Fraud.
The dangers of over-regulating crypto
Proposed new exchange-control rules could cripple SA’s crypto industry, undermine self-custody and push transactions offshore, warns MoneyBadger CEO Carel van Wyk.
What happens to your cryptocurrency when you die?
Harry Joffe of Discovery Life explains how poor planning can leave heirs locked out of valuable digital assets.
Crypto criminals are increasingly attacking people, not passwords
So-called ‘wrench attacks’ involving kidnapping, home invasions and physical threats have already netted criminals more than $30m this year, explains Philip Adiamah from Chainalysis.
When a cold wallet isn’t so cold: Lessons from the $90m bitcoin theft
Cold wallets were long considered the safest way to store bitcoin. A recent AI-enabled hack has challenged that view, says Novaque CEO Shiven Moodley.
Does the wine taste better when you own a piece of the vineyard?
Bitexen SA CEO Mark Diuga explains how the new Arra Vineyard Token will give ordinary investors exposure to a working Stellenbosch wine farm – and why vineyards, sports clubs and safari lodges could be next in line for tokenisation.
Does Africa really need more local currency stablecoins?
A new report by Standard Chartered and Zodia Markets argues for exactly this outcome. Rochelle McCauley from Standard Chartered Bank explains why.
Does Sars want to tax crypto to death?
Some people think so. Others have a more nuanced view, among them Tertius Troost, tax specialist at RSM SA.
Stablecoins are just the start of something huge in finance
If you thought stablecoins were cool, wait until you see what’s coming. Philipp Zentner of LI.FI has a front-row seat and says we are about to enter a world where billions of transactions a day will criss-cross different blockchains at a fraction of current costs.
Copper is not gold – and that’s the point
Connie Bloem, CEO of Mesh Trade, explains why investors are falling in love with copper, which has doubled in price since 2023, and explores the benefits of tokenised copper, gold and silver.
Imagine getting scammed by your own son
Or what AI convinces you – using voice and video cloning – is your own son, lying in a hospital bed and in desperate need of funds. This actually happened to a Cape Town couple. Thalia Pillay, co-founder and CEO of Orca Fraud, traces the frightening outlines of this new…