Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s burgeoning blockchain community is setting its sights on Nairobi as the region prepares to host the Africa Blockchain Festival (ABF) 2026, a move expected to bridge the gap between Dar es Salaam and the broader continental tech ecosystem.
The timing of the event, scheduled for October 15 to 17 at the Sarit Expo Centre, aligns with significant domestic progress in digital asset management.
The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has recently completed a comprehensive virtual-assets assessment and developed a regulatory concept intended to pave the way for formal oversight of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.
This framework has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance for further policy development, representing a critical step towards bringing virtual assets within a structured environment.
Tanzania has already established a Fintech Regulatory Sandbox and an anti-money laundering framework that recognises virtual asset service providers.
Against this backdrop, the ABF 2026 aims to catalyze local innovators.
“What is happening in Tanzania is important. Regulation provides clarity, and clarity can give serious entrepreneurs, investors, and technology companies greater confidence to build,” said the CEO of the Africa Blockchain Festival, Mr Olubunmi Fabanwo.
Highlighting the ease of access for local talent, Mr Fabanwo noted that Tanzanian innovators no longer need to look towards distant hubs like London or Dubai for global conversations.
“We are bringing investors, policymakers, founders, and technology leaders to East Africa. For the Tanzanian blockchain community, Nairobi is next door,” he added.
The festival, themed “Capital, Code and Continuity: Building Africa’s Permanent Digital Economy,” will explore blockchain applications far beyond cryptocurrency.
Discussions will focus on practical solutions for digital identity, supply chain management, and cross-border payments.
The organisers believe this provides a unique platform for Tanzanian firms to scale their solutions.
“We want to see founders from Dar es Salaam meeting investors from Lagos, developers from Tanzania exchanging ideas with developers from Nairobi, and Tanzanian companies showcasing technologies that could potentially scale across Africa,” emphasised Mr Fabanwo.
