A conversation with Akon, the multi-platinum artist working on a crypto to bring change to Africa

Episode 16 of Season 2 of The Scoop was recorded remotely with Frank Chaparro, Ryan Todd, and Akcoin co-founders Akon and Jon Karas.

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From multi-platinum performing artist to crypto-entrepreneur, the mononymous Akon has long chased lofty ambitions.

The Senegal-native's Akoin project is the singer's latest lofty endeavor. The aptly-named cryptocurrency was founded to democratize financial-services in Africa, where traditional banking infrastructure is scarce. Indeed, the project harkens back to the ICO boom of 2017 when celebrities made headlines in the mainstream press for promoting a digital currency fundraise – drawing the attention and occasional ire of regulators.

In this episode of The Scoop, Akon – the chief visionary of Akoin – and Akoin president Jon Karas join The Block's Frank Chaparro and Ryan Todd to defend the project's viability. Akon and Jon position Akoin not as the answer to the financial inefficiencies of the world but as a last-mile solution to financially unify a continent long hindered by corruption and monetary instability.

In this episode, we also discuss:

How Akon's ties to Western Africa, and Senegal in particular, give him an advantage over other crypto entrepreneurs that that are less familiar with the region
How Akon was able to work with the Senegalese government to develop Akon City, a planned smart city that he claims has attracted $7 billion in funding
Akon's favorite traditional Senegalese dish: Thieboudienne