This week, we’re chatting to one of our portfolio founders from Nigeria—Yele Bademosi, the force behind Nestcoin and a pioneer in Africa’s Web3 revolution. Yele’s journey from medical school to launching Microtraction, Bundle, and now Nestcoin reflects a deep commitment to democratizing economic opportunity across the continent.
Driven by necessity and ingenuity, African innovators are using blockchain to solve real problems, from cross-border payments to digital identity and even energy access. Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are now epicenters for blockchain adoption, with startups and global partners collaborating to tackle challenges unique to the continent. As Yele shares his story, we dive into how Nestcoin is building tools that empower everyday Africans, and why the continent is leading the charge in making Web3 a movement rooted in real-world impact, not just hype.
Adaverse: Your journey has taken you from medical school to founding Microtraction and Bundle, directing at Binance Labs, and now founding Nestcoin. How do you see each of these steps contributing to your overarching mission? Can you share specific experiences that have shaped your vision along the way?
Yele: My mission has always been the same: to democratize access to economic opportunity regardless of geography.
Leaving medical school wasn’t a detour, it was the first real decision I made for me. I knew I wanted to solve real problems and empower people with access. That thread connects everything I’ve done. Microtraction taught me the power of early belief, backing founders before anyone else saw the vision. Bundle was about simplifying crypto for everyday Africans. Binance gave me a global lens and helped me understand the scale of what’s possible when communities are at the center of innovation. Nestcoin is the sum of everything I’ve learned so far—the wins, the failures, the pivots, and Onboard is where it all comes together.
It’s not just a product, it’s our clearest answer to an old question: what does it look like to build financial tools that actually work for people like us? Onboard strips away the noise: multiple currencies, complex systems, financial gatekeepers, and gives people one clean way to earn, save, and spend from anywhere. That’s the focus now. And that’s the long game.
But more than anything, I’m inspired by the kind of life I want to live—one that connects people, inspires change, and creates happiness. That emotional letter I wrote to my mom in my early twenties is still the compass I check every birthday.
Adaverse: So, Yele, what’s the latest with Nestcoin? We’ve actually got the Onboard app ourselves, curious to hear any updates!
Yele: I love that you’ve got the app, thank you. So here’s what’s new: Onboard just got a major upgrade. It’s now one clean, powerful app where you can store, send, and spend USD and crypto, across borders, with or without a bank.
We merged Haven and Onboard into one wallet experience, custodial and non-custodial. That sounds technical, but what it means is: no more juggling wallets, no more hoops. Just one app that feels like it was built for you.
And this is just the start. We’re making world-class financial tools radically accessible. It’s about giving people the power to move money however they want—global, local, or digital. You’ll feel it in how we build, how we speak, and how we show up every day.
Adaverse: Africa is frequently mentioned as the most promising market for day-to-day adoption of blockchain-based solutions. How do you perceive the current state of the Web3 market on the continent? Is it effectively addressing real-world challenges? Can you share some examples that particularly excite you?
Yele: I prefer to use the word onchain instead of “Web3.” The onchain ecosystem is still in its awkward teenage years—but in Africa, we’re forcing it to grow up fast. People here don’t care about buzzwords or theoretical decentralization—they just want tools that work.
That’s why I’m excited about what we’re doing with Onboard using onchain technologies and stablecoins. It’s not hype for us, it’s a natural evolution. From offline, to online, to onchain. And that’s what we’re building with Onboard. Not just a wallet, but a response to broken financial systems, failed banks, FX scarcity, and capital controls. Something that actually works—for people like us.
But beyond what we’re doing at Nestcoin, I get excited when I see local experiments that move the needle; like Web3Bridge training world-class onchain developers from Lagos, or BlockRadar building tools to make the ecosystem safer and more transparent.
These aren’t just cool projects; they’re proof that when you build with Africans, not around them, you get real adoption. Real impact. And you start to see what this next era of the internet could actually look like.
Adaverse: With AI’s rapid rise alongside blockchain, where do you see the most promising intersections between Web3 and AI (or other emerging technologies) that could create tangible impact in emerging markets? Do you think the hype around AI is taking away funding from Web3 innovation?
Yele: It’s not a zero-sum game. AI is showing us what’s possible when tech becomes invisible, and that’s the same energy we need in the onchain economy.
The real opportunity is at the intersection: imagine a smart contract that learns your habits and manages your financial goals in the background. Or DAOs that use AI to allocate resources dynamically.
We’re already playing with this at Nestcoin. Amani, our AI brand voice, is an early experiment in storytelling and scale. Over time, we’ll bake this intelligence into Onboard itself.
So no, I’m not worried about the hype cycle. Builders build through noise. These technologies will converge, and Africa won’t be a spectator, we’ll be co-authors.
Adaverse: Nestcoin has always emphasized creating meaningful impact. What metrics or benchmarks do you use to assess success beyond financial returns, particularly in underserved markets?
Yele: Impact is personal for us. It’s in the messages we get from freelancers in Kenya who can now receive payments in hours, not days. It’s in the global entrepreneurs in Ghana finally getting paid in USD.
Sure, we track growth, revenue, CAC, all the usual suspects. But we also ask: Are we expanding freedom? Are we lowering the barrier to global opportunity?
We want millions of people to look back and say: “This app changed how I live, earn, and move in the world.” That’s the KPI.
Adaverse: Let’s talk about regulation. You’ve mentioned previously that you wished you had engaged regulators earlier in your journey. With Nigeria’s recent passing of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025, formally recognizing cryptocurrencies as securities, do you think this provides sufficient regulatory clarity? What additional steps need to be taken in Africa’s largest crypto market to foster entrepreneurship?
Yele: It’s encouraging to see Nigeria take steps toward clearer regulation. That kind of clarity gives builders more confidence, and ultimately, that’s good for innovation.
At Nestcoin, we’ve learned that the best outcomes come when there’s open dialogue. Regulation isn’t just about setting boundaries; it’s about creating the conditions for progress. If we can keep building that bridge between founders and regulators, Africa won’t just participate in the next financial era, we’ll help shape it.
Adaverse: You’re working on advancing Africa’s transition to a sustainable and digital economy. With the recent US tariffs targeting African exports, including Nigeria, how do you see this impacting the continent’s digital transformation efforts, and how can companies like Nestcoin adapt to these global trade shifts?
Yele: Tariffs are a reminder that the global system was never built for us. But here’s the flip side: we now have the tools to build something different.
Our generation won’t wait for trade deals to define our destiny. We’ll build cross-border economies powered by digital assets, digital work, and digital identities.
At Nestcoin, that’s exactly what we’re enabling. Onboard lets you earn globally, save in stable currencies, and spend flexibly. We’re creating an economic passport, not tied to where you’re born, but where you want to go.
So yes, policies shift, but builders adapt. And Africans have always been great at that.
