🪙 Flutterwave, Yellow Card, Onafriq Partner with Circle to Enable Stablecoin Payments Across Africa

Today’s Menu ☕️

🪙 Flutterwave, Yellow Card, Onafriq Partner with Circle to Enable Stablecoin Payments Across Africa
⚖️ Apple, Meta Fined $770 Million by EU for Violating DMA
⚖️ OpenAI Considers Buying Google Chrome If Antitrust Ruling Forces Divestment
🌐 Nairobi Securities Exchange partners with private firms to design and launch Kenya Digital Exchange
🚙 Musk To Reduce DOGE Involvement Amid Tesla’s Struggles

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🪙 CRYPTOCURRENCY

Flutterwave, Yellow Card, Onafriq Partner with Circle to Enable Stablecoin Payments Across Africa

Flutterwave, Yellow Card, and Onafriq—three of Africa’s most innovative and impactful fintech companies—have joined the newly launched Circle Payments Network (CPN), a global infrastructure developed by Circle Internet Group, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin. Their participation is a powerful signal of Africa’s rising influence in global financial innovation and a critical step toward making cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more inclusive for individuals and businesses on the continent.

Circle launched the Circle Payments Network as a blockchain-native system that connects regulated financial institutions—including banks, fintechs, neobanks, digital wallets, and virtual asset service providers—to enable real-time settlement of cross-border payments using regulated stablecoins such as USDC and EURC. The network addresses long-standing challenges in international money movement: settlement delays, high fees, fragmented systems, and lack of transparency..........…continue reading

⚖️ REGULATION

Apple, Meta Fined $770 Million by EU for Violating DMA

The European Union has fined Apple and Meta Platforms a combined €700 million (approximately $770 million) for violating the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA)—a move that has not only intensified transatlantic tech tensions but could significantly reshape how the companies operate in Europe.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, levied a €500 million fine against Apple and a €200 million fine against Meta, marking the first major enforcement of the DMA since it was enacted in 2022. The law was designed to curb the dominance of “gatekeeper” tech companies and promote fairer competition.

In addition to the fines, both companies received cease-and-desist orders targeting core elements of their business. For Apple, the focus is on its App Store, while for Meta, the commission objected to its model of requiring users to either accept personalized ads or pay for a subscription on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.........…continue reading

⚖️ GOVERNANCE

OpenAI Considers Buying Google Chrome If Antitrust Ruling Forces Divestment

OpenAI has indicated it would consider acquiring Google’s Chrome browser if U.S. regulators succeed in forcing Alphabet Inc. to divest the product as part of ongoing antitrust proceedings. The disclosure was made during testimony in Washington by Nick Turley, OpenAI’s Head of Product for ChatGPT, during the high-profile case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The trial is focused on Google’s dominance in the online search and advertising sectors, where the DOJ argues the company has maintained a monopoly that stifles innovation and competition. Among the remedies proposed is the divestment of key assets—including Chrome—to help restore a more level playing field in digital markets.......…continue reading

🌐 DIGITIZATION

Nairobi Securities Exchange partners with private firms to design and launch Kenya Digital Exchange

DeFi Technologies Inc., along with its subsidiaries Valour Inc. and SovFi Inc., has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to design and launch the Kenya Digital Exchange (KDX)—a regulated platform aimed at transforming Kenya’s capital markets through blockchain technology and digital asset trading.

This initiative follows the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between NSE, Valour, and SovFi. The goal: to introduce tokenized financial products and enhance access to global capital markets by integrating real-world assets (RWAs) with decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure.

The Kenya Digital Exchange will serve as a fully regulated digital marketplace, enabling tokenization and trading of various asset classes including equities, debt instruments, funds, and commodities. Built on robust blockchain infrastructure, including integration with Hedera, KDX will support primary issuance, secondary trading, and liquidity provisioning. The project will be rolled out in three phases, beginning with investor onboarding and regulatory compliance in Q4 2025, and concluding by mid-2026 with advanced trading features and global interoperability.......…continue reading

🚙 ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Elon Musk To Reduce DOGE Involvement Amid Tesla’s Struggles

Elon Musk has declared his intention to significantly reduce his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) beginning in May 2025. This decision comes in response to mounting pressures from Tesla investors and the company’s recent financial challenges.

According to the company’s earnings report, Tesla’s net income dropped to $409 million from $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2024. This resulted in a 71% decline in quarterly profits. Elon Musk has stated that he will avoid the U.S. DOGE Service next month and concentrate on Tesla instead.

The massive electric vehicle (EV) company also suffered a 9% drop in revenue, coming in at $19.3 billion. This was far less than the $21.45 billion that Wall Street had predicted. Along with a 13% decline in vehicle deliveries to 336,681 units, the poor financial results make this Tesla’s poorest quarter since 2022.....…continue reading

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