A group of African women are graduating from Binance’s first blockchain bootcamp

In honor of International Literacy Day, Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, graduated the first cohort of its Blockchain for Women Bootcamp.

This year’s theme, “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces”, is in line with the blockchain giant’s continued efforts to make crypto learning inclusive for all through both online and offline platforms.

In March 2022, the company launched the 8-week Bootcamp in partnership with Utiva, an ed-tech company that helps young people achieve digital skills, with the goal of equipping women in Africa with blockchain education, tools and skills. Around 3,000 applications for the Bootcamp poured in within a week, reflecting the number of eager learners. Among the applicants, 300 of them were selected to participate in the bootcamp.

This commitment to supporting crypto literacy for women stems from the fact that women remain disproportionately underrepresented in the industry, with 95 percent of crypto users male, according to the Global Crypto User Index.

The bootcamp provided African women with learning and networking opportunities, as well as resources required to kick-start their blockchain journey.

As part of the course, students understand the basics of blockchain technology, how crypto trading works and how the blockchain is used in real-world contexts.

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The hybrid model lectures ended with a demo day where participants built and showcased real projects based on their bootcamp learning.

The members of the winning team were awarded cash prizes and all successful participants received certificates.

A student, Esther Nwanagu, 24 said: “I have always wanted to learn about blockchain; this made me dive into programming (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) so I could be a blockchain developer. When I saw the email from Binance, I realized it was related to what I wanted to become. So I decided to join the program.

“My favorite lessons were the first lessons from Tosin. He taught us that we can be whatever we want in the blockchain space and that there are limitless possibilities,” said Zainab Owolabi.

Owolabi plans to join the blockchain industry to make an impact, especially in areas where she can help other women.

“In recent years, there has been an exciting upsurge in blockchain technology – with more individuals and institutions adopting newer systems. However, women are still underrepresented in this revolution, and we at Binance are committed to closing this gap. Here’s why that we are truly humbled to equip more African women with the skills, resources and network they need to thrive in the blockchain industry,” said Hannes Wessels, Country Manager of Binance in South Africa.

“The importance of blockchain education remains a core principle for us at Binance, and we are excited to continue enabling more women to access this transformative technology through women-focused educational initiatives, networking opportunities for women in blockchain, upskilling courses and much more. We wishes all 300 women the best on their respective journeys, says Carine Dikambi, Head of Francophone Africa at Binance.

In line with the company’s commitment to drive blockchain adoption and enable greater access to financial services, Binance continues to empower women through education, empowering them to learn, acquire skills and bring value to the technological revolution that is blockchain.