Owenize Odia Joins Blockchain.com to Expand Crypto Access in Africa
Owenize Odia, a prominent figure in African cryptocurrency, has moved from Luno to Blockchain.com. She aims to expand crypto access continent-wide and foster coexistence with traditional finance.
Odia's journey began five years ago with a fascination for 'internet money'. She joined Luno and scaled its user base in Nigeria to over four million by engaging young people and activating campuses.
At Luno, Odia introduced a workaround using vouchers to bypass banking restrictions, enabling users to continue trading crypto. This strategy, which differed from peer-to-peer models used by other exchanges like CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko, remained central to Luno's operations as it expanded.
Odia's impact on the African crypto scene has been significant. She will share her insights at Moonshot 2025, a tech conference on October 15-16.
Now at Blockchain.com, Odia seeks to position the company at the heart of the shift towards crypto. She believes in the necessity of traditional banks for crypto firms' growth in Africa. Blockchain.com has opened a physical office in Nigeria and is engaging with regulators to map out new crypto hubs across the continent.
