Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC) and the Republic of the Congo have today announced their intention to adopt cryptocurrency and blockchain based solutions to drive future economic progress. Layer one proof-of-stake blockchain, The Open Network (TON) is the leading contender to become the blockchain to power this. The DRC has also confirmed that it is considering a new national stablecoin, built on the TON blockchain.

TON has been engaging with all three countries independently for some time and has taken the lead to deliver cryptocurrency and blockchain solutions for each nation. These countries will each undertake a phased transition to adopting cryptocurrency as a central pillar of their economic structures.

The future use of cryptocurrency will ensure that both banked and unbanked individuals will be better able to engage in the economy. This in turn will act as a powerful economic stimulus. In the DRC, for instance, as of 2019 12.4 million people had an account with a financial institution, whereas over 40 million have access to mobile phones or other internet enabled devices, demonstrating the significant potential for cryptocurrency.

The TON blockchain was designed to process millions of transactions within seconds. It’s ultra-affordable, user-friendly and fully scalable. With TON being a decentralized platform, it will provide control and certainty for citizens, removing the possibility of interference. In addition, TON anticipates that applications will be uniquely integrated with the Telegram app to provide users with a seamless, accessible experience.

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Speaking about the potential partnership, the Congolese Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, Léon Juste Ibombo, commented: “The Republic of the Congo has been on this path for a number of years, having encouraged and witnessed the widespread adoption of mobile payments across the country. This is the next step in that journey and we believe that TON is the right partner to facilitate this. This will be an invaluable, practical instrument for the growth and creation of wealth, both for the government and our people alike.”

The Minister for Digital Economy for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Désiré Cashmir Eberande Kolongele, added: “We are proud to take this pioneering step, embracing new economic instruments to power our future economy. This marks the beginning of our journey to adopting cryptocurrency as a financial instrument within the DRC, and with the support of TON as a partner we aim to increase our nations exposure to modern financial tools. We are also enthusiastic to commence considering the launch of a national stablecoin on the TON blockchain, democratizing access to our financial system for millions of unbanked and underbanked citizens. The ability to integrate applications with the Telegram platform, and reach mobile users, makes TON the obvious choice as we step boldly into the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain.”

Minette Libom Li Likeng, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications for Cameroon, said: “The partnership with TON can play a fundamental role in the digital ecosystem of Cameroon for boosting the payment solutions and financial inclusion via CAMPOST, the public postal operator.”

Steven Yun, Founding Member of TON Foundation, remarked: “There is an unbounded potential for these three countries to benefit from the adoption of cryptocurrency with our blockchain as the foundation. It’s fantastic that TON’s value is recognized, both in terms of its technology and utility. We’re excited to embark on this journey to building strong and long-lasting partnerships.“

This announcement follows the adoption of Bitcoin by El Salvador as legal tender, and it is anticipated that new stablecoins will be developed for Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo, in addition to the DRC, to provide confidence and assurance to citizens.

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