TL;DR;
- AfriTokeni is a blockchain platform that connects African mobile money systems with Ethereum-based DeFi
- It enables users to access lending, borrowing, yield generation, and cross-border payments without a bank account
- The project was built by Simone Di Cola, a senior software architect with over 10 years of enterprise engineering experience
- AfriTokeni focuses on real-world integration rather than replacing existing financial infrastructure
- Security and reliability are treated as core requirements, not afterthoughts
- The platform builds on mobile money systems people already trust
- AfriTokeni represents a practical, real-world use case for blockchain and smart contracts
- The project was developed alongside advanced Web3 training at Metana’s Solidity Bootcamp
When Simone Di Cola joined Metana’s Solidity Bootcamp, he was not a typical student. He already held a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester and had more than ten years of experience building large-scale transaction systems. His career included senior roles such as CTO, Principal Engineer, and Lead Engineer, working on platforms that processed massive volumes of real-world payments for companies like Booking.com.
Simone did not enroll to simply learn a new programming language. He joined because he wanted to build something meaningful that could solve a real problem.
That goal led to AfriTokeni, a blockchain-based platform designed to improve financial access across Africa by connecting existing mobile money systems with decentralized finance.
What is AfriTokeni?
AfriTokeni is a blockchain-based bridge that enables African mobile money users to access DeFi services.
Think of it as a translator between two financial worlds: the mobile money networks millions of Africans use daily, and the programmable financial tools available on Ethereum.
The platform allows users to:
- Convert mobile money into blockchain tokens that can be used across DeFi protocols
- Access lending, borrowing, and yield generation without traditional bank accounts
- Send cross-border payments with lower fees and faster settlement
- Maintain full transparency through immutable blockchain records
Who Built Afritokeni?
Simone Di Cola is the engineer behind AfriTokeni. His background makes him uniquely qualified for this challenge:
Technical Credentials
- PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester
- 10+ years of enterprise software engineering across fintech, government infrastructure, and real-time payment systems
- Leadership roles including CTO, Principal Engineer, and Solution Architect
- Author of 8 peer-reviewed papers with presentations to audiences of 500+
Proven Track Record
Simone has delivered measurable impact throughout his career:
- Reduced API onboarding time by 70% at the UK’s largest government department
- Improved transaction processing by 40% at Booking.com
- Achieved 99.9999% uptime for a prop-tech platform handling 15M+ monthly requests
- Cut infrastructure costs by 67% while improving performance
Web3 Expertise
- Graduate of Metana’s Solidity Bootcamp
- Completed the Uniswap Hook Incubator
- Proficient in Solidity, Hardhat, Foundry, Slither, OpenZeppelin, and Chainlink
- Active builder in DeFi protocols and smart contract security
Why Was AfriTokeni Built?
Mobile money has grown rapidly across Africa, but millions of people are still excluded from formal banking. More than sixty percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to traditional financial services. Instead, they rely on mobile money platforms that operate separately and do not easily work together.
While mobile money has made everyday payments possible, these systems have limits. They often lack transparency, charge high fees, and make cross-border transfers slow and expensive. Users also have no access to modern financial tools such as lending, borrowing, or earning yield through DeFi.
Afritokeni was built to address these challenges directly.
How Does AfriTokeni Connect Mobile Money With DeFi?
AfriTokeni works as a bridge between Africa’s mobile money networks and Ethereum-based DeFi systems. The platform allows users to convert mobile money balances into blockchain-based assets, access DeFi services, send money across borders more efficiently, and rely on transparent on-chain records.
Instead of creating a new blockchain or replacing existing systems, AfriTokeni builds on infrastructure that people already use and trust. Simone designed the platform to add programmable financial features without forcing users to understand blockchain complexity.
How AfriTokeni Works?
The smart contracts behind Afritokeni handle essential functions required for real financial use. These include secure asset tokenization using multi-signature validation, automated compliance checks for cross-border activity, gas-efficient execution to keep costs low, oracle integrations for real-time pricing data, and built-in safety mechanisms to protect user funds.
The Role of the Metana Advanced Solidity Bootcamp
Even with his strong background, the bootcamp provided clear value in several areas.
Structured Web3 Knowledge
Simone already understood distributed systems, but the program provided focused and structured learning around Solidity, EVM internals, gas optimization, and DeFi architecture. This helped accelerate his move into specialized blockchain development.
Security-First Development Culture
The bootcamp placed strong emphasis on security audits, exploit analysis, and defensive coding. This reinforced the importance of treating smart contracts as critical financial infrastructure.
Community and Ecosystem Access
Through Metana, Simone connected with other builders, auditors, and Web3 professionals. This expanded his network within the Ethereum ecosystem and supported his continued growth as a blockchain engineer.
His later participation in the Uniswap Hook Incubator further strengthened his understanding of advanced DeFi protocol design.
What Makes AfriTokeni Different
Many blockchain projects focused on Africa struggle because they overbuild, ignore existing systems, or prioritize ideology over usability.
AfriTokeni avoids these issues by integrating with mobile money providers instead of competing with them, hiding blockchain complexity behind familiar user experiences, focusing on sustainable economics rather than speculation, and treating security as a top priority.
What is the future of AfriTokeni?
Simone sees AfriTokeni as more than a single product. His vision is to create core infrastructure that supports future African fintech innovation.
Short-term goals include:
- Expand partnerships with mobile money operators across Africa
- Launch pilot programs in key regional markets
- Open-source core smart contract components to support ecosystem growth
- Build developer tools and APIs that enable third-party integrations
- This approach reflects a broader shift in blockchain toward real-world utility.
Why AfriTokeni Matters?
AfriTokeni provides a clear answer by combining a genuine market need, existing financial infrastructure, strong technical execution, and experienced leadership. Instead of replacing current systems, it improves them through transparency, automation, and global connectivity.
Bottom Line
Simone Di Cola’s journey from enterprise engineering to blockchain shows what’s possible when experience, discipline, and purpose come together. AfriTokeni is not driven by hype, but by careful design, real-world needs, and production-grade engineering. It stands as a clear example of how blockchain can be used responsibly to build financial infrastructure that truly matters.
If you want to move beyond theory and learn how to build secure, real-world smart contracts, Metana’s Web3 Solidity Bootcamp is where that journey begins. Build what matters next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Afritokeni?
Afritokeni is a blockchain-based platform that connects African mobile money systems with decentralized finance, allowing users to access DeFi services without needing a traditional bank account.
Who built Afritokeni?
Afritokeni was built by Simone Di Cola, a senior software architect with over a decade of enterprise engineering experience and a graduate of Metana’s Advanced Solidity Bootcamp.
Why was Afritokeni created?
Afritokeni was created to solve financial access gaps in Africa, where mobile money is common but access to advanced financial tools, affordable cross-border payments, and transparent systems is limited.
How does Afritokeni work with mobile money?
Afritokeni bridges mobile money networks with Ethereum-based DeFi protocols by tokenizing mobile money balances and enabling on-chain financial services.
What makes Afritokeni different?
Afritokeni focuses on real-world usability, integrates with existing mobile money systems, prioritizes security, and avoids speculative or hype-driven blockchain models.
