Author: Editor

Crypto lending has grown beyond simple over-collateralized loans that only look at on-chain assets. Today, lenders want to assess a borrower’s real risk profile using information that lives off-chain—income, business cashflows, credit history, exchange account activity, even IoT data from tokenized machinery. Oracles make this possible by moving verified off-chain data onto blockchains in a secure, tamper-resistant way. This article explains how underwriting works when off-chain data flows through oracles, the risks to watch, and practical design patterns for building a robust lending stack. Why off-chain data matters in crypto underwriting On-chain data is transparent but narrow. Wallet balances, past…

Introduction: The Virtual Land Boom In recent years, the metaverse has transformed from a futuristic concept into a multi-billion-dollar digital economy. One of the fastest-growing sectors within this space is virtual real estate — parcels of land in virtual worlds such as Decentraland, The Sandbox, Otherside, and Somnium Space. These digital plots are bought, sold, and developed much like physical property, and some have fetched millions of dollars at peak market moments. As values rise, a new financial opportunity has emerged: using virtual land as collateral to secure loans. This practice, known as collateralized lending for metaverse real estate, is…

A recent report by Bloomberg predicts that the metaverse could become an US$800 billion market opportunity by 2024, largely fueled by the world’s increasing move into virtual spaces. Goldman Sachs believes this is actually the most conservative estimate, suggesting that in a more optimistic scenario, the metaverse could grow into a US$12.5 trillion industry, although reaching that scale would take longer. As excitement around the metaverse grows, more “metaverse developers” are emerging. Their goal is to help entrepreneurs tap into this massive opportunity by providing tools to buy digital assets. One innovative service in this area is the metaverse mortgage…

The National Assembly has officially approved the appointment of Pius Ang’asa as a member of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Board. Ang’asa’s nomination was put forward by President William Ruto last month under Section 11 of the Central Bank of Kenya Act. As required by law, his appointment needed the green light from both the National Assembly and the Senate before taking effect. The approval came after a thorough vetting process led by a Joint Committee bringing together members of the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning and the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget.…

The leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), Rigathi Gachagua, has abruptly ended his one-month diaspora tour of the United States, returning home earlier than planned to prepare for the upcoming by-elections. In a statement released early on Thursday, August 14, Gachagua explained that while his trip was initially meant to last two months, he felt it was necessary to come back to Kenya to focus on the party’s preparations. He apologised to Kenyans living abroad and event organisers for the inconvenience, promising to resume the tour in early 2026. Gachagua had departed for the US on July 9…

MP Wamuchomba Vows to Pursue Kware Dumpsite Case Despite 20-Day Parliamentary Suspension Githunguri Member of Parliament, Gathoni Wamuchomba, has issued a strong statement following her 20-day suspension from Parliament, declaring that she will not relent in seeking justice for the victims of the shocking case in which the bodies of 42 women were dumped at the Kware dumpsite in Embakasi. In a message shared on her X account on Wednesday evening, the outspoken legislator said that the suspension would not silence her or stop her from pushing for accountability over the disturbing incident. She insisted that the truth must come…

A protester, Samuel Kinyanjui, has finally undergone surgery to remove a bullet that had been stuck in his thigh for over 14 months. His long and painful wait was the result of a bureaucratic standoff between the hospital treating him and the police. Kinyanjui was shot during the demonstrations against the Finance Bill in June 2024. Since then, the bullet remained lodged in his leg because the hospital insisted on receiving official police documentation before carrying out the operation. Unfortunately, he was unable to get these documents despite making numerous attempts. Speaking to NTV, Kinyanjui shared his frustration over the…

The Kenyan shilling has shown strong performance against the United States dollar in recent months, holding its position as one of the world’s best-performing currencies. Speaking on Wednesday, August 13, during the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Kamau Thugge explained that the shilling’s stability has mainly been supported by steady inflows of foreign exchange from three key areas — diaspora remittances, offshore banks, and agricultural exports such as coffee and tea. Governor Thugge noted that remittances from Kenyans living and working abroad have been a major pillar of support for the local currency. He…

President William Ruto has revealed that Members of Parliament from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will hold a high-level meeting on Monday, August 18. The meeting will bring together lawmakers from the ruling coalition and the opposition party to discuss ways of strengthening their newly formed political partnership. Speaking on Thursday, August 14, during a visit to Migori County, President Ruto said the talks would focus on the broad-based cooperation between his UDA party and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM. “We (ODM and Kenya Kwanza) have agreed to work together to build a…

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has officially called on all interested aspirants to register for nominations ahead of the upcoming by-elections. In a statement issued on Thursday, August 14, the ruling party confirmed that the nomination exercise will take place next month on September 20, 2025. The registration window for interested candidates opened today, August 14, and will remain open until September 5, 2025, at exactly 5:00 p.m. Applicants are required to submit their details through the party’s online portal, which can be accessed via www.uda.ke. “Notice is hereby given that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party nominations shall…