Akon wants to build a Crypto City

It’s been a few years since Akon’s last smash hit the charts, and if you’re wondering what he’s been up to… well, it’s probably not what you’d expect. While some formerly popular artists might be on an obsessive quest for their next big single, Akon is on a different kind of quest — to create the world’s first city based 100 percent on digital currency in what’s being called a “real-life Wakanda”.

The Senegalese singer and producer has long been involved in charitable initiatives in Africa, and his latest venture is an effort to curb the region’s currency instability and inflation. A city that trades solely in cryptocurrency would enjoy a stable economy and attract the investments of African entrepreneurs and global companies.

Photo: AKoin

Based just outside of the Senegalese capital, Dakar, Akon Crypto City would revolve around a digital currency called AKoin. Consumers would buy goods with AKoin right from their smartphones, which in theory would stimulate financial stability and encourage micro-exchanges. When asked specifically how these apps would function, Akon admitted at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity that he’s more focused on the big picture than the details. “I come up with concepts,” he said, “and let the geeks figure [the details] out.”

That said, Senegal might be the perfect choice for a Crypto City, as it’s been moving rapidly into the Digital Age. In 2017, a new €650 million international airport was built, along with a brand new motorway and express train. Eighty percent of Senegalese citizens now own a smartphone, which is up from just 23 percent in 2013.

The AKoin website claims that Akon Crypto City is already in development. Senegalese president Macky Sall gave Akon 2,000 acres of land outside Dakar, so this futuristic city could be a reality sooner than we think.

H/T: Culture Trip

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