- The new service will allow users in nine African nations to access BTC through the Bitcoin Lightning Network on their phones without an internet connection.
- Machankura has garnered reviews over its revolutionary feature to expand the use of Bitcoin in developing societies.
A new service that would allow phone users who are Bitcoin holders to send and receive BTC worldwide without an internet connection has emerged. Bitcoin holders in several African countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and others could use this new feature. With just an essential feature device and text code, Bitcoiners could initiate transactions thanks to the digital wallet manufactured by Machankura.
The world has seen a rapid revolution in smart mobile devices, and the mid-2000s phones are beginning to go extinct due to their limited features. However, in Africa, such phones are still mainly used, and Machankura seeks to serve these phone users. The company intends to expand the use of BTC as an alternative currency among the users of basic mobile phones in Africa.
It is worth noting that the word “Machankura” is a South African slang that denotes “money.” The challenges regarding this project involve technology with no internet coverage and low-horsepower mobile devices. The digital wallet firm saw the need to lower the bar to allow users to send and receive money like they are sending a text message.
Interestingly, Machankura’s test showed that using a text-like feature works. Hence, it has tapped into the Bitcoin Lightning Network to facilitate quick and affordable transactions.
Using Mobile Money for Transactions
Numerous South African communities have been using BTC for transactions as they could use fiat currency, unlike other places where BTC is seen as an investment asset. However, people in such communities have no access to smartphones with an internet connection, so they resort to using mobile money.
The use of mobile money is not limited to cryptocurrency in Africa, as it is a financial service that facilitates transactions for people using basic phones without the need to have a traditional bank account. A World Bank report shows that about a third of adult residents in sub-Saharan Africa have active mobile money accounts.
This indicates that Machankura has a ready market for its mobile crypto services. Using mobile money involves utilizing a telecommunications protocol named Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), likened to the popular texting protocol, Short Message Service (SMS).
Machankura’s Operational Mode
To send BTC with Machankura, users must first dial a number using their country code, which will give them a registration menu to create a 5-digit PIN. Upon registration, users can scroll down to select from the menu, which shows some functionality and press a number corresponding to the feature service they want to use.
Furthermore, Machankura has already integrated a critical feature to help users who want to send or receive Bitcoin. This system improves the user experience through the personalized Bitcoin Lightning Protocol. On the phone, the keypad is where a user could input a Lightning address to send or receive BTC.
Machankura has garnered reviews over its revolutionary feature to expand the use of Bitcoin in developing societies. These reviews come from influential Bitcoiners such as Lightning Labs CEO Elizabeth Stark and popular Bitcoin advocate Danny Scott.
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