The Grapevine - May Edition
From DeFi takeovers in Africa to the quiet rise of a new stablecoin empire in the Gulf
May Edition - Editor in Chief Joseph S Farodoye
Welcome to the May edition of The Grapevine. Something powerful is brewing beneath the surface.
From DeFi takeovers in Africa to the quiet rise of a new stablecoin empire in the Gulf, from the rebirth of Burkina Faso to Portugal’s redefinition of diplomacy—this month, we go where the real signals are. Innovation isn’t loud anymore. It’s strategic, silent, and sweeping.
This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s your decoded brief on how the world is being reshaped—by those who dare to move differently.
The Grapevine is where soul meets strategy. Where vision is currency. And where the future doesn’t knock—it builds.
Banking Reimagined - From Institutions to Inclusive Digital Economies
As traditional financial systems face unprecedented pressures, a new financial dawn is emerging—one that places decentralised finance (DeFi) at the heart of inclusive economic growth. What was once dominated by opaque structures and legacy banks is now being reshaped by smart contracts, tokenisation, and blockchain-based banking ecosystems.
Mauritius is at the forefront of this transformation. Once known primarily for its pristine beaches, the island has become a financial beacon in the Indian Ocean. Its robust regulatory framework, fintech innovation hubs, and advanced digital banking infrastructure are setting regional benchmarks. Beyond the stability of the Mauritian Rupee and a history of economic resilience, the island is nurturing a generation of tech-savvy entrepreneurs keen to build Africa-focused DeFi solutions.
In Europe, Portugal is also reinventing its financial narrative. Lisbon's tech-friendly policies and blossoming crypto ecosystem position it as an emerging player in the digital banking space. Meanwhile, cross-border partnerships with African fintechs signal a bold, collaborative future.
But this evolution is not without threats. The power outages that recently crippled parts of Portugal, Spain, France, and Morocco remind us that cyber threats are becoming increasingly systemic. These aren’t just attacks on infrastructure—they’re attacks on trust. High-profile retailers, once insulated from these threats, are now digital-first brands, just as vulnerable as banks.
This shift demands a new mindset: security as strategy, innovation as infrastructure, and inclusivity as a metric for success. In this landscape, DeFi isn’t just about finance—it’s about rebuilding credibility, empowering users, and creating new economic opportunities that transcend borders.
As DeFi projects across Africa gain traction, from Kenya to Nigeria, we see new ecosystems being born—ones that no longer wait for Western institutions to trickle down access. In 2025, banking is no longer a place you go to; it’s something you do.
From Mauritius to Portugal, the global south is redefining the financial map. And with every peer-to-peer transaction, DAO initiative, and stablecoin wallet opened, a new economic era unfolds—one that is decentralised, dynamic, and deeply human.
Cyber Chaos or Coordinated Control? — The Power Outage That Exposed the System
What if the blackout wasn’t the event—but the reveal?
April 28th, 2025 — the day millions across Portugal, Spain, France, and parts of North Africa were suddenly plunged into darkness. Power gone. Signals dropped. Commerce collapsed. And while the masses scrambled for answers, a quiet few moved like they’d seen the script in advance.
From servers to supermarket tills, the modern world paused. And yet, a strange anomaly surfaced—some weren’t just prepared. They were positioned. Perfectly.
In contrast, small businesses shut down. Card machines failed. Panic buying began. Whole communities were left in digital silence, disconnected and confused.
Which raises the question: was this truly a cyberattack — or something more strategic?
The truth may lie in whispers. One shopper recounted a chilling detail: a major supermarket chain, Lidl, not only remained functional during the blackout — its staff were reportedly warned a full day before. Deliveries arrived early. Teams were briefed. Systems reinforced.
Who warned them? Why them? And why weren’t the public told?
When you look closely, events that appear chaotic often unfold with eerie precision — and advantage always flows to the informed. The digital battlefield isn’t just about malware anymore. It’s about control, timing, and access.
Cyber warfare now targets everything: consumer trust, operational resilience, and national infrastructure. These power cuts didn’t just disable machines — they revealed the fragility of modern life, and the growing gap between those who know and those left guessing.
And perhaps most tellingly: it’s not just about attacks anymore. It’s about simulations, drills, and orchestrated tests of how we respond, who adapts, and who thrives.
So, ask yourself — what else is being tested?
Because if you were left unprepared, you weren’t alone. But some — the insiders, the strategic few — weren’t surprised. They were stocked. Connected. Ready.
It’s time to rethink resilience. Not just with firewalls and servers, but with insight and access. At Bluxe Century, we believe foresight is the greatest firewall.
As murmurs grow louder, and the system strains under invisible pressure, one truth is clear: the next frontier of power isn’t just electricity or data — it’s awareness.
The lights may go out again. The question is — will you be in the dark?
Portugal & Africa - Redrafting Diplomatic Blueprints
Portugal is entering a new era of diplomacy, one grounded not in nostalgia or obligation but in shared opportunity. Once tethered to its colonial past, Portugal is now refocusing its lens toward collaboration, equity, and mutual prosperity with African nations.
This shift is evident in a series of tech and trade delegations that have emerged over the past year. Rather than imposing models, Portugal is co-designing innovation hubs in Lusophone Africa—from Cape Verde to Angola. Portuguese universities and accelerators are building bridges for talent exchange, startup incubation, and joint ventures. In turn, African partners are bringing bold ideas and demographic energy into an ageing European economy hungry for renewal.
Lisbon’s unique geopolitical position is also an advantage, with key figureheads like Jose Reis Santos playing a pivotal role guiding the development of the eco system. As the gateway to both Europe and the Atlantic, Portugal is poised to serve as a neutral corridor where African capital, talent, and creativity can scale globally. This is more than diplomacy; it’s a strategic economic realignment.
But the real innovation lies in the terms. No longer is aid the primary mechanism of engagement. Instead, we see equity stakes, IP co-ownership, and revenue-sharing agreements being explored. These redefine what partnership looks like in the 21st century. Add to that Portugal’s appetite for blockchain-enabled governance and transparent trade protocols, and you get a template others may soon follow.
With events like TCC2025 hosted by TCC and Associates Consultancy and Web Summit 2025 taking place within days of each other, the Algarve and Lisbon are becoming annual destinations for global dealmaking. African innovators are not just attending; they are participating.
Portugal's diplomatic evolution may well become a blueprint for the EU-Africa relationship at large. It's rooted in trust, respect, and an understanding that economic empowerment must go both ways. As these ties deepen, the continent-to-continent partnership model may become one of the most important geopolitical pivots of our generation.
Captain Ibiham Tarore - A New Archetype of African Leadership
In an era where many leaders are criticised for stagnation or populism, Captain Ibiham Tarore has emerged as a force of transformational change. Once a decorated military tactician, he now stands as one of Africa’s most dynamic state leaders, redefining what leadership means in the 21st century.
Tarore's strategy is simple: embed discipline into development and innovation into governance. Under his stewardship, the national GDP has doubled, foreign investment has surged, and the education-to-employment pipeline has become the envy of neighbouring states. At the heart of his blueprint is the "One Nation, One Vision" programme—an integrated AI-powered economic engine that tracks resource allocation, infrastructure needs, and national performance metrics in real time.
Yet his approach isn't just technocratic. It's human. Captain Tarore has pushed for decentralised citizen councils, micro-investment funds, and youth leadership academies across all provinces. He doesn’t just talk inclusivity—he operationalises it.
Critically, he has also restructured his nation’s external economic policies. No longer reliant on aid, his country now issues smart bonds to diaspora communities, incentivising reinvestment and allowing global citizens to play an active role in national development.
His achievements are striking. Under his leadership, Burkina Faso has implemented universal free education and launched a new healthcare system that includes the construction of 55 municipal medical centres and five intensive care units. The revival of Air Burkina, with the acquisition of new aircraft, symbolises national pride and infrastructure advancement. Most notably, his administration has reclaimed national control over Burkina Faso’s key mineral resources—gold, uranium, and other critical assets—ensuring wealth flows back to the people.
His leadership has caught global attention. Delegations from Asia, the EU, and North America are studying his national transformation model. Many are calling it a new Marshall Plan—but one designed in Africa, by Africans, for Africans.
And perhaps most profoundly, the world witnessed a historic moment in response to his leadership—a pan-African and global Diaspora protest movement. In a coordinated and peaceful show of solidarity, millions took to the streets across the African continent and in major cities like Paris, London, and New York. These were not chaotic uprisings, but well-organized, sensible demonstrations. They stood in defiance of geopolitical pressure, particularly from the United States, and in resolute support of Burkina Faso and its right to chart its own future.
This movement marked a first: the emergence of a new kind of civic engagement in Africa and the Diaspora, one grounded in dignity, order, and strategic symbolism. Placards were held high not with slogans of complaint, but with declarations of vision—highlighting Captain Tarore’s leadership as a symbol of African excellence and independence.
Captain Tarore is proving that visionary leadership doesn’t need to be outsourced. With the right strategy, a commitment to transparency, and the boldness to reimagine legacy systems, any nation can rise. He is not just leading a country—he is shaping a continent’s future, and inspiring a generation to move from protest to progress.
UAE's Dirham-Backed Stablecoin - A New Global Financial Paradigm
In a move that could alter the architecture of international finance, the United Arab Emirates has launched the world’s first fully Dirham-backed stablecoin. Developed under the leadership of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the strategic vision of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, this development is far more than a local milestone—it’s a geopolitical signal.
Why does this matter? Because the global stablecoin market, now exceeding $232 billion, is currently dominated by U.S.-centric coins like USDT and #USDC. Despite the region's wealth, there has been a lack of #MENA-based alternatives—until now.
Backed by ADQ, IHC, and #FirstAbuDhabiBank, the UAE’s stablecoin is designed not just for domestic remittances but for global trade, sovereign liquidity, and regional settlement. Its real-world applications are immense: enabling cross-border commerce, streamlining foreign investment, and potentially reducing the dependency on Western clearinghouses.
Moreover, the move reinforces the UAE’s ambition to be a fintech superpower. Coupled with its leadership in AI regulation and blockchain standards, this stablecoin adds another layer to the country’s digital finance ecosystem. The strategic move has been reinforced with several meeting taking place over the past 3 months with key presidential figures across Africa including President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo, who signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Republic of the Congo, President of Chad Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in Abu Dhabi.
What comes next? Watch for regional adoption by African and Asian trade partners, new bilateral agreements, and a potential surge in Gulf-backed digital infrastructure projects.
In a fragmented global economy, where the US dollar's supremacy is increasingly questioned, the Dirham-backed stablecoin could become a foundational element of a new financial order. Not just for the UAE—but for an emerging multipolar world.
Secret Shifts in Consultancy – Reinventing Business, One client at a Time
In today’s business world, the biggest challenge isn’t access to technology—it’s applying it meaningfully.
For decades, companies have been sold generic solutions wrapped in complex language. Grand strategies. Endless meetings. Big talk with little impact. Traditional consultancy often over-promises and under-delivers, leaving business owners overwhelmed, disconnected from tech, and still stuck with the same problems.
That’s where TCC & Associates steps in. Quietly, consistently, and confidently reshaping the consultancy model with something radical: clarity.
At TCC, we don’t sell dreams. We deliver systems. Modular, AI-inspired, consultative frameworks designed to solve real problems in real time. Our model is simple—diagnose precisely, apply intelligently, measure relentlessly. No jargon. No noise. Just results.
Through digital landscaping, we layer in AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrency where they make sense—not for buzz, but for bottom-line performance. We've helped clients digitise value chains, streamline cross-border transactions with stablecoin integration, and adopt blockchain to improve transparency and trust within their operations. These aren’t experiments. They’re enhancements.
We’ve watched clients unlock efficiency, cut costs, improve margins, and empower their teams—not through tech for tech’s sake, but through targeted, transformative upgrades that enhance their existing workflows.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Every business is different. Every pain point is unique. That’s why we treat each engagement like its own blueprint, bringing in domain experts with proven success, and tailoring our tools to match your ambitions.
Our system is smart, lean, and proven. It’s built by a team that’s walked the walk—entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists, and strategists who understand that time is money, and clarity is power.
In a world drowning in complexity, TCC brings light. Not just because it’s possible—but because it’s necessary. And if your business is ready to move from chaos to clarity, we’re ready to guide the way. Not just because it’s possible—but because it’s necessary. And if your business is ready to move from chaos to clarity, we’re ready to guide the way.
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Written by, Joseph Farodoye CEO | Chief Thinker and Global Citizen
about.me/josephfarodoye | www.bluxecentury.com/blog
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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any company, organization, or individual mentioned. The content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice or an endorsement of any specific AI technology, strategy, or approach. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, the author and publisher make no representations or warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the information.