Africa Blockchain Festival Heads to Nairobi for 2026

Africa Blockchain Festival Heads to Nairobi for 2026

The Africa Blockchain Festival (ABF) is officially coming back for its second edition. After a launch in Rwanda, the major regional event is heading to Nairobi, Kenya. The gather will take place from October 15 to October 17, 2026, at the Sarit Expo Centre.

Organizers are preparing to welcome over 3,000 attendees from around the world. The overarching theme for this year's event is Capital, Code, and Continuity: Building Africa’s Permanent Digital Economy.

A Three-Day Breakdown: Capital, Code, and Continuity

The festival is designed around three main themes spread across three days. Each day highlights a different aspect of the continent's growing digital landscape.

Day 1: Capital (October 15)

The opening day focuses heavily on funding, venture capital, fintech, and digital asset movement across African infrastructure. Highlights for Day 1 include:

• Qualifying rounds for the Startup Pitch Competition.
• Panel discussions featuring experienced venture capitalists and fund managers.
• Fireside chats connecting startup founders with potential investors.
• An exhibition floor opening with more than 50 company booths.
• An evening networking reception to wrap up the first day.

Day 2: Code (October 16)

Day 2 is dedicated entirely to software developers, engineers, and technical creators. Key activities include:

• Technical keynote presentations from industry experts.
• Interactive workshops covering smart contract programming and Layer-2 scaling solutions.
• In-depth sessions on combining artificial intelligence with blockchain technology.
• Explorations into real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.
• The grand finals of the Startup Pitch Competition on the main stage.
• An exclusive, invite-only dinner for speakers and investors.

Day 3: Continuity (October 17)

The final day offers an off-site experience for 150 to 200 VIP attendees. The goal is to build long-lasting connections outside of the typical conference hall setting. Activities include:

• A morning 7-a-side friendly football tournament.
• A guided city tour including trips to the Nairobi National Park and the Giraffe Centre.
• An invite-only Closing Ceremony Dinner in the evening.
• The official reveal of the host city for ABF 2027.

Why Nairobi Was Selected for 2026

Choosing Nairobi as the next host city was a strategic move. Kenya has long been recognized as a leader in mobile money usage, driven by high adoption rates across the country.

Furthermore, Nairobi's technology ecosystem has successfully fostered four tech unicorns over the past decade. Kenyan regulators have also taken a forward-looking stance on digital asset frameworks compared to many regional peers.

Reflecting on the Success of ABF 2025 in Kigali

The inaugural edition of the festival took place at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda. That inaugural event brought together over 2,000 attendees and featured more than 60 speakers.

The 2025 event also hosted 30 exhibiting companies and drew participants from over 20 countries, with major crypto exchange Binance joining as the title sponsor.

Those initial discussions led to real-world outcomes, including new business partnerships, successful seed investment funding rounds, and ongoing project collaborations. In the months following the event, Rwanda also successfully passed its official virtual assets bill.

Please note: Past ecosystem developments, legislative progress, or previous event turnouts do not guarantee similar results or regulatory changes in future host countries.

Event Registration and Ticket Options

The Africa Blockchain Festival 2026 will be hosted inside Arabuko Hall at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. Organizers have established three tier options for attendees:

• General Access: $99 for early-bird tickets ($150 standard rate).
• Professional Access: $249 for early-bird tickets ($350 standard rate).
• VIP Access: $499 for early-bird tickets ($700 standard rate).

Registration is currently available via the official website at africablockchainfestival.com. Attendees can use the promo code BITCOINCOM at checkout. You can also follow updates using the hashtags #ABF2026, #CapitalCodeContinuity, and #ABFNairobi.

About the Organizers

The Africa Blockchain Festival was founded by Olubunmi Fabanwo with the goal of establishing a long-term institutional foundation for Africa's digital economy.

By bringing together builders, venture funds, creators, and policymakers each year, ABF aims to create a permanent collaborative home for regional blockchain development. For media or partnership inquiries, the team can be contacted directly at [email protected].