Akon's Tech Utopia

Innovator of the year Akon shares his plan for disrupting the African diaspora with his own cryptocurrency and blockchain platform. Plus, meet all of our inaugural black tech awards winners

- Samara Lynn

In his breakout hit single “Locked Up,” hip-hop star, producer, and songwriter Akon Thiam sings “Freedom ain’t gettin’ no closer.” Yet, Akon’s philanthropic work and vision for an empowered African diaspora are all about freeing others from economic barriers and creating opportunities.

The Grammy-nominated artist, born in St. Louis, and reared for most of his childhood in Senegal, emerged as a hip-hop star circa the early 2000s. A platinum album and collaborations with megastars, including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Gwen Stefani solidified Akon’s place as a music celebrity.

Akon is a force that expands beyond the music industry. He is on a mission to better the world. In fact, he wants to create a real-life Wakanda, using the latest technologies of blockchain and cryptocurrency.

He believes the two emerging technologies could be saviors for the African continent. “When this crypto thing came to light,” he says, “it became something that I felt would be the solution for Africa.”

Technology Battling Corruption

The artist is so enthused about crypto and blockchain that he developed his own digital currency, the Akon. What makes this tech so important in Akon’s view is the transparency it offers, which can be used to offset the government corruption that runs rampant in many African countries.

Akon bluntly asserts, “I think the cause of Africa’s underdevelopment is corruption.”

Indeed, the Council of Foreign Relations finds that of the 10 most corrupt countries in the world, six are in sub-Saharan Africa. That corruption robs the continent of $150 billion a year.