Bitoshi founder explains how merging bank and blockchain tech simplifies African digital payments

Bitoshi CEO Zubair Habib Timilehin says his fintech startup makes digital assets and stablecoins work for everyday African payments by blending traditional finance trust with blockchain speed. Serving nearly 100,000 users, the company focuses on user-friendly tools where people transact without seeing the tech—like picking up a toy and playing immediately, not reading manuals first.

Zubair believes the future isn't choosing between banking and crypto but seamless experiences where technology fades into background. He cites combining bank reliability with blockchain's low-cost, instant global transfers as key to financial inclusion. The hardest founder challenge? Building trust in an industry plagued by scam associations while navigating real-time tech changes—requiring double effort on security and compliance.

Growth came organically: solving real crypto transaction friction sparked word-of-mouth referrals, not deliberate marketing. Early lesson: losing ₦4 million ($3,000) over a tiny product detail taught him to live and breathe the product initially. Aspiring founders need problem-solving mindsets—seeing obstacles as solvable, not dead ends.

Will you trust financial tools that work invisibly, or do you need to understand the tech behind your money moves?

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/07/24/quick-fire-%f0%9f%94%a5-with-zubair-timilehin/