Blockradar, a stablecoin wallet infrastructure company founded in Nigeria, has emerged as the first-place winner at the 2025 Crypto Valley Conference Startup Pitch Competition. The recognition places Blockradar at the centre of global discussions around embedded finance, cross-border transactions, and the evolution of decentralized infrastructure with a distinctly African perspective leading the charge.
The Crypto Valley Conference, held annually in Zug, Switzerland, is a global nexus of blockchain innovation. This year’s edition gathered over 1,500 attendees, 125 speakers, and dozens of cutting-edge startups to explore how cryptographic technology is reshaping finance, identity, compliance, and cross-border trade.
A Global Platform Meets a Bold African Innovation
Blockradar’s pitch was delivered by Morgan Williams, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, to a room full of institutional investors, technologists, and regulators. Williams, formerly of Coinbase, Uber, and Braintree, delivered what many called the most precise and confident pitch of the day.
She was the only finalist who kept within the strict five-minute pitch window, even including a short introductory video. What stood out even more was her composure during the Q&A. Her answers were exact, strategic, and displayed a deep understanding of the market, technology, and regulatory nuance.
Observers noted that while other founders focused on features, Williams articulated why Blockradar matters and who it is built for; fintechs in Africa and other emerging markets that face systemic limitations in traditional financial infrastructure.
From Quiet Builds to Global Headlines
Co-founder and CEO Abdulfatai Suleiman had posted just days earlier on X (formerly Twitter) that Blockradar was hoping to win. The confidence was not misplaced.
Suleiman, a seasoned engineer who previously served as CTO at Lazerpay and worked as a software engineer at Paystack and Patricia, built Blockradar alongside Williams with a singular goal: unlock the stablecoin economy for fintechs in underbanked regions.
Abdulfatai Suleiman of Blockradar
Over six months in private beta, Blockradar issued more than 15,000 wallets, processed over $32 million in on-chain volume, and introduced features such as AML compliance tools, gasless transactions, and treasury management dashboards. The platform now supports eight chains and continues to add integrations with major fintech providers across Africa.
“This was our first public pitch ever,” Suleiman wrote. “It’s easy to celebrate the win, but for me, it’s about the late nights, the belief, and the quiet work that got us here.”
The Finalists and the Stakes
Out of over 100 applications, 11 early-stage startups were selected for the final pitch showdown on the CVC25 stage. The finalists included:
Blockradar
Crymbo
Fija
Flashback
Griffin AI (AI agents for DeFi)
Margarita Finance
NominiS
Notarify
Rebell Pay
Paas
Each was judged on feasibility, originality, business readiness, and clarity of execution.
A Powerful Panel of Judges
The evaluation was led by a jury of top-tier venture capitalists and blockchain ecosystem builders, including:
Benedek Orban, CVA & CV Labs
Bastian Wetzel, CV VC
Raphael Grieco, Olive Capital
Max Schneider, Blockwall Capital
Philipp Vonmoos, Solana Foundation
Mathieu Chanson, VeryEarly Ventures
Their backing of Blockradar represents a powerful validation of the company’s technical strength and strategic clarity.
Major Prizes for Top Winners
Participants and winners walked away with a suite of soft-committed investments, exposure, and strategic partnerships, including:
$400,000 commitment from Blockwall Capital
$300,000 from VeryEarly Ventures
$150,000 from CV Labs Accelerator Fast Track
Free cohort seat with optional €100,000 follow-on from Blockchain Founders Group
Priority consideration for $50,000 from Kiln Ventures
A sponsored trip to Solana’s Breakpoint Conference in Abu Dhabi this December
1-year Crypto Valley Association Startup Corporate Membership
Each of the top three startups also earned booth space at the conference and extended investor matchmaking access.
About the Crypto Valley Conference
Now in its seventh year, the Crypto Valley Conference is one of the most respected gatherings in blockchain. It is jointly organised by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Crypto Valley Association.
The 2025 edition covered key areas including:
Institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure
Real-world asset tokenisation
Blockchain venture strategies
Stablecoin economies and CBDCs
Regulation, AI, and decentralised protocols
The event also featured masterclasses, product showcases, and the renowned Lake Zug boat cruise, closing the summit in quintessential Swiss style.
Africa’s Fintech Infrastructure Moment
Blockradar’s win reflects the growing technical sophistication and strategic ambition of Africa’s blockchain ecosystem. Rather than building for hype cycles or speculation, startups like Blockradar are creating infrastructure with practical value. They are enabling fintechs to navigate remittances, currency instability, compliance, and cross-border payments through stablecoin solutions. This is how a new financial architecture is taking shape, led by builders who understand the everyday realities of emerging markets.
With this win, Blockradar has joined a rarefied circle of global leaders. But for Suleiman and Williams, it is only the beginning.
“Next stop is London,” Suleiman said, referencing their upcoming appearance at the Africa Tech Summit. “This is day zero.”
Ifeanyi Abraham is a communications strategist, AI product specialist, and award-winning journalist shaping narratives at the intersection of technology, media,...
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