Shah of @pingapphq Building tools that make money move like message. Backed by @binancelabs @0xpolygon | Partners @polygon @Base & @bnbchain
Joined April 2013
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Ukeme Okuku | PingApp ๐ retweeted
7years ago, I made the tweet that birth Web3bridge.
Since that tweet, we have consciously train and supprted the ecosystem with top and competent developers.
Grateful to see the impact and growth that have happened as a result of that tweet. Much more excited about the quality of support Web3bridge has received from the ecosystem, protocols, friends and partners in those years.
This years anniversary came with mixed emotion, especially as we are at a critical part of growth. We have asked the question, should we close up and do something else? Possibly, just turn the rooms to apartments, while I possible get a nice job as I'm not near retirement.
This week, I concluded that the reason why we are under so much pressure now is cos we believe we have something to loose, but we been under no pressure before now cos as I tell them team "we will just go home, if it doesn't work out".
Good news is, we aren't going back home cos our friends and partners already told us they got us and will hold our hands, walk/work with us as we manage the transition into supporting founders.
Grateful much to everyone who have been a part of the journey so far! My wish was to be able to send everyone who have supported us a thank you gift, card, note but it's ok, we will still do it.
We won't have gone this far without the amazing team at Web3bridge! Everyone who has been a part of our journey as a team member, you deserve the kudos and I will someday say thank you in a great way.
For those asking, Peace is not getting sacked either ๐
Love you all!
Reading this post and want to be a part of our new adventure? I'm a DM away
7 YEARS OF WEB3BRIDGE! โค๏ธ๐
Seven years of learning, building, growing, and creating opportunities.
Today, we celebrate how far weโve come, everyone who has been part of our journey, and everything weโre yet to become.
Happy 7th Anniversary to us! ๐ฅณ
#Web3BridgeAt7 #W3BAt7
The real work in building the infrastructure for financial freedom is done offline.
Consistency did it @etienneokeke ๐
Dm me for partnerships.
Ukeme Okuku | PingApp ๐ retweeted
The first thing you used when you got on the internet wasnโt a bank app. It was email or a social app.
If social apps onboards people to the internet, they can also be the bridge that onboard people onchain. When communication and value live in one place, everything changes.
@hifisoftng Shah of @pingapphq on why he is building a borderless super app in Africa.
Builders Block EP 9 is live
@hifisoftng , Shah of @pingapphq, is building a borderless super app. Messaging, money, and services in one place.
He has built with over $1M and is deeply focused on solving real problems, not just following trends.
In this episode, we go deep into his work principles and long term thinking, how he builds sustainably without burning out, how he approaches revenue from day one, his decision to drop out of school and choose a different path, and his perspective on school versus real world building.
This is a masterclass in building with conviction
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
2:51 - 4:54 Who are you & what mission are you on?
4:55 - 7:16 Growing up in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Values and early lessons
7:17 - 11:16 Studied Computer Engineering, dropped out, and chose a different path
11:17 - 16:30 School vs real-world building. What actually works?
16:31 - 32:04 Discovering crypto, early experiments, and building Gamic
32:05 - 33:45 Curiosity as both a blessing and a curse
33:46 - 36:34 Collaboration over competition in product building
36:35 - 45:52 Why build a super app in Africa right now? (PingApp thesis)
45:53 - 49:50 Why Facebook failed and why Ping succeeded in implementing value in chat.
49:51 - 54:45 From Gamic to PingApp. Pivot or new vision?
54:50 - 58:22 Inside PingApp. Architecture and technical challenges
58:23 - 1:00:35 Building with $1M+. What changes?
1:00:36 - 1:05:22 Revenue model. How PingApp makes money
1:05:23 - 1:13:34 Principles that guide his work
1:13:35 - 1:18:48 Collective wealth is real wealth
1:18:49 - 1:26:49 Health, rest, and recovery while building
1:26:50 - 1:30:50 Geography is destiny + Get a second passport if you can
1:30:51 - 1:35:04 The one trait that makes a great entrepreneur
1:35:05 - 1:41:49 The hardest moment at PingApp and trusting instinct
1:41:50 Break the Block (Rapid Fire)
* if you had fresh capital today, which African startup would you invest in and why (@paycrest, @hyperbridge, @BlockradarHQ)
youtu.be/cQwl-eU8FuQ?si=ntN9โฆ
Ukeme Okuku | PingApp ๐ retweeted
Builders Block EP 9 is live
@hifisoftng , Shah of @pingapphq, is building a borderless super app. Messaging, money, and services in one place.
He has built with over $1M and is deeply focused on solving real problems, not just following trends.
In this episode, we go deep into his work principles and long term thinking, how he builds sustainably without burning out, how he approaches revenue from day one, his decision to drop out of school and choose a different path, and his perspective on school versus real world building.
This is a masterclass in building with conviction
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
2:51 - 4:54 Who are you & what mission are you on?
4:55 - 7:16 Growing up in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Values and early lessons
7:17 - 11:16 Studied Computer Engineering, dropped out, and chose a different path
11:17 - 16:30 School vs real-world building. What actually works?
16:31 - 32:04 Discovering crypto, early experiments, and building Gamic
32:05 - 33:45 Curiosity as both a blessing and a curse
33:46 - 36:34 Collaboration over competition in product building
36:35 - 45:52 Why build a super app in Africa right now? (PingApp thesis)
45:53 - 49:50 Why Facebook failed and why Ping succeeded in implementing value in chat.
49:51 - 54:45 From Gamic to PingApp. Pivot or new vision?
54:50 - 58:22 Inside PingApp. Architecture and technical challenges
58:23 - 1:00:35 Building with $1M+. What changes?
1:00:36 - 1:05:22 Revenue model. How PingApp makes money
1:05:23 - 1:13:34 Principles that guide his work
1:13:35 - 1:18:48 Collective wealth is real wealth
1:18:49 - 1:26:49 Health, rest, and recovery while building
1:26:50 - 1:30:50 Geography is destiny + Get a second passport if you can
1:30:51 - 1:35:04 The one trait that makes a great entrepreneur
1:35:05 - 1:41:49 The hardest moment at PingApp and trusting instinct
1:41:50 Break the Block (Rapid Fire)
* if you had fresh capital today, which African startup would you invest in and why (@paycrest, @hyperbridge, @BlockradarHQ)
youtu.be/cQwl-eU8FuQ?si=ntN9โฆ
Ukeme Okuku | PingApp ๐ retweeted
This week, Iโm dropping a 1 hour+ conversation with @hifisoftng from @pingapphq Ukeme is the Co-Founder of PingApp, a super app where messaging, payments, and services come together in one place.
We go deep on his unpopular opinion about crypto(in his words, we all have lost our way), how he thinks about sustainability as a founder and not burning out, and why his team believes they are solving what others, including Facebook, couldnโt get right.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why geography is destiny and why every founder should get a second passport if they can
- The one trait that separates great entrepreneurs
- The hardest moment at PingApp and the instinct that guided him through it
- Growing up in Eastern Nigeria and how it shaped his worldview
- His principles on execution, ownership, and long-term thinking
And a lot more.
Out tomorrow on Builders Block.
Today
Kenyan investors struggle to buy Nigerian stocks.
Nigerians struggle to buy Egyptian stocks.
Tokenisation fixes that.
The โNigerians use stablecoins because the naira keeps losing valueโ narrative is outdated.
In the last year, the naira has actually been one of the better-performing currencies, appreciating roughly ~10% against the USD at certain points.
If your goal was purely holding value vs the dollar, you would have been better off holding naira (or a naira stablecoin like @cngn_co) than holding USD-pegged stablecoins.
So why do Nigerians still use USDT/USDC?
Not because of currency panic.
The real driver is utility are Commerce, Remittance, access and convenience.
> Commerce: Businesses use stablecoins for cross-border payments and imports.
> Remittance: Diaspora transfers settle instantly without banking friction.
> Access: Most Nigerians cannot easily access fiat USD.
> Convenience: Stablecoins move globally in minutes without traditional rails and you can access it right from the convenience of your house.
In Nigeria, stablecoins are becoming less a hedge and more a payment rail.
They function as the internet-native dollar for trade and remittance not just a store of value.
USDT vs USDC ownership by country. Ranked.
๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฌ Nigeria: 59% USDT / 48% USDC
๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐บ Australia: 34% USDT / 29% USDC
๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ณ India: 30% USDT / 27% USDC
4. ๐จ๐ด Colombia: 25% USDT / 29% USDC
5. ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore: 29% USDT / 24% USDC
6. ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa: 23% USDT / 29% USDC
7. ๐บ๐ธ United States: 22% USDT / 26% USDC
8. ๐ต๐ญ Philippines: 27% USDT / 20% USDC
9. ๐น๐ญ Thailand: 25% USDT / 21% USDC
10. ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina: 25% USDT / 20% USDC
11. ๐ซ๐ท France: 21% USDT / 14% USDC
12. ๐ฉ๐ช Germany: 15% USDT / 17% USDC
13. ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico: 16% USDT / 16% USDC
14. ๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom: 16% USDT / 14% USDC
15. ๐ง๐ท Brazil: 14% USDT / 16% USDC
Two things stand out:
๐น Nigeria is in a league of its own. Nearly 60% USDT ownership. Dollar-denominated savings aren't optional when your local currency loses value daily.
๐น USDC is catching up. In Colombia, South Africa, US, Germany, and Brazil, USDC ownership actually exceeds USDT. The regulated stablecoin is gaining ground.
USDT still leads globally. But the gap is narrowing fast.
Data: @BVNK Stablecoin Utility Report 2026
Shameless plug;
Iโm building Ping App to make sending money across Africa as easy as sending a message.
Today, people use one app to talk and another to move money, and sending money across African countries is still slow, expensive, divided and in most cases impossible.
Ping brings it together. With Ping you can chat, send money, receive payments, pay for services, and access financial markets across different African countries all inside one app.
The goal is simple: Connect Africaโs economies.
teapawt.org/hifisoftng/status/2032โฆ
In many emerging markets, especially across Africa, millions of people remain excluded from the global financial system despite having access to smartphones and the internet. Sending or receiving money across borders is still slow, expensive, and fragmented, with users forced to rely on multiple apps, costly remittance services, or informal channels. At the same time, communication platforms used daily by millions are disconnected from financial services, creating friction between how people communicate and how they transact.
Ping addresses this gap by merging messaging and payments into one native platform, allowing anyone with a smartphone to communicate and move value instantly. By removing the barriers between conversation and transactions, Ping makes global financial access simpler, faster, and more inclusive for individuals, creators, and small businesses.
