America's former chipmaking giant, Intel, is navigating a complex and pivotal period marked by significant investments and political challenges. The company recently secured a $5 billion investment from Nvidia and a $3.5 billion lifeline from the White House, highlighting its strategic importance. However, Intel faces political scrutiny, with hints of CEO Lip-Bu Tan's potential removal over China ties, alongside past talks of a Qualcomm takeover. Despite these vulnerabilities, federal backing has positioned Intel as too critical to fail, raising questions about the future trajectory of this key American tech firm.

In an insightful 'Quick Fire' interview, Olayide Babayemi, a conference producer at the Dubai World Trade Centre, shared her experiences bringing major technology gatherings like GITEX Africa and GITEX Nigeria to life. She likened her role to planning a 'massive party' focused on idea-sharing and discussion, without the typical birthday festivities. Babayemi expressed excitement about contributing to positive narratives about Africa and highlighted her proudest moment as 'surviving' the complexities of conference production. She noted that her toughest challenge was accepting inevitable changes between inception and execution, realizing that her job is primarily people management. Her approach to selecting themes and speakers involves extensive research, trend observation, and alignment with the event's overarching goals. For managing tight deadlines, she relies on refining a systematic approach, such as using Post-it notes, and setting realistic expectations. Success for her means still smiling at an event's conclusion, and she finds the extensive time required to organize multi-day events consistently surprising. Outside of work, she enjoys good company and food, and despite not being a great artist, finds joy in doodling patterns. Interestingly, she excels at cooking for herself, an activity she doesn't particularly love but is proficient in.

Nigeria is tightening its regulatory grip on the cryptocurrency sector with the introduction of the new Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025. This act, signed in June 2025, overhauls the country's fiscal framework and establishes a direct tax compliance regime for Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) taking effect in 2026. Non-compliant VASPs face a hefty ₦10 million ($6,693) fine in the first month, followed by ₦1 million ($669) monthly fines, and the risk of losing their licenses. This move is driven by Nigeria's urgent need to boost its tax-to-GDP ratio, aiming for 18% by 2027 from its current sub-10% figure. Nigeria has had a tumultuous relationship with crypto, previously banning transactions in 2021 due to concerns over naira volatility, tax evasion, and terrorism financing. However, the ban was lifted in December 2023 after crypto transaction volumes surged. In March 2025, digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, were officially recognized as securities. The new NTAA implies stricter compliance requirements for crypto operators, mirroring banking regulations, with mandatory tax registration, suspicious transaction reporting, enhanced Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and seven-year record-keeping, which may lead to higher costs for users.

In the startup world, Daniel Yu, co-founder of Wasoko, a Kenyan B2B e-commerce company, has stepped down from his full-time role after more than a decade. His departure follows a year after Wasoko's merger with Egypt's MaxAB, with MaxAB's co-founder, Belal El-Megharbel, now leading the combined entity. Wasoko gained prominence by addressing distribution challenges for informal retailers, providing them access to fast-moving consumer goods through technology. The integration of the two businesses has faced difficulties, leading to restructurings, market exits (like Zanzibar), job cuts, and executive departures in early 2024. Despite these hurdles, the company holds significant weight in Africa's e-commerce landscape, having raised $230 million and achieved a pre-merger valuation of $625 million. The joint company also acquired Fatura, an Egypt-based B2B e-marketplace, in 2024. Yu's exit marks the end of a founding chapter, with the company's future stability and market dominance now largely dependent on MaxAB's strategic direction.

In funding news, Nigerian fintech Kredete secured $22 million in Series A funding. The round was led by AfricInvest through its Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF) and Financial Inclusion Vehicle (FIVE), with participation from Partech and Polymorphic Capital. Additionally, DONE, a Moroccan food delivery startup, successfully closed a $2.1 million seed round with investments from undisclosed local investors and business angels.