Financial inclusion is a necessity in Africa, Derrick Hope Gidzi, CTO of ZipCoin

What is your background briefly?

I am the CTO of ZipCoin LLC and ZipCoin Remit Limited respectively our blockchain technology start-ups. Zipcoin Remit is a blockchain based decentralized remittance and payment solution which will enhance businesses and individuals in the $104B remit industry.

ZIPCO tokens will transform the remittance industry with the creation of its Epic Operating System (EOS) blockchain powered payment system. This will guarantee all types of remittance businesses, a safe, secure, swift and reliable payment solution. Let’s not for get that EOS was created to help developers like me create applications focused around transferring money or value from one party to another more securely.

I have over 18 years experience and expertise in distributed applications, tools for supporting virtual communities, and web applications and software development, testing and information security. I am well-versed at consulting with clients regarding application requirements, planning, development and deployment. I have helped execute large scale, multi-phased application development projects using various secure methodologies. I look at business challenges and build and propose solutions with the technologies that fits best to achieve growth and scale.

Does it seem like a logical background to what you do now?

I recently founded an Internet Service Startup ( Nile Wireless ) whose aim is to provide affordable internet at low cost in certain deprived Areas in Ghana, West Africa. I believe technology is not just an ever-changing way of doing things but also a tool for innovations and enhancement of existing solutions to transform lives.

Blockchain is an amazing technology that will facilitate transparency, business model innovation and cost reduction. Where cost reduction to the end user is our ultimate goal. However, blockchain is only part of a bigger solution, the most important being bringing value to businesses and the end user of our product. My immerse background affords me the opportunity to bring my skills to help deliver the required results for Zipcoin Remit.

Here, we aim for our “ZIPCO” utility tokens to become the principal payment solution which will largely replace fiat currencies in the multibillion dollar remit industry over the course of several years.

And using the cutting edge technology – EOS blockchain, our remittance business will be easy, safe, accessible, secure, convenient, swift and reliable. Building confidence, awareness and education around our product offering by removing barriers to remittance and blockchain technology is our ultimate goal in achieving this.

1 min pitch for what you are doing now?

At Con-imedia Limited and Nilewireless I lead multiple teams overseeing methodology development and project execution . I also head the application security research team, investigating secure coding and development techniques to aid in the improvement and efficiency of web based applications.

Why did you get involved with this ICO/STO?

ICO is a revolutionary method to raise money, unlike STO where selling shares of your company, ICO is distinctive and requires a diversified strategy in order to market it to the public.

Nearly two years ago I started to deep dive into the crypto world. I discovered quickly how enormously the space was bursting with ideas. I am endlessly captivated and passionate about the blockchain technologies and believe in its foundations as a future economy. With my role as CTO, one of the questions I asked was how important a role will ZIPCO tokens play on the Zipcoin Remittance platform? What will its role in the industry be and what prevailing problems will it attempt to solve? I needed to understand how ZIPCO tokens will be utilized and not just tagged as just another coin.

ZIPCOIN REMIT will mainly focus on solving real people issues around remittance cost, technology, security and delivery in the emerging markets. The exorbitant prices we pay to send money to Africa is extremely high and our solution is set to change that. We have very experienced, talented, passionate and diverse professionals from all ethnic backgrounds; some who have been both on the sender and the receiver sides of the remittance space.

The irony behind the company name is powerful, enriching and inspiring. Why ZIPCOIN?

We plan to go after each community, each village, each town, and each city in Africa and beyond. Work with the individuals, governments, regulators and business partners to close and zip gaps in remittance and blockchain technology; implementing measures around accessibility, cost, interoperability issues.

Using our platform and utility token to send money will be 8 times cheaper than the current remittance companies. Through our town halls we are learning that people are dying for an option as the current remit systems are too big to listen to the mass and too expensive to lower their prices.

We are very passionate about how we are engaging these migrant communities, diasporas, international students, government, and partners to learn more on the issues and how our remittance model is built to change ordinary lives both at personal, community, local and international levels; most importantly, the poor, the unbanked, and the disfranchised.

ZIPCOIN REMIT believes that having financial inclusion is a necessity. Therefore, we are partnering with banks, telecom, universities, and migrant associations across the globe and providing jobs to Canadians, Africans and beyond. Please, we ask everyone who believes in our vision to join our movement; the price of remit to Africa has to go down!

Why do you think it is such a powerful idea?

We are driven by the endless possibilities that this will change lives and transform economies. It’s our aspiration to bring the most value to individuals and businesses across the globe. With our excessive product and marketing management experiences, we are focused on identifying opportunities in every corner of the emerging African Market.

The ZipCoin brand is a movement and it is a “humanitarian effort” so we will ask everyone to play their part.

The world is changing and the way we do business is changing. Millennials are taking over the world by using the internet, machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data thinking and social media. And no one should be left behind. It is our mandate to empower people through  grassroots initiatives.

The platform will be easy to use, intuitive, affordable, swift and reliable. Our solution is built based on real time remittance challenges and needs that will complement business value and transform lives and communities.

How can people find out more about 1. The ICO/STO  2. You & Your work?

Web: www.zipcx.io

Twitter – @dhopeg

Twitter- @zipcoinexchange

Telegram- @zipcoinexchange

Email: derrick.gidzi@zipcoinremit.com

Email: hope@con-imedia.com

---

If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie or on Twitter: @SimonCocking