Vitalik Hints at Visit to Lagos, Nigeria, Following Polygon’s African Partnership

In a recent X Space interview, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s founder, hinted that he might be visiting Lagos, Nigeria, sometime next year. If confirmed, Vitalik’s potential visit to Lagos, Nigeria, next year would mark a historic first, as the Ethereum co-founder has never before set foot in the country.

In the interview, Olugbenga GB Agboola, founder and CEO at Flutterwave, Sandeep Neilwal, founder of Polygon, Tomasz K. Stańczak, Co-Executive Director at the Ethereum Foundation, and Vitalik, who made a surprise appearance, gave their thoughts concerning the recent Flutterwave and Polygon collaboration.

In a part of the session, Fatu Ogwuche, the host, took the opportunity to inquire about Vitalik Buterin’s potential visit to Lagos, Nigeria, on behalf of the local crypto enthusiasts, asking when they could expect to see him in the city. However, before she could finish her question, GB interjected with a humorous tone, suggesting that Fatu should instead ask when he would be hosting Buterin in Lagos.

The conversation took an interesting turn as Buterin responded by asking GB and Fatu when they thought would be the ideal time for him to visit. GB, seemingly prepared for the question, proposed a specific timeline, suggesting that the first quarter of 2026 would be suitable, particularly after the first phase of Flutterwave’s partnership with Polygon goes live. Buterin, appearing to take note of the suggestion, said he would keep the proposed timeline in mind.

Polygon Partners with Flutterwave to Boost Payment System in Africa

Vitalik’s potential visit to Nigeria aligns with the interview’s theme, centered around the strategic partnership between Polygon (a platform built on the Ethereum blockchain) and Flutterwave to upgrade Africa’s payment systems.

Late in October, Polygon and Flutterwave announced their partnership to boost cross-border payments across over 30 African countries. In the interview, GB mentioned that the payment system in Africa can be expensive, cumbersome, and take days to process. Therefore, the goal of the partnership with Polygon is to enable swift cross-border payments for merchants across Africa.

He added that Flutterwave chose to work with Polygon since “it checked all the boxes” for its ideal blockchain solution.

The pilot phase was scheduled to begin in late 2025, while the full rollout, where access will be opened for all Flutterwave for Business and Send App users, will be available in 2026. The collaboration rollout promises to enable users to leverage stablecoins, such as USDC and USDT, on the Polygon network, facilitating transactions in real-time.

Ethereum Foundation Backs Polygon-Flutterwave Partnership

Inquiring his thoughts concerning the partnership, the host asked Tomasz what excites him about the development, especially since it represents a key milestone in Ethereum’s scaling efforts, an area the network has been actively pursuing for some time.

Tomasz stated that the Ethereum Foundation has truly been working to improve cross-border payments with stablecoins, and so, it’s quite impressive and impactful to see Africa at the forefront of this innovation. He added that the collaboration is set to bridge the gap, enabling seamless access to global finance for merchants, users, and startups alike.

Marking about 12 years since the Ethereum whitepaper’s release, Fatu asked Vitalik if he had envisioned the remarkable growth Ethereum is seeing, partnerships that would unfold, including collaborations with companies like Flutterwave and Polygon. He answered:

“No, I didn’t. The level of growth I’ve seen its been completely crazy and keeps impressing me every year.”

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