Before I even arrived this year African Bitcoin ConferenceI’ve seen participants post about it Tandoa new Kenya-based payment app that allows users to spend their Sats at merchants that don’t accept Bitcoin.
Just arrived in Nairobi 🇰🇪🛬 and the first thing I see when leaving is this @tando_me Sign
LET’S GO @AfroBitcoinOrg 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/zhPSP2dTH8
— OKIN |. Nikolai Tjongarero (@OKIN_17) December 8, 2024
“How is this possible?” you may ask. Well, let me explain.
To use Tando, simply download the app and prepare to pay at any merchant that accepts payments via M-PESAKenya’s mobile money service. (Note that I didn’t say you need to go through a setup or KYC process, as neither is necessary – Tando does not collect any identifying information from its users.)
When the merchant presents you with your invoice, simply click on the “Send Money” box on the app’s home screen. From there, enter the mobile phone number associated with the M-PESA account you want to send money to and then enter the amount in Kenyan shillings you want to send.
The app automatically calculates the number of sats required to cover the shilling amount you enter. Then click on the green “Create invoice” button to receive a Lightning invoice. You then copy the invoice and pay it via your preferred Lightning wallet. Tando receives the sats and then settles the bill with the dealer in shillings within seconds.
I can’t count how many times I’ve seen Bitcoiners use Tando to pay restaurant bills or taxi rides since I’ve been here. (I have been to many restaurants and taken many taxis since I arrived.)
Now I know what some of you are thinking: Tando is linked to a fiat payment system, which means it should be banned from the Bitcoin church.
But before you engage in such a mindset, please consider the following thoughts:
- You’re a loser.
- Here in Kenya, similar to other parts of Africa, people actually use Bitcoin for payments.
- Showing someone how to use Tando gives you the opportunity to show the trader what Bitcoin is while also showing them how the app works. (I watched Gorilla kit‘ Brindon Mwiine Do this masterfully for a waitress at a conference after the party.)
- M-PESA requires its KYC users and some Kenyan citizens not to have the appropriate documentation, meaning they are excluded from the system. Tando allows them to be included in Kenya’s broader monetary system.
The excitement around Tando at the conference was part of the broader enthusiasm for apps that make using Bitcoin easier across the African continent – apps like Bitsacco, You’re drunk, It covers And Bitnob.
Big praise to the developers #Bitcoin Wallets easier to use.@bitsacco @Machankura8333 @fedibtc @tando_me @loicbtc pic.twitter.com/UhVw5bnBxO
— Frank Corva (@frankcorva) December 11, 2024
African Bitcoiners are far ahead of their counterparts in the United States when it comes to using Bitcoin as it is intended – as peer-to-peer electronic money.
And while many Africans are working tirelessly to get as many merchants as possible into Bitcoin, Tando is an excellent interim step that allows Bitcoin users to spend their Sats even if the merchants they spend with are not yet Bitcoin-based. Accept payments.
This article is a Take. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
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