After experiences that retailers and holders of “Zugacoin” cryptocurrency are unable to make withdrawals, the founding father of the Nigerian crypto, Sam Zuga responded by accusing unnamed “ignorant folks” of working to tarnish the undertaking. One Nigerian knowledgeable has suggested potential zugacoin buyers to prioritize studying finer particulars concerning the undertaking earlier than investing.
A Monetary System for the Future
As promoters of zugacoin — a Nigerian cryptocurrency ostensibly created to finish poverty in Africa — proceed to tout the token as a reliable digital forex, there are rising experiences on social media of retailers and holders of the coin who’ve did not withdraw. These experiences have sparked allegations that the undertaking is one more rip-off which is cleverly disguised as a fancy cryptocurrency undertaking.
The complaints and allegations in opposition to the undertaking have, in flip, prompted Archbishop Sam Zuga, the founding father of Zugacoin, to concern a flurry of Fb posts condemning “ignorant folks” peddling false details about the undertaking. In certainly one of his newest posts, Zuga stated he was not engaged in cryptocurrency buying and selling however was as a substitute “constructing a digital monetary system to appropriate a monetary future.” He added that his crypto, which “mechanically offers you 200% revenue of any quantity you switch to it,” is simply getting used as a “driver of the system into that future.”
Within the prolonged August 25, 2022 submit, the founder denies allegations of manipulation inside the Zugacoin ecosystem. Zuga’s submit additionally explains how the ecosystem works and why some holders could also be having issues withdrawing. He stated:
“The one problem is lack of information from the customers. Anybody can withdraw conveniently if the folks which might be withdrawing are lower than the people who find themselves depositing. No system can survive if what goes out is greater than what’s coming in.
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“There isn’t a drawback wherever within the Samzuga ecosystem. The one drawback is your ignorance of how the system has been designed to work. Retailers can switch cash from the Service provider space of the service provider app to the Retailers pockets and from there to P2P conveniently.”
In his earlier Fb posts, Zuga equally assaults unnamed people whom he accuses of besmirching the “noble undertaking” with their ignorance.
Specialists Query Mission’s Lack of Transparency
Nevertheless, regardless of Zuga’s spirited protection of the crypto undertaking, influential gamers in Nigeria’s blockchain trade informed Bitcoin.com Information they remained unconvinced. They level to the undertaking’s lack of transparency or its obvious exploitation of Nigerian folks’s affinity to faith or their non secular leaders as crimson flags.
One of many gamers, Ophi Rume, aka “Cryptopreacher,” informed Bitcoin.com Information that except the Zugacoin founder reveals the remainder of the workforce behind the undertaking will probably be troublesome to make a judgment concerning the undertaking’s legitimacy. Noting that scammers usually exploit folks’s desperation and ignorance, Rume, a blockchain analyst and educator, stated atypical Nigerians ought to solely take into account investing on this undertaking after performing some fundamental due diligence. He famous:
As fundamental as trying to find the phrases; Is Zugacoin a rip-off or a Ponzi scheme by way of Google, Nigerians can learn and be taught numerous issues about this undertaking. Additionally, earlier than investing Nigerians have to know these concerned within the undertaking. They should know the board of administrators, the builders and whether or not the undertaking is on Github.
In response to Rume, when potential buyers be taught or turn out to be conscious of such particulars about this undertaking they are going to seemingly determine in opposition to investing and thus protect their meager financial savings.
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In the meantime, one other knowledgeable who wished to stay nameless lamented scammers’ rising use of non secular titles when advertising their tasks to unsuspecting victims. In response to the knowledgeable, when a doubtful cryptocurrency undertaking is fronted by a non secular chief, folks will chorus from criticizing it. The knowledgeable defined:
“I’ve discovered that nobody desires to be seen because the prophet of doom or enemy of progress on the subject of massive and questionable tasks like Zuga. Moreover, the founder is a Christian chief with a substantial following who has additionally used his affect to undertaking Zuga on the market. Bear in mind Inksnation.”
For Paul Ezeafulukwe, the previous president of Stakeholders in Blockchain Expertise Affiliation of Nigeria (SIBAN) and the workforce lead at Bitget Africa, zugacoin is essentially the most risky cryptocurrency and one which has completely did not ship on its guarantees. A number of the guarantees embody claims that the cryptocurrency will finish poverty in addition to assist Nigeria cut back its debt.
“One other promise they’ve made which is like tales by moonlight is their capability to pay $97 billion {dollars} price of Nigeria’s nationwide debt and in addition assist Africa clear her money owed. From their place it’s clear they don’t perceive how cryptocurrencies work, I imagine the promoters have been bought a lie that your capability to mint a token might translate to prompt financial worth with out constructing an ecosystem to assist the utility of the token,” defined the ex-SIBAN chief.
Ezeafulukwe stated it’s unlucky that some poor and gullible people have invested in zugacoin primarily based on these guarantees. For buyers who’re nonetheless considering of shopping for zugacoin, Ezeafulukwe stated they need to “have a look at these two guarantees [poverty eradiction and paying off Nigeria’s debt] and do easy analysis to seek out out if this stuff are potential by a single particular person.”
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digital monetary system, github, Inksnation, service provider pockets, Ophi Rume, p2p, Paul Ezeafulukwe, Ponzi Scheme, Sam Zuga, Stakeholders in Blockchain Expertise Affiliation of Nigeria (SIBAN), Withdrawal Freeze, Zugacoin cryptocurrency
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Terence Zimwara
Terence Zimwara is a Zimbabwe award-winning journalist, writer and author. He has written extensively concerning the financial troubles of some African international locations in addition to how digital currencies can present Africans with an escape route.
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