MARA is a pan‑African crypto exchange building a suite of products including a custodial retail wallet, a pro exchange for professional traders, and its own layer‑one blockchain (the MARA chain). The company plans to launch its retail app in July, followed by the exchange, with the MARA chain scheduled to go live in the fourth quarter. MARA will initially launch in Kenya and Nigeria before expanding to other African countries. The startup announced a $23 million raise composed of equity and a token sale. The firm says it intends to work closely with regulators across African nations, running hackathons and advising governments (including the Central African Republic) on crypto adoption and KYC/AML measures. CEO Chi Nnadi previously built a blockchain‑linked nonprofit; other executive team members named in the article include Lucas Llinás Múnera, Dearg OBartuin, and Kate Kallot.

Total raised

$23M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2022