Wave, one of the largest mobile money operators in West Africa, is sponsoring the fourth edition of Dakar Bitcoin Days. The event's founder Nourou posted the news on November 6: "One of the biggest Mobile Money operator in West Africa has decided to endorse the @dakarbtcdays to imagine, with us, what the future of payments would look like."

Dakar Bitcoin Days IV takes place on November 27‑28, 2026, at SEANEMA, the cinema at Sea Plaza in Dakar.

What Is Dakar Bitcoin Days?

Dakar Bitcoin Days is a Bitcoin forum held annually in Dakar since 2022. The fourth edition is organised by Mouhamadou Kouta (Nourou) and the Bitcoin Sénégal community. The previous three editions drew close to 1,000 participants from the public and private sectors and the tech community, according to the event page.

The third edition ran October 29‑31, 2025, at the CICES conference centre in Dakar.

What the Fourth Edition Covers

The programme runs across two days with two themes:

  • Day 1: Institutional approaches to crypto‑assets. Regulation, compliance, innovation, financial inclusion, risk management and development prospects.
  • Day 2: Decentralised cross‑border payments. Practical use cases for trade, diaspora remittances, business payments and new financial services, with a focus on Bitcoin.

Formats include conferences, round tables, panels, workshops, demonstrations and networking. The call for speakers is open on Sessionize until November 13.

Why Wave's Sponsorship Matters

Wave Senegal Sponsors Dakar Bitcoin Days IV in November — photo

Wave operates across Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Uganda. In Senegal and the broader WAEMU region, mobile money handles a large share of daily financial activity.

The announcement post framed the sponsorship in one line: "Mobile money is no longer just for sending money, it's for paying. Wave is coming to discuss the payments of tomorrow with crypto players."

In a video attached to the post, two Wave representatives explained the company's thinking.

Elhadji Serigne Fallilou Mbacké Cissé, Wave's Director of Public Relations, described the sponsorship as part of Wave's push beyond transfers into e‑commerce and urban mobility: "Wherever our clients need to pay, we offer them solutions."

Gedeon Tay, Wave's Compliance Operations Lead, laid out the company's position on regulation: "If we want a regulatory framework that is well built and applicable, all the actors need to sit around the table. The central bank brings stability and consumer protection. The banks bring their solidity. The fintechs bring their knowledge of the consumer. And the Bitcoin actors bring their knowledge of this technology, which is relatively new. It is really together that we can build a framework that works."

Tay outlined three principles Wave wants to see in any framework: progressive rules matched to each asset's risk level, small‑scale testing before full rollout, and a requirement that operators be licensed. "This event is of capital importance for us," Cissé said, "to associate ourselves with the thinking on how these future means of payment will allow us to prepare for what tomorrow's different forms of payment will look like for our users."

The other sponsors and supporters listed on the event page are Btrust, Banxaas, Sentartup, Alliance Fintech UEMOA and Optic.

Tickets and Registration

Day passes cost 9,900 FCFA each, with lunch and coffee included. Students can attend for free with valid documentation. Payment options include Wave, local methods and Bitcoin over Lightning.

The event is open to all profiles, from newcomers to experienced participants, including entrepreneurs, students, developers, bankers, lawyers, public officials, investors and NGO members. Registration is on Luma.

Sources