After months of preparation and anticipation, Nairobi finally welcomed the Cardano Africa Tech Summit 2026 (CATS26), a landmark moment for the African Web3 and blockchain ecosystem.

The summit came together through collaboration across the Cardano ecosystem, by partners who have been working to grow the Web3 community across Africa and connect local builders to the global stage. Seeing it finally come to life felt like watching months of effort turn into something real.

From the moment the gates opened, the energy was unmistakable. The venue was full of colour, not only from the vibrant branding across the venue representing different organisations from the tech and Web3 ecosystem, but from the diversity of the people who showed up. Everywhere I looked, there were conversations happening in different accents and languages. With over 600 attendees travelling from across Africa, the US, Asia, and the UK to be here in Nairobi. I couldn’t help but think this is what it looks like when a continent steps into the future it’s building for itself. I might be biased, but moments like this make it hard not to call Nairobi Africa’s tech capital. Everyone was here, at the Tamarind Hotel, eager to be part of…