Kora Network

Kora is a project of hope for billions of people who are underserved by the current financial system, and are burdened by expensive and inconvenient access to financial services. They are excluded from better solutions due to high costs, lack of proper identity, poor access to banking locations, and mistrust or poor understanding of the banking system. Existing platforms have limited penetration due to lack of access to infrastructure like electricity, expensive access to Internet, insufficient capital to afford a smartphone, and a steep learning curve.

At Kora, we believe that technology should empower instead of displace existing communities and networks.

The Kora Network is a blockchain built on four layers of infrastructure to provide a low cost financial services platform that is universally accessible via SMS/USSD on feature phones, or with internet access via mobile app, enabled by blockchain technology. This helps communities build and own self-sustaining financial services ecosystems. By drastically reducing the cost and time to provide financial services, and drawing a diverse set of stakeholders into an interoperable network, we unlock the Long Tail of the global economy. We aim to benefit the population most in need, enriching the global economy by unlocking the capital, intellect, and creativity of the underserved.

We are starting with four basic building blocks to construct a fully functional financial system. These building blocks are built into the Kora Network as smart contracts, and are accessible to any user on the network:

Identity: Letting a user prove they are who they are, and that they did what they say they did. Secure Storage: Letting a user protect their funds from being easily stolen or devalued. Money Transfer: Transferring value from one entity to another, quickly and securely. Marketplaces: Creating venues for users to exchange money for goods, services and capital.

“Financial services have been proven to help grow wealth. Unfortunately, for much of the world access is uneven and expensive. In many places formal banking is seen as something exclusively for the wealthy. Banks require high minimums and fees for opening and maintaining accounts. Due to the cost to serve and inability to prove identity, many financial institutions don’t open branches in remote or low-income areas, requiring people to travel for hours to transfer money.”

Dickson Nsofor, Founder of Kora Network