I’ve experienced racism in Web3 on a level that has shocked me.
Growing up in South Africa, within the circles I moved in, I never heard people speak about other races, nationalities or entire continents the way I’ve heard some Americans speak on Crypto Twitter.
And sometimes it has come from people I considered friends.
I’m very quick to unfollow and cut people off when I see the circles and conversations they choose to participate in. Recently I watched it happen in a group connected to an exchange, comments about Africa, comments about the way I look and attacks because I defended the continent I come from.
Racism aside, from a BUSINESS perspective, fading entire regions like Africa or India while building a crypto exchange is insane to me!
The data is right there.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s on chain crypto activity grew roughly 52% YoY.
APAC grew 69%.
India ranked #1 globally for crypto adoption in 2025.
Nigeria ranked #6.
These are not markets you ridicule and then expecting to build a global crypto business.
If people around you are making racist comments about the very markets your company could one day depend on and you’re too worried about fitting in to tell them to stop, that says a lot about your leadership.
Racism is disgusting.
But racism combined with arrogance toward some of the fastest growing crypto markets in the world is also terrible business.
The world is much bigger than your Crypto Twitter group chat. Get that in your head. These people won’t fund your business buddy.