The buzz around Africa's growing blockchain scene just got louder. On October 31, 2025, Xen, Head of Global Growth at Base, shared a tweet highlighting the live Demo Day for the Based Founders Fellowship. This event, streaming directly from Nairobi, Kenya, features some of the continent's most promising onchain founders presenting their projects to top-tier venture capitalists.

If you're not familiar, Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain developed by Coinbase, designed to make transactions faster, cheaper, and more accessible—perfect for emerging markets like Africa. The Based Founders Fellowship, co-hosted by UTU Technologies and regional Base communities, is a two-week intensive program aimed at high-potential crypto startups. It brings together founders who are already deployed onchain, serving African markets, and actively fundraising. The goal? To equip them with the tools, mentorship, and connections needed to scale their ventures globally.

This year's fellowship wrapped up a 10-day in-person stint in Nairobi, drawing 20 founders from East and West Africa. Over the program, they've brokered over 30 partnership deals and introductions, with one founder already securing capital. The Demo Day is the grand finale, where these builders pitch to heavyweights like a16z Crypto, Electric Capital, 1confirmation, and CNGN. It's a high-stakes setup—founders get immediate feedback with a "commit or pass" on the spot. Plus, the best pitch wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Balaji Srinivasan's Network School.

Xen's tweet quotes the official announcement from Base East Africa, linking to the live broadcast on X (formerly Twitter). You can tune in here: Watch the Live Stream. It's kicking off at 5 PM East Africa Time, giving viewers a front-row seat to pitches spanning verticals like prediction markets, stablecoin use cases, onchain identity, AI-integrated smart contracts, reward systems, self-custodial wallets, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) tailored to African savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs).

What's exciting for meme token enthusiasts? While the fellowship isn't exclusively about memes, Base has become a hotbed for meme coins thanks to its low fees and vibrant community. Projects integrating fun, viral elements could emerge from this cohort, blending cultural relevance with real utility. Think loyalty rewards or community-driven DAOs that could spawn the next big meme-driven economy in Africa.

This event underscores Africa's rising role in the global crypto landscape. With only about 1% of blockchain funding currently flowing to the continent, initiatives like this are crucial for changing that narrative. As Eddie Kago, Base Growth Lead for East Africa, noted in earlier announcements, the program combines venture growth training with direct access to capital.

Whether you're a blockchain practitioner looking for inspiration or just curious about the latest tech trends, this Demo Day is a must-watch. It not only highlights innovative projects but also demonstrates how onchain technology can solve real-world problems in emerging markets. Stay tuned for updates on the winners and how these founders are pushing the boundaries of what's possible on Base.

For more details on the fellowship, check out the official application page on Devfolio: Based Founders Fellowship - Africa. And if you're building something similar, keep an eye on future cohorts—Africa's onchain revolution is just getting started.