In Brief

• Asset Chain is Africa’s first gasless, Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure designed to keep value within the continent and fund local ecosystems.

• AI agents, zero‑gas DEX, and RWA tokenization on Asset Chain deliver real‑world utility, high yields, and secure smart‑contract tools.

• With $100K initial TVL and a 5% global market vision, Asset Chain is rapidly scaling to host bridges, AMM/perpetual DEXs, and multichain integration.

We need to do more, we need to be able to create infrastructure that can attract value to Africans”

The founding words of Asset Chain, as Aronu Ugochukwu saw a clear error in how we’re adopting blockchain.

In an exclusive interview with Web3Africa.News Ugochukwu detailed his journey, describes why Asset Chain became a necessity and what young developers need to understand before developing a homegrown Layer 1 blockchain.

Asset Chain and the Birth of African Blockchain Infrastructure

“My journey in the crypto space started way back in 2016 when I first bought Bitcoin.

 

Back then, Emmanuel, who is my co-founder, later told me a bout programmable money and since I write code it would be cool to check it out.”

Fueled by curiosity, Aronu dived into the developer role, building his own Bitcoin wallet, facing a few challenges. Fortunately, a group of Bitcoin Devs, including Nicholas, Doria, invited him to a chat group where they offered him support, leading him to do the same for other developers.

CHECK OUT:Asset Chain Launches Gasless DEX Platform for Nigerian Crypto Traders and Investors

This foundation led him to building smart contracts, diving into DeFi, and later developing WiCrypt and Xend Finance. Yet, it wasn’t enough, and a critical realization emerged: Africa was contributing immense value and activity to global blockchains without reaping any value for itself.

“We are the only ones that contribute… When any new project wants to launch, they target Nigerians, they target Africans.” Aronu recounted.

Why Layer 1? Capturing Value for Africa

This imbalance sparked the genesis of Asset Chain in 2023 to build an African blockchain infrastructure that retained value within the continent.

When asked why Layer 1 instead of leveraging existing change? Ugochukwe was unequivocal:

“Layer 2 has a little difference from centralized systems that sit on blockchain, no different from side chains.

Africans don’t have any major infrastructure to derive or get value from… Value accrues to the L1.”

Existing giants reinvest primarily in their regions. Asset Chain aims to generate revenue that can be reinvested into African startups and ecosystems. The decentralized African platform sought to stay true to its nature by becoming the ecosystem itself.

“Blockchains on their own without apps are useless. Building the L1 was just the first phase, the next phase was creating the apps providing utility.”

Aronu revealed that the rising star within Africa’s Web3 industry would soon host various applications like bridges, an Automated Market Maker DEX and even perpetual DEXs. Giving a slight peek into its potential, he revealed that the AMM DEX achieved over $100,000 in Total Value Locked(TVL) within its first week, signalling organic traction.

CHECK OUT: Inside the Expanding African Bitcoin Ecosystem

The Bold Vision: 5% of the Global Crypto Market

Ugochukwu’s goal is audacious and one that focuses on taking Africa to the next level:

“In the next 10 years, Asset Chain should at least have up to 5% of the overall crypto market share.”

This isn’t about isolationism. Asset Chain boasts multichain support fosters adoption globally. With Solana integration imminent, Aronu plans to go beyond the continent to regions like Canada, the US and China. However, the main focus will be to retain value back into Arica.

“We need to create value so we can invest in our own people… in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana. Having our own infrastructure allows us to grow our ecosystem retaining value and making more money“

Innovations Driving Adoption: Gasless, AI, and Real-World Assets

Various factors contributed to Asset Chain’s quick rise to fame, and among them is the fact that it was a gasless DEX.

It’s a bold move and one not many founders could agree with; however, Aronu’s reply elaborated on his deep insights into the future.

“We thought about it and we said we don’t want our users to think about gas. We want them to focus on the apps we’re building… we want the focus to be on how we are solving real problems for them and that’s why we ultimately chose to go gasless.”

This bold user experience will extend for about 1-1.5 years, removing a major friction point for new users and fostering mass adoption.

Aside from being a gasless DEX, the platform incorporates AI in blockchain via AI agents on-chain.

“AI agents cannot work well with fiat, the currency for AI is cryptocurrency.”

The chain supports AI companies building agents for investment management, analytics, KYC/KYB, and RWA assessment – with several AI startups already signing up.

Finally, Asset Chain is taking RWA tokenization to the next level. Through Xend Finance, it successfully tokenized the Nigerian money market with the CNGN stablecoin. Now, 21%-22% yields are accessible globally.

“We’ve done it.. and there are more systems built like Asset Base who are already building  a major tokenize securities infrastructure on asset chain. Soon anyone will be able to invest in tokenized equities of different types of companies.”

Tackling Fraud and Building Securely

Addressing the critical issue of fraud, Asset Chain integrates on-chain security tools. Partnering with Solidity Scan, its blockchain explorer automatically scans and displays security scores for smart contracts. “It helps to improve security… but we would always advise that users should do their own research,” Ugochukwu cautioned.

Overcoming the Hurdles: Grit and Vision

“Building a blockchain is not like building an app. You’re building about 10 or 20 different apps at the same time.”

Aronu was straightforward and frank: building a decentralized African platform wasn’t easy.

“So it’s not something that you just do when you have no clue what you’re doing”

With technical issues being the largest hurdle, he emphasized that it’s possible; you just need to believe in what you’re doing.

Additionally, the financial burden was a touch above, given it’s a gasless DEX.

“Financial requirements are heavy… I didn’t even know it was this much.”

What’s Next: Major Milestones on the Horizon

With a thriving product, the next few steps for the Asset chain were predetermined, involving:

1. TVL Growth: Targeting $5-10 million in TVL within the next month.
2. Product Launches: Launching “two major products” within the next month, including perpetual trading.
3. Liquidity Depth: Growing the DEX’s CNGN/USDT pool from ~$100k to over $100 million, creating a decentralized forex hub for Africa. Airlines, hotels… don’t need to look for a bureau de change. They go to the DEX and swap.”

Advice for Aspiring Builders

Aronu is a beacon of inspiration for many upcoming African developers. His words of advice illuminated the frank truth:

• Know Your Fundamentals: “You need to know what you’re doing… understand first principles.“
• Prioritize Security: “Ensure [your DEX] is audited.” Use battle-tested, audited open-source protocols where possible. “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Use tested open-source protocols for the first phase before shifting.“
• Leverage Expertise: “If you are not a technical person… get someone who is technical that understands it.” Utilize AI tools for learning.
• Handle with Care: “You don’t want to get confused when you involve people’s money.”

For Asset Chain, this is the beginning of a future where value is created and retained within Africa. For Aronu, it’s about enabling real-world use cases like tokenized high-yield markets and decentralized forex, and a platform to support other builders.

The next decade will test the audacity of the 5% vision, but the foundation, driven by Ugochukwu’s unwavering belief and tangible results, is undeniably being laid.