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Would you leave a secure job at Goldman Sachs or pause your master’s degree to build a crypto exchange in Nigeria—during a bear market? That’s exactly what Moore Dagogo-Hart and Tobiloba Asu-Johnson did. While Moore stepped away from a promising career in global finance, Tobi was laying the foundation for what would become Zap Africa, a revolutionary platform designed to restore trust and control in Nigeria’s crypto space.

Where It All Began

Zap wasn’t born as a business idea—it began with a friendship.

Tobi and Moore met as kids, forming a bond that lasted through different universities and career paths. Their shared passion for technology and finance led them to crypto during their university years. But unlike most traders who relied on custodial exchanges, they took a different route. They were always “DeFi guys”—believing in the power of self-custody and decentralized finance.

Then came the wake-up call.

By 2022, platforms like Patricia, FTX, and Celsius collapsed in rapid succession. Bitcoin plunged to $20,000, and trust in Nigerian crypto exchanges hit rock bottom. They watched as friends, family, and everyday investors lost their life savings overnight. The core problem? Users had no real control over their assets.

That’s when Tobi and Moore knew they had to act. Not as entrepreneurs chasing profits, but as traders who understood what the community truly needed.

They envisioned a platform where:
✅ Users had full control over their funds.
✅ No central entity could freeze or mismanage assets.
✅ Financial security and autonomy were the foundation.

And so, Zap Africa—Nigeria’s first non-custodial exchange—was born.

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Building Zap in the Face of Challenges

Launching a crypto exchange in Nigeria was never going to be easy—especially during a bear market and without clear regulations.

🛑 Regulatory Uncertainty
Nigeria lacked a structured framework for digital assets. That’s why securing Zap’s EU VASP license early on was a major milestone, giving users confidence in the platform’s legitimacy.

💰 Funding the Vision
Most startups struggle to raise funds, often scraping by for years. But Zap’s pre-seed round closed at a $4 million valuation, securing $300,000 in its first year—a rare feat in the crypto space.

🏦 Banking Challenges
Traditional financial institutions remained hesitant to support crypto exchanges, making bank partnerships difficult. Even in countries with clearer regulations, crypto companies often face restrictions that limit transactions and liquidity.

🛠️ Building the Right Team
Hiring skilled professionals is one thing; finding people with the right mindset is another. The founders focused not just on talent but on building a team aligned with their vision—a key driver of Zap’s success today.

🔐 Restoring Trust
After so many failed crypto platforms, why should users trust Zap? The answer was simple: consistency. The longer Zap stayed, the stronger the community’s belief in its reliability.

Today, Zap is growing rapidly, with increasing users, transaction volumes, and confidence in its mission.

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Zap Into the Future 🚀

Zap is now preparing for its biggest innovation yet—a non-custodial wallet that gives users complete control over their assets.

🔹 Full Autonomy – No third-party access, no restrictions—just pure financial freedom.
🔹 Seamless International Payments – Send and receive money across borders in any currency.
🔹 Crypto-Powered Spending – A virtual card that allows users to easily spend their crypto, solving a major payment challenge in Nigeria.

This is just the beginning. Zap plans to introduce more ecosystem products, creating a financial hub where users can access all the services they need—powered by crypto.

The vision? Not just “Nigeria to the future,” but “Africa to the future.”

Zap is already working on expansion into Canada, the US, Europe, and the UK, aiming to become Africa’s go-to crypto platform.

At its core, Zap is about redefining financial independence, ensuring that Africans are no longer at the mercy of failing platforms and broken systems.

And it all started with two childhood friends who refused to accept the status quo.