Idris Elba Partners with Stellar Development Foundation Amidst Crypto’s Troubled Waters
British actor and filmmaker Idris Elba has reportedly been observing the crypto landscape closely.
Idris Elba is a British actor, filmmaker, and musician, widely recognized for his versatile roles in both television and film. Born on 6 September 1972 in London, England, Elba gained international fame for his portrayal of Stringer Bell in the critically acclaimed TV series “The Wire.” He further solidified his reputation with his role as DCI John Luther in the British crime drama “Luther,” for which he received multiple award nominations.
Elba has also appeared in blockbuster films such as “Thor,” “Pacific Rim,” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” showcasing his range as an actor. In addition to acting, he has ventured into directing, with his debut feature film “Yardie” released in 2018. Elba is also a DJ and a musician, performing under the name DJ Big Driis. Known for his charisma and talent, he has become a cultural icon, recently turning his attention to the potential of blockchain technology for social impact.
According to Wired, while many celebrities jumped on the crypto bandwagon during its boom, Elba remained cautious. Earlier this month, he partnered with the Stellar Development Foundation to explore the potential of blockchain technology for financial inclusion, especially in West Africa.
Wired’s article, which was published on September 27, says that in 2021, crypto businesses invested hundreds of millions of dollars to bring celebrities on board for endorsements. These celebrities, in turn, released their own lines of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or even their own crypto coins. Elba, however, chose not to participate in what he saw as a “gold rush,” feeling uncomfortable with the idea of being used merely as a promotional tool.
The crypto industry has faced significant setbacks in the past 18 months, according to Wired. The collapse of the Terra Luna stablecoin, the failures of hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, crypto lender Celsius, and crypto exchange FTX have all contributed to a downturn. This period, often referred to as a “crypto winter,” has led to increased regulatory scrutiny and tarnished the reputation of remaining businesses.
Despite the industry’s challenges, Elba remains interested in the technology, states Wired. He is particularly intrigued by how crypto could address financial inclusion issues in West Africa, where less than half of the adult population has access to banking services. Elba sees crypto’s underlying blockchain technology as a means to remove financial barriers in emerging markets.
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) is a nonprofit organization established in 2014 to support the development and growth of the Stellar network, an open-source blockchain protocol. The foundation aims to foster financial inclusion and democratize access to financial services by leveraging Stellar’s blockchain technology. Unlike traditional financial systems, Stellar enables quick, low-cost cross-border transactions and has been designed to facilitate the issuance and exchange of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and tokens.
The SDF provides technical guidance, grants, and other forms of support to businesses and developers who wish to build on the Stellar network. It also plays a crucial role in maintaining Stellar’s codebase and working with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance. Over the years, the foundation has formed partnerships with various financial institutions, tech companies, and nonprofits to broaden Stellar’s reach and impact. Its focus on real-world utility and financial inclusion differentiates it from other blockchain initiatives.
Wired says that Elba is collaborating with the Stellar Development Foundation. Initially starting as a paid brand ambassador, the relationship has apparently evolved into a more mutual business partnership. Elba appreciates Stellar’s focus on real-world utility rather than mere token promotion.
While the specifics of the partnership remain unclear, Wired suggests that the goal is to provide West Africans with an alternative means of financial transactions and money management. Elba likens the potential shift from traditional banking to crypto-based financial services in West Africa to the transition from physical mail to email.
Wired concludes by highlighting Elba’s cautious approach to wielding his influence in the crypto space. Unlike other celebrities who may have misused their influence, Elba aims to promote the idea of financial inclusion through crypto, rather than pushing a specific coin or token.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the author, or any people mentioned in this article, are for informational purposes only, and they do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice. Investing in or trading cryptoassets comes with a risk of financial loss.
Source: Crypto Globe
Abu Dhabi and Idris Elba form strategic alliance on food and water
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has announced a partnership with actor and humanitarian Idris Elba. The alliance with Elba is facilitated through his impact investment company, The Akuna Group (TAG), of which he is the president and founder. It is aimed at accelerating the development and implementation of food and water sustainability solutions.
It was shared that TAG supports the growth of African industries and entrepreneurship through strategic multi-sectoral partnerships, impact investments, innovative technologies, and high-level advisory services across the continent and behind.
As an initial undertaking, Elba will engage in global conversations and awareness initiatives to inspire and accelerate the transformation of food and water systems, using Abu Dhabi as a model to drive positive economic and social impact.
This will include collaborations with global institutions to highlight the worldwide impact of Abu Dhabi’s initiatives.
Commenting on the partnership, Badr Al-Olama, Director General of ADIO, said: “Transforming constraints into opportunities, Abu Dhabi strives to be at the forefront of innovation in food and water production, sustainability and growth. Together with our partners, we are continuing to pioneer and implement cutting-edge solutions that address global nutritional and environmental challenges. We are excited to align with fellow visionaries, and our collaboration with Mr. Elba will be instrumental in reimagining the future of food and water for the region and beyond.”
Elba said: “Drawing inspiration from the pioneering blueprints that have shaped the United Arab Emirates, we are set to journey globally in our mission to provide a better future for all. By engaging with innovators, engineers, and tech entrepreneurs dedicated to addressing the world’s most critical challenges, we are set to build on the ambition of dreamers in the UAE and discover new solutions that foster positive economic and social change.”
Octopus Energy partners with Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens’ Sherbro Alliance Partners
- Agreement with Idris and Siaka’s Sherbro Alliance Partners aimed at bringing green energy to the ongoing Sherbro Island City development
- Initial project will see up to five wind turbines built with solar and battery storage to accelerate the roll-out of renewable energy
- Milestone partnership marks Octopus’ first move into developing renewables in Africa and will see the companies set up offices in Sierra Leone
London/Dubai, 30th November 2023 - Octopus Energy’s generation arm has entered into a milestone partnership with Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens’ development company, Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP), to build Sierra Leone’s first wind farm as part of the Sherbro Island City project.
Announced at COP28, the collaboration and project will help accelerate the country’s monumental renewables opportunity and collect vital data to foster greater investment into green energy on Sherbro Island, across Sierra Leone and beyond.
The deal will see Octopus build a first-of-its-kind renewables project for the country in 2024, with the potential to expand the partnership in the future.
Up to five wind turbines and solar panels with batteries will generate clean electricity for local communities. The partners are exploring options for the location of the site on Sherbro Island, which will create green job opportunities and training for local people.
SAP is an infrastructure development company co-founded by award-winning actor Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens, the grandson of the former President of Sierra Leone.
Sherbro Island is a designated semi-autonomous Special Economic Zone, which allows private sector entities and investors to lead in the island's development activities. SAP is on a mission to transform Sherbro Island into a vibrant West African economic hub and dynamic eco-city, where global citizens can live, learn, research, work and play.
The vision is to replicate the transformative economic shifts seen in places like Singapore and Dubai, with a focus on efficient governance, robust infrastructure including high speed connectivity, alongside healthcare, education, arts, film, entertainment, business, and talent development.
The agreement will also see SAP and Octopus open offices in Sierra Leone.
Octopus’ green energy projects - worth $7.5bn - already span over 15 countries in Europe, Asia and Australia, with plans to rapidly scale. This partnership marks Octopus’ first move into renewables in Africa.
This comes as around 28% of Sierra Leone’s population are estimated to have access to electricity, with the country targeting 85% renewable electricity capacity by 2030* - underscoring the massive potential to rapidly scale clean, cheap energy to more people.
Idris Elba, co-founder of Sherbro Alliance Partners, said: “We look at the pristine beaches of Sherbro Island, with the goal of creating a culturally diverse international city that blends African tradition, dynamism, and pride with state-of-the-art infrastructure and services, where development sits in harmony with sustainability. We’re pleased to partner with Octopus Energy who share a profound commitment to sustainability and energy which will be a backbone to development on Sherbro.”
Siaka Stevens, co-founder of Sherbro Alliance Partners: “Sherbro Island City is being founded on sustainable principles, and will be fuelled by clean energy sources. Over the last few years, our mission has been to transform Sherbro and ignite a new way of building African cities, Africa needs new cities. We are focusing on making a significant impact across the region and beyond with partners in the UK, Europe, Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. Our collaboration with Octopus is the first of many partnerships which will allow us to achieve this world class vision.”
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, said: “This is a momentous day for Octopus as we kick off our first renewables project in Africa. We are incredibly excited to be working with Idris, Siaka and their team who are real visionaries creating a vibrant and sustainable future in Sherbro Island in Sierra Leone. Green energy represents a monumental opportunity across the African continent. Through projects like this, we can get cheap, green electricity to even more people and leverage renewables data to unleash the power of renewables and encourage others to follow suit.”
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Press Contacts
Octopus Energy Group
+44 (0)20 4530 8369
Sherbro Alliance Partners
+27 (0) 72 673 0535
About Octopus Energy Generation
Octopus Energy Generation is driving the renewable energy agenda and building green power for the future. This means reshaping the market by leading the transition to a cleaner, greener future through renewable projects connected more deeply to customers and businesses. As one of Europe’s largest investors in renewable energy, its fund management specialist team launched in 2010 with a mission to accelerate the transition to a future powered by renewable energy.
This team manages 3.2 GW of renewable energy projects like wind and solar farms across over 15 countries, worth £6bn. These projects generate enough green energy to power 2 million homes every year, and is the equivalent of taking over 1 million petrol cars off the road. The business also launched the Fan Club, the world's first local energy tariff that provides cheaper, greener energy to customers living near local turbines when it’s windy, with a discount of up to 50%. For more information, check out our website.
About Sherbro Alliance Partners
Founded in 2019 by Idris Elba and Siaka Stevens, Sherbro Alliance Partners is an infrastructure development firm spearheading the Sherbro Island City project in Sierra Leone. With a mission to establish the world’s inaugural Afro-Dynamic Eco-City, the organisation aims to create a secure, diverse, sustainable, and pioneering hub for business and tourism. This visionary project will serve as a home for islanders, Sierra Leoneans, the diaspora, individuals of African descent, and global expatriates. Sherbro Alliance Partners
About Octopus Energy Group
Octopus Energy is a global energy and technology group, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Its operations span 17 countries and the entire energy value chain. The group invests in, builds and flexibly manages renewable energy, operating a £6 billion portfolio of projects – one of Europe’s largest.
Octopus serves 5.9 million customers globally through its retail arm, and has licensed its advanced data and machine learning platform, Kraken, to support over 50 million customer accounts worldwide through licensing deals with companies such as EDF, E.ON, Origin Energy and Tokyo Gas. Kraken enables Octopus to drive the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative cleantech. Backed by pension funds, investors and energy giants, Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide. For more information, check out website.
Source: Octopus Energy