In a world where the future of work is rapidly evolving, Jennifer Echenim stands at the forefront of change. Jennifer is changing the way businesses handle payroll by enabling talents to use stablecoins and blockchain technology. Bloccpay is a cutting-edge cryptocurrency payroll startup, and Jennifer is its visionary founder. Her journey from a tech enthusiast to a trailblazing leader in the fintech space is one marked by innovation, resilience, and a deep commitment to shaping the future of work.
Jennifer’s leadership journey is an inspiring testament to her ability to navigate the complexities of blockchain technology, driving Bloccpay toward becoming a game-changer in the world of payroll. Through her expertise, she addresses critical challenges, providing businesses with a seamless and secure way to pay their talents using stablecoins, ensuring financial inclusivity for people across borders. As an African female founder, Jennifer champions the role of women in tech leadership, creating a legacy that bridges the gap between traditional financial systems and the digital future.
Today, we take a closer look at Jennifer’s vision for Bloccpay, her leadership philosophy, and the impact of blockchain technology on the future of work. We are going to talk more to learn about her insights and learn about her approach to work-life balance.
1. What inspired you to create Bloccpay, and how does it address the evolving needs of the modern workforce?
“My inspiration for Bloccpay came from a deeply personal experience. As a remote worker based in Nigeria, I faced numerous challenges with currency volatility and costly bank transfers. Receiving payments in USD meant either accepting unfavorable exchange rates through banks or navigating complex P2P methods with friends in other countries to convert funds into stablecoins and then back to Naira. This wasn’t just my story; many African freelancers and remote talents faced the same barriers.
My co-founder, Ajoke Asunmonu, with a background in sales and marketing, and I identified a clear need for a streamlined solution. Bloccpay was created to solve these pain points, enabling payroll in stablecoins for talents and businesses across Africa. Through our platform, we aim to eliminate the complexities of cross-border payments, ensuring that talents don’t lose value due to currency fluctuations. Bloccpay is about making payroll simple, stable, and accessible—allowing people to focus on their work rather than worry about how they’ll get paid.”
2. As a leader in the blockchain space, what role do stablecoins play in your vision for the future of payroll?
“Stablecoins are central to Bloccpay’s vision. Given the high volatility of currencies in many African countries, stablecoins offer a way to preserve earnings’ value for workers. For example, the Naira has continued to depreciate, making it difficult for talents to retain the value of their income over time. Stablecoins mitigate this issue by providing a currency that doesn’t lose its value overnight.
Technically, Bloccpay integrates stablecoins to facilitate cross-border transactions, addressing multiple challenges simultaneously: value preservation to simplifying the payroll process. One of our innovations is the ability to automate multi-chain wallet management for businesses, allowing them to pay talents across different blockchain networks without needing complex manual setups. We currently support major EVM-compatible chains including Ethereum, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, and BSC, with plans to add more based on market demand. This system ensures that payments are executed efficiently and that talents have immediate access to their funds, with options for direct withdrawals, if needed.”
3. Your leadership journey as an African female founder in tech is remarkable. What challenges have you faced, and how have they shaped your approach to leadership?
“As a woman in engineering and blockchain, I often find myself as the only female in technical discussions, development rooms, and engineering-focused panels. This experience has driven me to build confidence and develop my technical skills to meet the highest standards, setting an example for my team and ensuring that Bloccpay stands out for technical excellence.
In leading Bloccpay, I’ve cultivated a culture of resilience and empathy, guiding the team through complex troubleshooting sessions, where we collaboratively optimized issues. These experiences reinforce the importance of adaptability and clear communication in a startup environment.
My background in various technical roles has not only equipped me to tackle these challenges but also inspired me to create an inclusive space where everyone feels valued. I actively mentor women in tech, knowing the impact of having a role model who understands the unique challenges we face.”
4. How do you see blockchain technology influencing the future of work, particularly in emerging markets?
“Blockchain is transforming work by making financial services accessible to a larger population, especially in regions like Africa where traditional banking infrastructure is limited. It enables fast, secure, and cost-effective cross-border transactions, which is crucial for freelancers, remote workers, and small businesses looking to participate in the global economy.
Bloccpay is positioned to facilitate this transformation by providing payroll solutions that ensure African talents get paid without dealing with the usual banking hurdles. For example, we’re enabling features like ‘streaming-pay,’ which pays talents as they work, down to the second, making payday continuous. This flexibility is invaluable for freelancers and contract workers who want liquidity without waiting for end-of-month settlements. As blockchain adoption grows, we envision a world where African talents can work for companies worldwide without worrying about complex, costly payment logistics.”
5. What impact has Bloccpay had on businesses and talents, and what do you see as its long-term potential?
“Even in private beta, Bloccpay has already demonstrated a significant impact by streamlining payroll for early clients in Nigeria and Kenya. Businesses that previously managed payroll manually now have an automated solution that reduces their workload and eliminates the complexities of handling multi-chain transactions. For example, one of our clients, a tech company with remote teams, used to spend hours manually adding and distributing payroll each month. With Bloccpay, they’ve reduced their payroll processing time by 70%, allowing them to focus on business growth.
Our long-term potential lies in becoming the go-to payroll platform for African freelancers and remote workers. We aim to partner with hiring platforms as the crypto payroll option for users in Africa. By addressing both businesses’ and talents’ needs, we’re building an ecosystem where African talents can participate fully in the global economy.
In the next five years, we aim to capture 1% of the market, to serve 1 million African freelancers. The demand for crypto payroll solutions is growing rapidly, and Bloccpay is uniquely positioned to meet this need with a user-friendly, innovative platform.”
