March 15th, the magical mid-month moment when salaries are divided into advances, debts, and dreams. For the weary Web3 wanderers, it was also the day of choices—Founders Connect or Sui Kenya? A tough call, but word on the blockchainverse had it that Sui Kenya had better food (yes, that matters), now that kenyans are looking for a way to automate chapati making, one must realize how much we love and respect the food, thank God for the 45th tribe of Kenya and a buffet of different colored juices—a clear signal that not only were beverages flowing, but so was internal Web3 inspiration. I made the right call.
First Decentrix Africa, led by the amazing Aurelia—somehow, I missed featuring you in my Women of Web3 list. A tragic oversight on my part. But don’t you worry, we see you, I see you... and I’m now officially pretending it was all part of a grand suspense reveal.
The Origin Story: Facebook's Lost Child
For those not yet familiar, Sui was originally part of Facebook’s Libra project, which later fragmented into Aptos and Sui. While Facebook tried to launch a global currency and got blocked faster than a pyramid scheme in a chama, Sui and Aptos took the good parts and ran. Sui now uses Move, a programming language designed for security and efficiency—think of it as the Jalang’o of smart contracts: smooth, strategic, and avoids unnecessary drama, like any good Luopean would.
Move: the programming language that took one look at other smart contract languages and said, "Hold my beer." Built for security, efficiency, and, well… moving assets safely (because who wants bugs running off with your tokens?). Think of it as the responsible sibling in the blockchain family—structured, disciplined, and way less likely to let you accidentally set your money on fire.
Move has a well-structured and modular design that makes it secure, efficient, and easy to reason about. Here's a breakdown of its key components:
1. Modules (Smart Contracts)
Everything in Move is defined inside modules.
Modules contain resources and functions that operate on those resources.
Access control is strictly enforced—no unauthorized tampering with your data.
moveCopyEditmodule MyModule {
struct MyResource has key {
value: u64
}
public entry fun create(): MyResource {
MyResource { value: 100 }
}
}
2. Resources (Ownership & Scarcity)
Unlike other languages, Move enforces ownership at the language level.
Resources can’t be copied or accidentally destroyed—only explicitly moved.
moveCopyEditstruct Coin has key, store {
value: u64
}
3. Functions (Transactions & Execution)
Move uses entry functions to define what users can do on-chain.
Transactions interact with functions in modules.
moveCopyEditpublic entry fun transfer(from: &signer, to: address, amount: u64) {
// Transfer logic here
}
4. Type System (Safety First!)
Strongly typed, preventing many common bugs.
No null values, no implicit conversions—everything is explicit.
5. Move VM (Runtime)
Executes Move bytecode securely and efficiently.
Designed to handle parallel execution for better scalability.
Move is like Rust and Solidity had a thing, got a baby and you have a super-secure, high-performance child without the poop and crying all night, ok, that is kind of my understanding of the small humans. if your child is reading this, you are the problem, let the child at least learn how to walk first, before they can access web3 blogs. It’s all about safety, ownership, and preventing dumb mistakes before they happen—imagine if you could prevent those sweet nothings to your crush being sent to the family group, somethings should not happen.
Features That Made Me Say “Eh, But That’s Genius!”
Parallel Execution – Unlike Ethereum, which lines up transactions like Kenyans at a web3 event with warm chapatis, Sui processes multiple transactions at once. No queues, no waiting. Hii ni upgrade, yawa!
Object-Centric Code – Everything is treated as an object, including ownership and transfers. Like the object of your desire, igniting fires within!
Built-in Security – Smart contracts on Sui automatically prevent re-entry attacks. No, not that kind of re-entry (your ex should remain blocked), but the infamous exploits that drain smart contracts.
Walrus Protocol – No, it’s not an actual walrus, but it does work like Google Drive for Web3. Store, share, and manage digital assets like, yaye, gini wase.........
Low Gas Fees – Because in this economy, every shilling saved is a shilling earned!
Gaming & NFTs – With projects like Panzer, Sui is making moves in gaming and collectibles. Web3 gaming is coming, and it’s not just for Twitter arguments anymore.
No Cross-Chain Tokens Yet – But they’re working on it. Until then, we keep our fingers crossed.
The Panelists: Web3's A-Team
A room full of Web3 builders, hustlers, and dreamers, all dissecting what the future holds. Some key voices:
Donald Simwa (Kade) – The developer/historian, keeping records like he’s preparing a thesis for future generations.
Moses Timbwa – The USSD enforcer proving that Web3 isn’t just for fancy dApps but people who can push usage. :)!
Chiza – A blockchain dev whose name sounds like cheese, a story for another day.
Chris Okeechobee – Birth certificate ilikuwa na typo, wazazi wakasema, mungu saidia, he knows his stuff, heee beeee the oneeee.
They shared wisdom on working in Web3, UI/UX training, and the importance of practicing, reading whitepapers, and engaging with the community. If you want to survive Web3, forget motivational quotes—just RTFM (Read The Freaking Manual)!
The Big Question: Who Will Drive Web3 Adoption?
Builders? Yes, but they need a simplified UI because most users don’t want to learn new tech just to send money.
Consumers? Maybe, but they need incentives beyond speculation and Ponzi dreams.
Institutions? Most likely. Your grandmother trusts ABSA; she has no idea what kind of creature Binance is, and you let it in the house!
Challenges & Opportunities
Business development remains a struggle—getting users for web3 devs is quite challenging. The trick? Start with real-world problems, not just Web3 hype. Think local stablecoins and solutions beyond finance.
Then there was Hammant—not hamna, not hapana, but Hammant—an experienced Sui user who schooled us on all things Sui. No ants were harmed during our brief chat (I swear). And yes, I’ve already apologized.
Final Thoughts: Web3, But Make It Kenyan
Sui Kenya left me with a newfound respect for the Move language and the importance of community-driven growth. The local Web3 space is thriving, and with events like this, developers, technical writers (like me!), and businesses have more opportunities to build, collaborate, and get ahead.
One thing is certain: Web3 is coming, and the best way to prepare is to learn, practice, and drink the right juice. You can reach SUI Kenya on x below:
SUI Kenya Community (@SuiNetworkKE) / X
or Decentrix Africa
https://x.com/DecentrixAfrica
