WhatsApp is seeking to hire a blockchain regulation professional in the Sub-Saharan African region.

Recently, the messaging application owned by Facebook, posted a job opening for a public policy manager who is willing to “work closely with Facebook’s Africa Public Policy team to ensure blockchain technologies and digital payments can play their part in improving Africa’s socio-economic development.”

The job offer listed does not have any mention of Facebook’s rather controversial cryptocurrency project, Libra, and the post does not clearly mention how involved the employee would be in the project. The post does not mention Calibra either, a Facebook subsidiary which is building a wallet for the currency.

But even so, the goals stated by Libra involves bringing financial services to unexposed people in the developing world, and more importantly, to allow money transfers via WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is yet to comment on the initiative.

The job position would be located in Johannesburg or London, with relevant travel time. The company is looking for someone who has prevalent expertise in digital identity, cryptocurrency, and blockchain. 

Fertile ground

Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014. It is one of the most popular messaging applications in Africa, as well as globally. Mobile money accounts are soon to overthrow traditional financial institutes in the Sub-Saharan region. As per the International Monetary Fund, it is the only region in the world where about 10% of the GDP in transactions happens via mobile money.

Facebook stated that it intends to release Libra early in 2020. The company has said that it would not launch it until it satisfies all the concerns faced by regulators worldwide, regarding cryptocurrency’s potential effects on matters like financial stability and privacy.

Additionally, Calibra is said to be forming a compliance team including a head of compliance, head of fraud, and a sanctions head.

All that being said, as per its career page, Facebook is yet to fill the 50 blockchain-related positions, including a public policy manager for the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.