Hopeum is a decentralized finance (DeFi) project developing a mobile application described as a "super app" for Sub-Saharan Africa. The platform aims to combine GameFi entertainment, micro-lending, group savings, and the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) to provide financial services and income-generating opportunities to the region's unbanked and underbanked populations ^[1].

Overview

Hopeum is being developed to address the financial exclusion of the estimated 350 million unbanked adults in Sub-Saharan Africa by leveraging the continent's high smartphone penetration rate ^[2]. The project's core strategy is to create a sustainable yield model backed by tangible economic activity rather than speculative returns from digital asset markets. This is primarily achieved by tokenizing revenue-generating real-world assets, with an initial focus on poultry farming operations in Ghana ^[3]. By bridging digital finance with physical businesses, the platform seeks to make DeFi more accessible, engaging, and practical for everyday users ^[1].

The project's go-to-market strategy involves a phased geographic rollout, beginning with Ghana, and includes plans for on-ground marketing teams and partnerships with local distribution networks to facilitate user onboarding ^[3]. Development milestones include the completion of a version one whitepaper with a roadmap for 2025-2028, a comprehensive tokenomics model with five-year financial projections, and the design of the smart contract architecture for its initial deployment ^[4]. Hopeum raised $60,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Ascendia and has initiated its seed round with a target of $900,000. As of early 2026, the project reported having over 6,000 users and a community of more than 15,500 members during its pre-launch phase ^[2].

Products

Hopeum's platform is structured around three main product verticals: GameFi, decentralized finance services, and real-world asset tokenization ^[5].

GameFi Entertainment

The platform features a suite of "provably fair" online games designed to serve as an engaging entry point for users. This includes games of chance such as Dice, Crash, and a Raffle system. These games utilize the platform's native token for placing wagers and receiving payouts, with a portion of the revenue generated contributing to the ecosystem's deflationary token mechanism ^[6].

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Services

Hopeum integrates several financial tools tailored to its target demographic. The app plans to offer a micro-lending facility for small-scale loans. A key feature is the "Asusu On-Chain Group Savings," a decentralized version of a traditional rotating savings and credit association (ROSCA) common in West Africa. This feature is designed with a viral loop mechanic to incentivize user acquisition and community saving ^[3]. The platform also offers crypto-collateralized lending services through an API integration with a third-party provider, CoinRabbit, and includes a native staking system for users to earn yield on their tokens ^[7].

Real-World Asset (RWA) Tokenization

A foundational component of Hopeum's economic model is the tokenization of revenue-generating real-world assets. The project's initial focus is on poultry farming operations in Ghana. This system is designed to allow users to invest in fractional shares of these physical businesses and earn yield derived from their real-world profits. This model aims to provide a tangible backing for the platform's yield-generating products ^[8].

Features

The Hopeum ecosystem is supported by a variety of technical and economic features designed to create an integrated user experience. The "Falcon Staking System" is the native staking mechanism that allows users to lock their tokens to earn a variable annual percentage yield (APY), stated to be up to 15% ^[5]. The platform is designed to integrate with non-custodial wallets, which allows users to maintain full control over their private keys and digital assets ^[6].

A central feature of the project's economic design is its deflationary token mechanism. This system employs a buyback and burn model, funded by allocating 5% of all revenue from its GameFi products and 30% of the profits from its tokenized poultry farming operations. These funds are used to purchase the native token from the open market and permanently remove it from circulation, creating deflationary pressure on the total supply ^[9]. This is complemented by a real-world revenue distribution system, which channels profits from the tokenized assets back into the platform to fund the buybacks and potentially reward participants ^[5].

Ecosystem

The Hopeum ecosystem is designed as a closed-loop economy centered around its native token. The platform's model aims to create a self-reinforcing cycle connecting digital finance with real-world economic activity. Users are onboarded through the GameFi layer, where they can use the token for wagers. Winnings or other funds can then be used for staking, participating in the "Asusu" savings pools, or investing in the tokenized RWA-backed pools ^[8].

The revenue generated from both digital activities (GameFi) and the profits from the physical poultry farms are key components of the ecosystem's value flow. A significant portion of this income is used to buy back and burn the native token. This deflationary pressure is intended to support the token's value over time. The token is integral to all activities within the super app, serving as the medium for staking rewards, transaction fee payments, loan collateral, and investment, thereby creating a circular economic model where platform activity and real-world business success drive value for the digital token ^[5].

Use Cases

The Hopeum platform and its native token are designed to serve several key functions for its users. These use cases integrate the entertainment, financial services, and investment aspects of the application. ^{[2] [10]}

The native token is intended for the following purposes:

• Staking and generating yield through the Falcon Staking System.
• Serving as the primary currency for wagers and rewards in GameFi applications.
• Paying for transaction fees within the Hopeum ecosystem.
• Acting as collateral for securing micro-loans.
• Allocating and investing in tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs).
• Distributing platform rewards to users.
• Participating in the value accrual from the buyback and burn mechanism.

Architecture

Hopeum is built on a multi-chain architecture, with its initial deployment planned for the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) and Celo. This approach aims to leverage the low transaction fees, high throughput, and mobile-first focus of these networks to better serve its target market in emerging economies ^[6]. The project's smart contract architecture was specifically designed for its initial deployment on BSC ^[2]. The platform’s architecture also incorporates Application Programming Interface (API) integrations with third-party providers to expand its service offerings. A notable example is its use of the CoinRabbit API to facilitate its crypto-collateralized lending feature ^[7].

Tokenomics

The native utility token of the Hopeum ecosystem is the Hopeum Token. In early 2026, the project announced that it had changed the token's ticker to HOPE from its previous ticker, HPM, to better align with the project's long-term vision. Some project documentation may still refer to the HPM ticker ^[9].

Token Details

The Token Generation Event (TGE) occurred in the first quarter of 2026. The key metrics at TGE were projected as follows ^[4]:

• Total Supply: 1,000,000,000 HOPE
• TGE Price: $0.03
• Initial Circulating Supply: 100,000,000 HOPE
• Market Cap at TGE: $3,000,000
• Fully Diluted Valuation at TGE: $30,000,000

Token Allocation

• Seed Round: An allocation was made available for a seed funding round with a target of $900,000. Detailed information regarding the percentage-based allocation for the team, treasury, marketing, liquidity, and other categories is available in the project's official tokenomics documentation ^{[2] [10]}.

Token Utilities

The HOPE token is integral to all functions of the platform. The primary utilities include ^[10]:

• Staking & Yield Generation
• GameFi Currency & Wagers
• Transaction Fee Payments
• Loan Collateral
• RWA Investment Allocation
• Platform Rewards Distribution

Governance

As of early 2026, the project's documentation did not specify details on an on-chain governance structure or what rights, if any, are conferred to HOPE token holders for voting on protocol-related decisions ^[7].

Confirmed Partnerships

Hopeum has established several partnerships to support its ecosystem development and go-to-market strategy. The following partnerships have been confirmed ^{[9] [6]}:

• Ascendia: The lead investor in the project's pre-seed funding round.
• CoinRabbit: An API partnership to integrate crypto-collateralized lending capabilities into the platform.
• CoinUp.io: A partner for marketing initiatives, including Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) sessions.
• Poultry Farming Partnerships: The project stated that strategic partnerships with poultry farms in Ghana are in development to serve as its initial real-world assets.

Funding

Hopeum has raised capital through a pre-seed funding round and is in the process of a seed round. In its pre-seed round, the project secured $60,000, with Ascendia acting as the lead investor. Following the pre-seed, Hopeum initiated a seed fundraising round with a target of $900,000 ^[3].

Traction and Achievements

Prior to its Token Generation Event, Hopeum reported early traction from its platform testing and community-building phases and noted several development milestones ^[2].

Key Metrics

As of early 2026, the project reported the following metrics:

• Users: 6,000+
• Community Members: 15,500+
• Game Plays: 1,100+
• Revenue from Game Plays: $300
• Total Value Staked: $26,000+

Development Milestones

Development achievements reported by the project include:

• Completion of a comprehensive tokenomics model with 5-year financial projections.
• Publication of Whitepaper V1, which details a roadmap from 2025 to 2028.
• Design of the smart contract architecture for its initial BSC deployment.
• Finalization of a pitch deck and other investor materials for seed fundraising.
• Initiation of community-building efforts across various social platforms.