1. Executive Summary
Token Overview
- Ticker: $J
- Current Price: $0.21
- Market Cap: $28M
- FDV: $216M
- Sector: Phone
TLDR;
Jambo is a project dedicated to the development and provision of affordable smartphones integrated with Web3 blockchain technology, targeting emerging markets with over 3 billion underserved individuals across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Currently, the project has secured over 870,000 phone pre-orders, resulting in more than $85 million USD in revenue, and has registered over 9 million wallets within just one year (2024). This highlights a highly effective business model with a robust and sustainable revenue stream.
The competitive edge of Jambo lies in its Web3-integrated affordable smartphone model. It’s more than just a budget-friendly device; it’s a comprehensive Web3 ecosystem comprising the JamboApp, JamboWallet, and Play-to-Earn/Learn-to-Earn mechanisms. This empowers users to earn income simply by using their phones, fostering strong user retention within the Jambo ecosystem compared to other Web3 offerings like the $599 USD Solana Saga.
Jambo has successfully raised over $35 million USD in funding from prominent Tier 1 investment funds, including Coinbase, Paradigm, and Delphi Ventures. This backing from major investors, particularly Paradigm—a venture capital firm known for its deep expertise and resources—positions $Jambo favorably for achieving its goal of expanding market share in Africa.
The tokenomics of $Jambo incorporates intelligent liquidity management, with a current circulating supply of only 13% and no immediate selling pressure from Token Generation Event (TGE) airdrops or contributors until January 2026. The monthly token unlock vesting schedule predominantly involves tokens held by the project itself, granting a significant advantage in influencing liquidity and price dynamics, as well as better controlling the inflation of the $Jambo token.
Key catalysts to monitor in 2025 include near-term potential listings on exchanges such as Upbit, the introduction of a Staking program, and substantial airdrops from partner projects.
2. Overview
Jambo, a project established in 2021, is backed by leading global institutions including Paradigm, Pantera, Coinbase Ventures, and OKX Ventures. Its core focus is on building Web3 infrastructure within emerging markets, particularly Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
The project aims to catalyze the digital economy by offering smartphones (JamboPhone) and software solutions (Jambo App, JamboWallet) that facilitate user access to decentralized finance (DeFi) services, blockchain games, and other Web3 applications.
2.1. Team
- James Zhang: Co-Founder & CEO of Jambo: James was raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country often recognized for its high levels of corruption and numerous obstacles. Originating from Zhejiang, China, he represents the third generation of his family living in Africa. James pursued a degree in Computer Science at New York University (NYU). In 2021, he founded Jambo.
- Alice Zhang: Co-Founder & CFO of Jambo: A graduate of Columbia University, Alice possesses expertise in finance and business. She supports James Zhang in the operational and financial aspects of Jambo.
Observations:
James’s upbringing in an environment marked by limited economic growth has equipped him with a deep insight into the financial weaknesses common in these emerging markets.
The initial focus on resolving financial service issues for the unbanked, combined with mobile phone integration incorporating blockchain technology, laid the foundation for the subsequent launch of the Jambo Phone.
2.2. Business Model – Product
The cornerstone of Jambo’s offerings is the Jambo Phone Series, a line of smartphones integrating advanced Web3 services and a multi-chain wallet that supports various mainstream blockchains. These products are distributed across emerging markets, including Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Jambo Phone Series
| Feature | Jambo Phone 2 | Jambo Phone |
| Price | $99 USD | $99 USD |
| RAM | 12 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| Operating System | Android | Android |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 4900 mAh |
| Display | 6.75 LCD | 6.5 LCD |
| Chip | T616 | T606 |
| Highlight | JamboGPT, JamboApp | JamboApp |
| Image |
Jambo App
This is the native application pre-installed on all Jambo Phone Series devices. The JamboApp can be divided into two primary features:
- Jambo Play: This serves as a portal and management hub for Web3 decentralized applications (dApps), offering earning opportunities, mobile games, and entertainment applications. It provides easy access to complete Jambo Earn tasks (where points are exchangeable for $J tokens) both on-chain and off-chain, sponsored through Jambo’s partnerships. This feature enables users to earn through models like Play-to-Earn (P2E), Learn-to-Earn (L2E), and Engage-to-Earn (E2E), as well as access educational content to learn more about Web3.
- Jambo Wallet: This is a non-custodial wallet supported by social logins. The Jambo Wallet will offer compatibility with multiple Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains, including Solana, Aptos, and EVM-compatible chains. Direct payment and transfer functionalities are integrated, and the project is actively working to expand on/off-ramp connections globally.
Revenue Streams
- Smartphone Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of JamboPhone, an affordable Web3-integrated device.
- Web3 Transaction Fees: Fees collected from transactions within the JamboWallet or when users buy/sell digital assets.
- Blockchain Project Partnerships: Jambo collaborates with blockchains like Solana and Aptos to integrate their DeFi, NFT, and gaming ecosystems into its platform.
- Rewards & Advertising: Brands and Web3 platforms can pay fees for access to Jambo’s large user base through its ecosystem.
Milestone
- 2023: Launched the first version of the JamboPhone (1.0) in Southeast Asian and African countries, marking a significant step in the adoption of Web3 within these markets.
- February 2024: Partnered with the Aptos Foundation to release the JamboPhone at a price of $99 USD, aiming to broaden Web3 accessibility for users in over 40 countries.
- November 2024: At the Solana Breakpoint 2024 event, Jambo announced a collaboration plan with the prominent meme project Bonk to release new products, expand its ecosystem, and strengthen its presence within the Web3 community.
- January 2025: Officially launched the $J token on major cryptocurrency exchanges and initiated an airdrop program for early participants, aiming to incentivize community engagement within the Jambo ecosystem.
Roadmap 2025
Q1 2025: Token $J Launch and Ecosystem Expansion -> Done
Q2 2025: New Product and Service Development
- Launch of JamboSuperApp, an integrated application encompassing various services such as JamboPlay, JamboEarn, and JamboWallet, aiming to provide a comprehensive user experience.
- Implementation of a staking program.
Q3 2025: Expanded Integration and Community Governance
- Launch of JamboPlay, a digital entertainment platform integrating numerous games and applications, creating opportunities for users to earn rewards through entertainment activities.
- Implementation of a community governance system, enabling $J token holders to participate in significant decisions regarding the project’s development direction.
Business Model Observations
Jambo’s business model, while not entirely novel, demonstrates significant innovation. Its intelligent strategy has effectively targeted a high-potential market of over 3 billion users with limited technology access, educating a substantial user base by:
- Addressing significant demand in emerging markets by providing affordable smartphones accessible to users, coupled with an integrated Web3 ecosystem that enables easy earning opportunities on the JamboPhone.
A key strength of the business model revolves around its Web3 + affordable smartphone core, consistently generating value for the JamboPhone. This has enabled Jambo to achieve over $85 million USD in revenue from phone sales, along with a sustainable revenue stream from transaction fees, partner commissions, and advertising.
Challenges that need to be addressed include ensuring profitability per device, maintaining user retention, and navigating potential legal risks.
2.3. Competitive Landscape
- Market Sector
| Feature | Jambo Phone 2 | Solana Saga |
| Selling Price | $99 USD | $599 USD |
| Operating System | Android 13 | Android 13 |
| Web3 Support | Integrated multi-chain wallet | Solana Wallet, NFT Market Place |
| Crypto Wallet | Jambo Wallet | Saga Wallet |
| Processor | T616 | Snadragon 8+ |
| RAM | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB |
| Display | 6.7 LCD | 6.67 LCD |
| Pin | 5000 mAH | 4110 mAH |
| Geographic Reach | Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Asia | USA, Europe, Asia |
| Special Features | Play-to-Earn, Learn-to-Earn, Engage-to-Earn | Web3 Optimization, NFTs, Staking |
| Reward-Airdrop | JamboEarn, Airdrop token Jambo (J) | Receive Solana NFTs and Tokens upon purchase |
| Units Sold | 863.765 | — |
| Revenue | $85M USD | — |
When comparing these criteria within the broader competitor landscape, it’s evident that the target customers differ significantly, resulting in variations in both product and price.
Jambo focuses on the affordable emerging markets where there’s limited prior exposure to smartphones and technology. It offers greater flexibility with a wider range of decentralized applications (dApps) and diverse earning models. Conversely, Saga targets high-end, tech-savvy users deeply integrated with the Solana blockchain, featuring a $599 price point and powerful performance
However, the Jambo Phone 2 has demonstrated significant success with a large sales volume of 863,765 units, generating $85 million USD. In contrast, the Solana Saga may still be in its market-building phase. Notably, the Solana Saga previously ran an airdrop program for the $BONK token, valued at approximately $700 USD per phone, which significantly boosted pre-orders by nearly 5,000 units.
- Key On-chain Metrics
→ Jambo
Despite the project’s primary focus on emerging markets in Latin America and Africa, Asia has emerged as the largest revenue contributor, accounting for 35% of the total market share. Specifically, Vietnam, China/Hong Kong, and the Philippines rank as the top 1, 2, and 3 within the region, respectively, representing the majority of Asia’s value. Notably, these are also the top three countries with a high number of active users participating in Play-to-Earn activities and Airdrops.
Africa and the Middle East (44.7%) and Asia (42.9%) together account for nearly 90% of the total rewards. This aligns with the distribution scope of the Jambo Phone 2 (Africa, Southeast Asia, Asia, Latin America), where Africa represents the largest market.
Reward distribution tends to stabilize towards the end of the period, showing a balance between Africa/the Middle East and Asia. This suggests that Jambo’s distribution and marketing strategies are proving effective.
2.4. Tokenomics
Token Info
- Total Supply: 1B
- Circulating Supply: 130M ~ 13%
- Price: $0.21
- Market Cap: $28M
- FDV: $216M
Raised Fund
- Total Raised Fund: > $35M
- Investors Tier 1: Paradigm, Delphi Ventures, Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Shima Capital.
Token Use Case
- Governance
- Incentives
- Staking
- Payment Ecosystem Jambo
Token Allocation & Vesting
Analysis & Observations
The token listing and Token Generation Event (TGE) occurred in January 2025 with an initial circulating supply of 130 million tokens, representing approximately 13% of the total supply. Of this, 10% was allocated by the project for airdrops to Jambo Phone Series owners and Madlad NFT holders, with the remaining 3% designated for Liquidity Providers (LPs).
The project’s tokenomics does not feature a transparent vesting schedule; instead, only a representative visual of the release timeline is provided. According to this, team members and Early Contributors will begin their token unlock in January 2026. The remaining allocations are subject to a linear monthly vesting schedule, and it is anticipated that around 20-22% of the total supply will be in circulation one year post-TGE.
The token allocation demonstrates significant concentration on the project itself through allocations for Community, Airdrop, Treasury, and LPs. This provides Jambo with an advantage in potentially influencing liquidity and exerting greater control over the price of the $J token.
The information provided in this article is for reference only and should not be taken as investment advice. All investment decisions should be based on thorough research and personal evaluation.
