Abstract

This study examined Ghana's Asantehene commemorative crypto stamp as a case of how emerging technologies intersect with cultural heritage preservation in Africa. Through qualitative textual and visual analysis, the research explores how the stamp, issued by Ghana Post to honor the 25th anniversary of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II's reign, blends traditional philatelic practices with blockchain-enabled non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The analysis uncovered how the stamp's visual rhetoric, royal iconography, and blockchain authentication collectively serve to reinforce national identity, institutional memory, and elite narrative power. The analysis uncovered how royal iconography and visual rhetoric serve nation-building and institutional memory while blockchain introduces a paradox: it offers authenticity and permanence, yet risks "fixing" memory in ways that may conflict with the fluid, negotiated nature of public remembrance. The study interrogated class-based access and the potential reproduction of elite narratives, arguing that crypto stamps both expand and constrain cultural participation. By situating this innovation within broader debates on memory, technology, and heritage, this work offers new insights into the opportunities and tensions of using NFTs for cultural preservation in Ghana and beyond.

Advisor

Anne Kerber

Committee Member

Heather McIntosh

Committee Member

Maria Kalyvaki

Date of Degree

2025

Language

english

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Program of Study

Communication and Media

Department

Communication and Media

College

Humanities and Social Sciences

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Download
Request Accessible Version

Share

COinS
 

Rights Statement

In Copyright