Exchanges, DeFi protocols, and token issuers face a rapidly closing regulatory window across Africa. We advise on VASP registration, AML/CFT compliance, and licensing across the markets where you operate.
Kenya and Ghana have enacted standalone VASP statutes, Nigeria has brought virtual assets within its securities regime under the Investments and Securities Act 2025, and South Africa licenses crypto asset service providers under its existing financial-advisory law (FAIS), with capital-flow rules still in draft. The common thread: licensing requirements, AML/CFT obligations aligned with FATF standards, and reporting requirements that presuppose institutional compliance infrastructure that many crypto businesses have not yet built.
For exchanges and digital asset businesses, the cost of non-compliance is rising. The window to structure compliant operations proactively is now.
Mandatory in KE, NG, GH, ZA before operating. Applications require governance disclosures, AML policies, and fit-and-proper assessments.
Customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting, and FATF Travel Rule compliance for transfers above thresholds.
Whether your token is a security, utility, or payment token determines which regulator has jurisdiction and what obligations apply.
Periodic regulatory returns, material change notifications, and audit cooperation obligations vary by jurisdiction and licence category.
From licensing strategy to AML programme design -- we advise on the full scope of crypto regulatory obligations across African markets.