Ghana is moving to regulate its cryptocurrency and digital asset market after Parliament passed legislation establishing licensing requirements, consumer protection measures and anti-money laundering standards for virtual asset service providers.
The Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154), provides the legal framework for overseeing an industry that has attracted about 3.1 million Ghanaians, according to Minister for Communications, Digital Technology & Innovation Samuel Nartey George, who addressed the maiden Africa Virtual Asset Summit in Accra.
Ghana ranks 29th globally in cryptocurrency adoption, the minister said, highlighting the scale of digital asset activity and the need for a regulatory approach that allows the market to develop under formal oversight.
“Virtual assets are not a passing trend. They are a necessary tool in a world driven by innovation. Ghana will not stand on the sidelines and watch this change unfold. We will not ban what our young people are already using. We will regulate it, make it safe, and make it work for our people,” George said.
The legislation is intended to establish clearer rules for companies providing virtual asset services while strengthening safeguards against consumer losses and financial crime. Speaking at the summit, held under the theme “Tokenisation: Africa’s Pathway Towards Building a Trusted, Inclusive and Innovative Digital Asset Ecosystem,” George said Ghana’s approach would combine regulation with investment in digital infrastructure.
Ghana is targeting 70% population coverage for 5G services by March 2027, while the integration of the GhanaCard for biometric verification is expected to support identity checks within the digital ecosystem.
The minister also pointed to the One Million Coders Programme as part of efforts to develop the skills needed to participate in the digital economy.
“Africa must move from digital dependence to digital determination,” he said.
The summit brings together regulators, industry participants and international partners to discuss tokenisation and the development of digital asset markets across Africa.
