Oct 1-7
The week has been pretty pivotal, with BTC hitting an all-time high while the Kenyan parliament passed the VASP bill, taking it very close to becoming law.
Here’s what happened and what it means.
- 🇰🇪VASP Bill clears third reading by Kenyan parliament; assent watch. This sets up licensing for exchanges/custodians/wallets and aligns with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Travel Rule. Next steps are presidential assent and commencement regulations by treasury, setting up operational requirements and protocols.
- Local press finally paying attention: Business Daily quantified Sh426.4bn in dollar‑based crypto flows as evidence of mainstream usage of stablecoin rails. Docs: Committee report (PDF) · Bill text
- Learn more about the travel rule here.
- 🇳🇬Policy clarity in Nigeria. Reps to regulate crypto/POS ops. This brings POS/agent crypto activity into formal oversight to curb fraud and enforce KYC/AML; implementation details to follow. Crypto tax from 2026: Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says crypto will enter the tax net from 2026; we’re left to see exactly how individuals are expected to self-report.
- 🇬🇭Licensing path in motion in Ghana. BoG has made some progress in advancing the country’s VASP Bill toward parliament consideration, paving way for a formal structure for local providers and AML supervision; watch the calendar for first reading.
- P2P trading: Paxful wind‑down by Nov 1. 30‑day orderly shutdown with withdrawals open; African users should move balances/contacts and expect liquidity to migrate to regional P2P/on‑ramp alternatives. Announcement · Wind‑down hub.
- For Builders: Lisk launches $15m EMpower Fund. Targets Africa/LATAM/SEA post‑incubation startups with tickets up to ~$250k plus advisory; early recipients include Lov.cash, Afrikabal, IDRX, SigraFi—a constructive signal for builder capital into real‑economy rails. Apply here.
Market Watch (Oct 8)
- BTC: ~$122,943
- ETH: ~$4,489
The rally is pausing near highs with BTC hitting an all-time high of ~$126K this week.
This week crystallizes a trend: African crypto is maturing from gray markets to regulated infrastructure.
Spotted something we missed? Reply with links or DM @Digipesa—we’ll verify and add to next week’s brief.
Disclaimer: This brief is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Always conduct your own research and consult with qualified professionals before making financial decisions.