The parliament of Kenya, in East Africa, authorised a legislative proposal to control bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies. The laws authorize the nation’s Central Financial institution to grant licenses to issuers of digital property, whereas the Capital Markets Authority will supervise the exchanges.
The Digital Asset Service Suppliers Invoice, which is but to be signed by President William Ruto to develop into legislation, seeks to draw investments, positioning the nation as a “gateway to Africa” and defending traders.
Legislator Kuria Kimani introduced the movement for debate and approval as committee chair on June 24, 2025, thus starting the legislative means of the invoice. And after a number of debate periods and evaluations within the Nationwide Meeting, the mission culminated in its ultimate approval within the third studying on October 7, 2025.
The primary goal of the legislation is to determine a complete regulatory framework for digital asset service suppliers (VASPs), corresponding to exchanges, wallets and cryptocurrency buying and selling platforms, together with bitcoin.
The doc defines digital property as a digital illustration of worth that may be traded or transferred digitally for funds or investments, excluding fiat currencies and conventional securities.
With this, Kenya seeks to mitigate dangers corresponding to cash laundering, terrorist financing and monetary instability, whereas selling innovation and monetary inclusion within the fintech sector, as learn within the doc.
Licensing necessities are rigorous. Amongst them, it asks corporations to keep up a neighborhood registered workplace, appoint a professional CEO and adjust to capital and solvency requirements to guard shoppers.
The norm explicitly prohibits working with no licenseand on the identical time clarifies that the licenses granted usually are not transferable. For preliminary choices of digital property (just like ICOs), prior approval is required, and pure individuals are excluded from these actions. Moreover, shopper asset safety, sturdy cybersecurity, and annual audits are required.
In January 2025, CriptoNoticias reported that Kenya was planning to legalize bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. At the moment it was stated that the target is to capitalize on the potential advantages related to this ecosystem, along with mitigating the dangers of fraud, cash laundering and terrorist financing that – based on officers – cryptocurrencies entail.
