Ghana Moves to Regulate Crypto With Education at the Core

Ghana’s central bank has formally launched a national public education programme on cryptocurrencies and virtual assets, signalling a regulatory approach that places understanding and consumer awareness alongside enforcement.

On 23 January 2026, the Bank of Ghana, working with the Securities and Exchange Commission, launched the National Virtual Asset Literacy Initiative (NaVALI) under the theme “Understand Before You Undertake.” The initiative is designed to improve public understanding of cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets, and to support the rollout of Ghana’s newly enacted digital asset laws.

Speaking at the launch, Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama stressed that regulation alone would not be sufficient in a market shaped by rapid innovation and widespread retail participation. “At the Bank of Ghana, we acknowledge that effective regulation and enforcement cannot be achieved by regulators alone. The entire ecosystem must be prepared through a sound understanding of virtual asset activities, their implications, and associated risks. This underscores the need for public education, consumer protection, and regulatory preparedness. NaVALI meets this need,” he said.

The launch of NaVALI follows a series of regulatory steps taken over the past year to bring Ghana’s growing crypto market within formal oversight. In July 2025, the Bank of Ghana began laying the groundwork for oversight by requiring all Virtual Asset Service Providers operating in or from Ghana to formally identify themselves to regulators. The exercise was designed to give authorities a clearer picture of who was active in the market before moving to full licensing and supervision. Legislation followed later in the year. In December 2025, Parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill, creating a legal framework for digital asset services and providing regulators with the authority to license, supervise and enforce standards across crypto platforms.

Read Also: Ghana Legalizes Cryptocurrency With Landmark Virtual Assets Service Providers Law

“The recent enactment of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s financial sector development. The Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission are focused on establishing structures, systems, and processes to ensure its operationalisation and address regulatory gaps and risks,” Dr. Asiama commented.

Alongside public education, the Bank of Ghana has also focused on strengthening internal regulatory capacity. In December 2025, the central bank partnered with Mastercard to host a Virtual Assets Knowledge Sharing Workshop in Accra. The workshop brought together staff from across key departments, including the Virtual Assets Regulatory Office (VARO), Banking Supervision, Payment Systems, Financial Markets, Legal, Research and Financial Stability with sessions focused on risk assessment, cross-border payments, programmability and balancing innovation with regulatory safeguards.