The Chamber of Digital Assets and Blockchain Innovation (CDABI) has called on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to deepen collaboration with industry players to build a transparent, compliant and innovation-driven digital asset ecosystem in Ghana. The appeal came during a high-level engagement between the Chamber and the Commission held at SEC headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, February 11, 2026.
The meeting, led by CDABI President Caleb Kwaku Afaglo, brought together more than 20 members of the association, reflecting strong institutional commitment and unified industry representation. The delegation was received by SEC Deputy Director-General Mensah Thompson together with senior officials of the Commission.
Discussions were substantive and strategic, focusing on Ghana’s evolving digital asset regulatory architecture and the need to balance innovation with robust oversight. The Chamber reaffirmed its role as a structured industry interface capable of coordinating organized dialogue between market participants and regulators to enhance policy clarity and supervisory efficiency.
As part of the engagement, CDABI formally invited the SEC to participate in its upcoming national symposium on virtual assets and financial services. The symposium is expected to convene regulators, financial institutions, compliance professionals, technology providers and other ecosystem stakeholders to deepen dialogue on regulatory expectations and investor protection standards.
The event will address Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) compliance requirements, as well as responsible innovation frameworks for the digital asset sector. The symposium represents a continuation of CDABI’s efforts to facilitate structured policy dialogue following passage of Ghana’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Act in December 2025.
A key highlight of the meeting was the Chamber’s AML Officer Training and Awareness Programme, developed in collaboration with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). The initiative aims to institutionalize structured capacity building within the digital asset and broader financial services ecosystem.
The programme is designed to equip compliance officers, risk managers and operational leaders with advanced competencies in AML/CFT compliance, blockchain transaction monitoring and analytics, digital asset risk assessment methodologies, governance structures, reporting obligations and supervisory engagement. CDABI stated the certification pathway aligns with regulatory expectations and will improve market integrity.
SEC Director-General Dr. James Klutse Avedzi acknowledged the importance of industry-driven certification pathways that align with regulatory expectations. He noted that strengthening professional competence across the ecosystem would directly improve supervisory effectiveness, reduce compliance gaps and enhance overall market integrity.
Dr. Avedzi emphasized that regulation and ethical responsibility are shared obligations between regulators and market operators. He stated sustainable oversight could best be achieved when regulators and industry players work in partnership under common standards of accountability, transparency and integrity.
The Director-General underscored the Commission’s evolving regulatory philosophy within Ghana’s digital financial landscape. He stated that innovation must be matched with disciplined governance and ethical market conduct, reflecting the Commission’s commitment to balancing technological advancement with consumer protection.
The engagement builds on CDABI’s previous interactions with financial regulators. In July 2025, the Chamber held its first formal meeting with Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor Johnson Asiama, where discussions centered on the central bank’s regulatory roadmap for virtual assets. That meeting contributed to finalizing the regulatory framework that became law in December 2025.
Parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act on December 19, 2025, legalizing cryptocurrency trading in Ghana while establishing comprehensive oversight mechanisms. The legislation grants the BoG authority to license and supervise virtual asset service providers, while the SEC oversees investment products and securities offerings involving digital assets.
The BoG plans to implement licensing and supervisory rules in phases throughout 2026. Existing virtual asset service providers will need to register and meet compliance standards to continue operating. The SEC has indicated that licensing requirements will extend to public figures and online promoters offering cryptocurrency advice.
Approximately three million Ghanaians, representing roughly 17 percent of the adult population, already use cryptocurrencies for savings, payments, remittances and business transactions. Data indicates Ghana processed approximately $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency transactions between July 2023 and June 2024, ranking among the top five countries in Sub-Saharan Africa by total crypto value received.
CDABI stated it remains committed to supporting regulatory engagement, professional development and structured policy dialogue to ensure Ghana’s digital asset sector develops within a transparent and well-governed framework. The Chamber described its ongoing collaboration with regulators as essential to building market confidence and protecting consumers.
