We Will Not Ban What 3.1 Million Ghanaians Are Already Using — Sam George

Ghana has made its position clear. It will not ban cryptocurrency. It will regulate it.

This was the strong message from the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, at the Africa Virtual Assets Summit (AVAS) organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Ghana.

The summit is happening at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, from November 2-3, 2026, under the theme: “Tokenisation: Africa’s Pathway Towards Building a Trusted, Inclusive and Innovative Virtual Asset Ecosystem.”

Speaking on Monday, November 2, Sam George dropped the numbers that forced government to act.

Ghana ranks 29th globally in cryptocurrency adoption, with about 3.1 million Ghanaians using virtual assets. 

According to him, this figure is in the memorandum for the new Virtual Asset Service Providers Act. 

His point was simple: you cannot ban what millions of your young people are already using every day.

“Ghana will not ban what our young people are already using. We will regulate it, make it safe, and make it work for our people.”

He added: “Activity on that scale cannot sit outside the law; it must be brought within the law.” 

Ghana now has a law for crypto for the first time.

In December 2025, Parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154). 

The law will provide licensing and supervision of virtual asset service providers, anti-money laundering measures and consumer protection. 

Sam George explained that the Bank of Ghana and the SEC are now finishing the detailed guidelines — covering anti-money laundering, consumer protection and cybersecurity. 

The guidelines are being written together with banks, fintechs and industry players. New products will also be tested in regulatory sandboxes before they go to the public. 

The Minister was clear about government’s approach:

“We’ll not ban what our young people are already using; we’ll regulate it, we’ll make it safe, and we’ll make it work for our people,” 

He also clarified that his Ministry does not license crypto companies. That job belongs to the Bank of Ghana and the SEC. His ministry handles digital policy, infrastructure and standards. 

For years, crypto trading, wallets and exchanges in Ghana operated without clear rules. With over 3 million users, government says that era is over.

The message from AVAS 2026 is loud: Ghana is choosing regulation over fear, and safety over a ban.

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