Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is paying vast attention to its rapidly developing cryptocurrency industry marked by a string of new regulations. In the latest development, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has shared a revised minimum capital for all regulated market entities, including operators in the digital asset market. Nigerian Regulator Hikes Minimum Capital For Crypto Exchanges By $1.05M On January 16, 2026, the Nigerian SEC released a circular communicating changes in the minimum capital (MC) requirements for major financial entities, namely: core and non-core capital market operators, market infrastructure institutions, capital market consultants, financial technology (FinTech) operators, virtual asset service providers (VASPs), and commodity market intermediaries. The securities regulator has explained that the revised MC framework is to boost operational resilience, align capital adequacy, promote market stability, and support innovation in nascent market segments such as the cryptocurrency industry. In relation to VASPs, the minimum capital for digital asset exchanges (DAX) and digital asset custodians has been increased from N500 million ($352,000) to N2 billion ($1.4 million). Meanwhile, all digital assets offering platforms (DAOP) responsible for issuance and primary sale of digital assets to the public are expected to meet a capital threshold of N1 billion ($704,111). Notably, the Nigerian SEC’s new circular expands its recognition of multiple VASPs that had been operating in a regulatory void. These include the ancillary virtual assets service providers (AVASPs) who provide auxiliary services such as blockchain analytics tools, etc who are now mandated to operate with a minimum capital of N300 million ($211,200). Under the new regime, the base capital requirements for both digital assets intermediary (DAI) and digital assets platform operators (DAPO) have also been placed at N500 million ($352,000). In new additions, real-world assets tokenization and offering platforms (RATOP) now have a set minimum capital requirement of N1billion ($704,111). According to the SEC, all concerned entities are advised to comply with the new regime on or before June 30, 2027, as failure to do so will result in penalties, including suspension or withdrawal of registration, as determined by the Commission. Nigeria Government Increases Focus On Crypto Industry Aside from the SEC’s recent circular, other developments indicate that the Nigerian government is increasing its participation in the cryptocurrency market. Notably, the new Nigeria Tax Administration Act (2025) now requires all digital asset activity to be linked to Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) and National Identification Numbers (NIN), effectively capturing the nascent industry as a new tax base. These recent measures follow a recent partnership by the SEC and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) focused on cracking down on Ponzi scheme operators and other similar scams.
