Nigeria’s vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, delivered a speech at an economic summit on Friday in which he spoke positively of crypto and blockchain. “There is no question that blockchain technology generally, and cryptocurrencies in particular, will in the coming years, challenge traditional banking, including reserve banking, in ways that we cannot yet imagine,” Osinbajo said on Friday during the Central Bank of Nigeria, or CBN, Bankers’ Committee Economic Summit. "We need to be prepared for that seismic shift, and it may come sooner than later," he said. The Nigerian vice president also noted the broadness of the crypto industry, mentioning …

Since the start of 2021, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) has been chasing new highs on a weekly and daily basis. On Feb. 21, BTC reached a new all-time high of $58,300. However, an interesting phenomenon is that even with many global cryptocurrency exchanges in existence, BTC's price can still vary greatly depending on geography. This raises an intriguing question: How can Bitcoin simultaneously trade at $53,047 in Malaysia, $49,727 in Singapore, $51,133 in India and over $86,000 in Nigeria? Is the reason simply a temporary imbalance between buyers and sellers, taxes, or regulations? Or is there something else at …

Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has defended the apex bank’s decision to ban banks from servicing cryptocurrency exchanges in the country. Appearing before a joint Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions; ICT and Cybercrime; and Capital Market, Emefiele remarked that the CBN ban was in the best interest of Nigerians. According to a report by media outlet Punch, while addressing the Senate committee, Emefiele remarked: “Cryptocurrency is not legitimate money. Cryptocurrency has no place in our monetary system at this time and cryptocurrency transactions should not be carried out through the Nigerian banking …

Having recently suspended its planned crypto regulations in the wake of the central bank ban, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission has clarified its position on cryptocurrencies in the country. According to a report by Premium Times, both the SEC and the Central Bank of Nigeria will work collaboratively on devising a concrete regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies in Nigeria. For Timi Agama — the commission’s registration, exchanges, market infrastructure and innovation head — regulators in Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the $1.74 trillion crypto market. Speaking at a virtual conference organized by the Association of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria in …

Data published by statistics firm Statista has revealed Nigeria is the leading country per capita for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency adoption, with nearly one in three survey respondents indicating they used or owned crypto assets in 2020. According to the survey, the pre-existing prevalence of mobile phone based peer-to-peer payments has led many Nigerians to explore cryptocurrency. Statista noted that many Nigeria responded they had recently installed crypto payment applications on their devices. The findings also note that many Nigerians are exploring crypto assets for international remittances. Adoption in the country shows no signs of slowing, with demand for crypto assets …

It's been roughly 11 days since the Central Bank of Nigeria banned all regulated financial institutions from providing services to cryptocurrency exchanges in the country. At the risk of stiff penalties, all banks and institutions were directed to close crypto-related firms' accounts immediately. In the wake of the controversial move, public interest in Bitcoin (BTC) in Nigeria continues to outstrip other countries, according to the latest available data from Google Trends. Even more stark is the hefty 36% premium on Bitcoin's price as of the time of writing, Feb. 16. The premium translates into a $71,150 price tag per Bitcoin, …

The Central Bank of Nigeria has banned banks from servicing crypto exchanges in the country in a move that echoes actions taken by its Indian counterpart back in 2018. Reactions to the news among the political class have been divided among ethnic and geopolitical lines, with the more progressive elements calling for a nuanced approach by the apex bank. In November 2020, Nigeria’s gross domestic product declined for a second successive quarter, plunging the nation’s economy into another recession — the second in the space of five years. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 26 out of the 36 …

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission has put its plans for regulating cryptocurrencies on hold following the recent ban by the central bank prohibiting financial institutions from servicing crypto exchanges. In an emailed statement quoted by the Daily Post on Friday, the SEC stated: “For the purpose of admittance into the SEC Regulatory Incubation Framework, the assessment of all persons (and products) affected by the CBN Circular of February 5, 2021, is hereby put on hold until such persons are able to operate bank accounts within the Nigerian banking system.” As previously reported by Cointelegraph, the commission recognized digital assets …

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a circular banning banks from servicing crypto exchanges. Reacting to the news during the Thursday plenary session, Senator Sani Musa of the Niger East Senatorial District remarked: “Cryptocurrency has become a worldwide transaction of which you cannot even identify who owns what. The technology is so strong that I don’t see the kind of regulation that we can do. Bitcoin has made our currency almost useless or valueless." - Senator Sani Musa — The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) February 11, 2021 For Senator Musa, Bitcoin (BTC) and not mounting foreign …

The Central Bank of Nigeria has placed a ban on all regulated financial institutions from providing services to crypto exchanges in the country. The prohibition was contained in a circular issued by the CBN on Friday. According to the central bank's notice, the ruling is an extension of earlier warnings from the bank about the risks associated with digital currencies. As part of the ban, the CBN has directed all commercial banks to close accounts belonging to crypto exchanges and other businesses transacting in cryptocurrencies in the country. The CBN also warned of stiff penalties to any bank or financial …

Peer-to-peer Bitcoin (BTC) volume in Nigeria continues to rise as Africa’s largest economy remains a bastion for crypto adoption. According to Quartz Africa, data from the Bitcoin P2P marketplace Paxful show the country ranks second only to the United States in trading volume. Since 2015, Nigerians have traded over 60,200 BTC on the Paxful platform amounting to about $566 million in volume over the period. Data from Coin Dance shows trading activity for the week ending Dec. 12 at 886.3 million naira (about $2.3 million). Bitcoin’s growing appeal among Nigerians is likely due to a confluence of factors, chief of …

As global interest in stablecoins explodes, a number of key players are pushing especially hard for more adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa. On Thursday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Africa Program published new analysis advocating more options for crypto users in sub-Saharan Africa. CSIS is a well-known Washington, DC-based think tank. The authors of the analysis, Judd Devermont and Topaz Mukulu, are extremely optimistic about the future role of crypto, specifically predicting that "Digital currencies almost certainly will become more common in general and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular." They conclude their analysis with a series of recommendations, including …