# Ghana

> Ghana (Bank of Ghana · SEC · Financial Intelligence Centre): The regulator that put self-custody in writing. Region: Middle East & Africa. Privacy with disclosure: Confidentiality is workable so long as the regulated firm can identify parties and disclose on demand.

Part of the Soda Labs Privacy Hub regulation map, which reads the instruments
themselves rather than summarising the summaries: https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation

## Key facts

- Entry type: Jurisdiction
- Region: Middle East & Africa
- Subject: The regulator that put self-custody in writing
- Authority: Bank of Ghana · SEC · Financial Intelligence Centre
- Stance on on-chain confidentiality: Privacy with disclosure. Confidentiality is workable so long as the regulated firm can identify parties and disclose on demand.
- Tags: self-custody protected, service providers only, rare explicit statement, VARO
- Canonical page: https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-ghana

## What it actually says

Worth citing well beyond Ghana, because a central bank stated plainly in writing what most regimes leave to inference. Its FAQ says that neither the regulatory authorities nor the government will control private wallets or individual transactions, and that the law regulates service providers rather than personal ownership of digital assets. That is the custodial-perimeter principle running through this entire section, expressed by a regulator rather than argued by an industry. Ghana moved from prohibition to licensing inside a year, splitting supervision between the central bank and the securities regulator by activity. The cedi remains sole legal tender, and pricing or paying wages in virtual assets is not permitted.

## The instruments that matter

- **Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill passed December 2025**: confirmed by Bank of Ghana press release on 22 December 2025, establishing licensing with either the central bank or the securities regulator depending on activity
- **Bank of Ghana FAQ, February 2026, Q8**: neither the regulatory authorities nor the government will control private wallets or individual transactions, and the law focuses on regulating service providers rather than personal ownership of digital assets
- **The cedi remains sole legal tender**: invoicing, pricing or paying wages in virtual assets is not permitted
- **Virtual Assets Regulatory Office**: mandatory provider registration, with a public notice on unauthorised virtual asset and stablecoin advertising issued in February 2026

## Sources

- [Bank of Ghana press release on the VASP Bill](https://www.bog.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/PRESS-RELEASE-PASSAGE-OF-THE-VIRTUAL-ASSET-SERVICE-PROVIDERS-BILL221225-1.pdf)
- [Bank of Ghana VASP Act FAQ](https://www.bog.gov.gh/virtual-assets/)

## Related entries

- [Israel](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-israel): Light on-chain, heavy on data protection
- [Nigeria](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-nigeria): Securities-first, with banking access restored
- [Seychelles](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-seychelles): No anonymity rule, but the offshore route is closing
- [Bahrain](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-bahrain): A listing test written against effects, not asset names
- [Kenya](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-kenya): The ban written into primary legislation, not a rulebook
- [Qatar](https://www.sodalabs.xyz/privacy-hub/regulation/jur-qatar): Exclusion by perimeter rather than prohibition