Ghana’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said 11 companies have been allowed to enter the regulatory sandbox to test cryptocurrency and digital asset services under the country’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2025.
The program allows companies to run their products in a controlled environment while regulators monitor risk and compliance.
The sandbox, which will run for 12 months, is at the center of Ghana’s early efforts to regulate the cryptocurrency industry, according to a press release.
Companies in the first category include asset tokenization companies such as Africoin, Blu Penguin, Vaulta, XChain and Goldbod, as well as cryptocurrency exchanges such as Hyro Exchange, HanyPay and WhiteBit.
Companies whose products are ready for market and meet regulatory requirements can transition to a full license after six months, the commission said. Others may remain in the sandbox for the remainder of the time to perfect their services.
The SEC said the move will also help it develop detailed licensing guidelines for different types of cryptocurrency businesses. Data collected during the pilot will inform rules covering areas such as investor protection, market integrity and anti-money laundering controls.
Once the sandbox closes, the regulator plans to issue final guidance and open the licensing process to a wider range of virtual asset service providers.