VASP Tracker › Kenya
Kenya crypto licensing: VASP Act 2025
Upcoming Next deadline: 4 Nov 2026 (transition ends) · our calculation
- Regulator
- Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) · Capital Markets Authority (CMA)
- Legal basis
- Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act No. 20 of 2025)
Kenya Law · VASP Act, 2025 - Official register
- Section 17 requires CBK and CMA to publish registers of licences. We found no published VASP register (checked 21 Oct 2026).
What is changing
Kenya's Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 has been in force since 4 November 2025. It splits licensing between two regulators: the Central Bank of Kenya covers custodial wallets, virtual-asset payment processors and stablecoin issuance; the Capital Markets Authority covers exchanges, brokers, investment advisers, managers and token offerings (First Schedule).
Section 47 gives firms that were already providing virtual-asset services one year from commencement to comply. By our calculation that window closes on 4 November 2026. Unlicensed VASP business is an offence; a company faces a fine of up to KSh 25 million (s. 8(3), s. 40(3)). Licences expire on 31 December of the year of issue (s. 13), and each regulator must publish a register of licensees (s. 17).
Timeline
- law adopted
The VASP Act, 2025 receives presidential assent (published in the Kenya Gazette on 21 October 2025).
Sources: Kenya Law · Act No. 20 of 2025 official
- in force
The Act commences. CBK and CMA become the licensing authorities; carrying on virtual-asset business in or from Kenya without a licence is an offence (s. 8).
Sources: Kenya Law · s. 5, s. 8 official
- regulator notice
CBK and CMA public notice: licensing will start once the National Treasury issues Regulations; no VASP has been licensed under the Act.
Sources: CBK · Public notice, 18 Nov 2025 official
- rules published
The Virtual Asset Service Providers Regulations, 2026 (Legal Notice 134 of 2026) are published in the Kenya Gazette and commence the same day. They set out licence applications, capital, governance, consumer-protection, stablecoin and tokenisation rules; the regulator must decide a complete application within 30 days (reg. 6(4)).
Sources: Kenya Law · Legal Notice 134 of 2026 official
- transition ends · our calculation
Section 47 gives anyone already providing virtual-asset services one year from commencement to comply with the Act. One year from 4 November 2025 is 4 November 2026 (VASP Tracker calculation).
Sources: Kenya Law · s. 47 official
A company-level tracker for Kenya is in preparation. This page covers the rules and dates only. CSV
Cite this
VASP Tracker, “Kenya crypto licensing: VASP Act 2025”, https://vasptracker.com/en/ke/ (20 Oct 2026), CC BY 4.0.