A member of the organising committee of the Digital Assets Summit Africa 2025 (DASA’25), Peter Frimpong Manso, is urging government to expedite the passage of digital assets regulation in Ghana to promote financial inclusion.
He pointed to the staggering US$500million in digital assets that are already circulating within the African continent as evidence of a growing market that formal regulation could harness and protect.
Speaking in an interview, he noted: “As global financial powerhouses from London to New York race to embrace digital assets, we should work hard to ensure Ghana, and the wider African continent, is not left behind.”
Africa’s digital assets market is expected to reach US$5.6billion by the end of 2025, growing at 6.37 percent annually. The market is projected to clock US$6billion by 2026, with an average revenue per user estimated to be US$80.9 in 2025. The United States leads the park in terms of revenue, expected to reach US$18.6billion in 2025. The digital assets include the blockchain technology, stablecoins, NFTs and tokenisation.
However, Africa’s digital assets market is projected to reach 75.77 million users by 2026, with user penetration rate anticipated to reach 5.5 percent in 2025 and 5.9 percent by 2026.
This shows an untapped opportunity for financial inclusion. As digital assets gain traction in Africa, Nigeria leads the way with its vibrant crypto community and increasing adoption of the blockchain technology.
Citing the pace at which digital assets are being recognised, regulated and utilised, notably in the US with President Donald Trump’s advocacy and the passing of a key regulatory bill in July, Mr. Frimpong Manso expressed worry over the Bank of Ghana’s lackadaisical approach to this crucial sector. Ghana recorded over US$3billion in crypto transactions in 2024, rapidly emerging as West Africa’s digital assets hub.
The Bank of Ghana prepares to submit its proposed cryptocurrency licensing bill to Parliament in September 2025. In view of this, Mr. Frimpong Manso urged government to engage stakeholders broadly for valuable contributions to the bill. The proposed framework will require exchanges and wallet providers to register, meet minimum capital requirements and report suspicious transactions.
The first-of-its-kind, Digital Assets Summit Africa 2025 (DASA’25) will take place in Accra from September 29 to 30. The summit aims to demystify digital assets and position them as a powerful tool for financial inclusion and economic growth. It serves to inform the public about the impending regulatory framework, and crucially highlight the profound potential for financial inclusion. DASA will bring together technocrats, regulators, policy-makers, innovators, investors and industry leaders from across the continent and beyond to discuss sustainable ways to regulate digital assets without stifling growth to unlock its enormous potential.
“This financial services sector can bring inclusion to people who ordinarily wouldn’t have what it takes to save money or bank with traditional institutions,” he said. “Digital assets provide an avenue for them to participate in the economy,” he stated.
He emphasised the inspiration behind the summit. “Seeing that Ghana was behind—with Nigeria, Kenya and others already moving to formalise this space—was my inspiration,” Mr. Frimpong Manso stated. “I asked myself: ‘What can I do to contribute to Ghana’s economy in a form nobody has thought about?’ If the Bank of Ghana is formalising this sector, I wanted to help shape that conversation.”
This comes at a time when there is deep-seated scepticism within the local financial sector due to unpredictability of investments. Mr. Frimpong Manso recounted a conversation with a senior executive at a major bank who expressed doubt, but acknowledged that it has come to stay. According to him, the banker’s response underscores the urgency of the summit: “Whether we like it or not, these financial products have come to stay. If we don’t get involved, we will be left behind.”
To address concerns around risk, fraud and cyber security—common fears given the volatility of digital assets like NFTs—the summit has assembled a roster of heavyweight experts. These experts will lead sessions on navigating macro-trends, combating crypto crime, managing custody risk and the critical relationship between the evolution of banking and digital assets.
The organisers plan to compile a blueprint or white paper after the summit to serve as a foundational document for ongoing consultation, hoping to provide a clear, informed path forward for regulators and investors alike.
With Ghana at a regulatory crossroads, this summit represents more than just speakers mounting podiums to talk; it’s a concerted push to turn digital assets from a behind-the-scenes activity into a mainstreamed and regulated force for economic empowerment and inclusion across Africa.
