Back to Markets
Crypto▲ Bullish
Kenya Moves to Deploy Blockchain Analytics Before Crypto Licensing Begins
Kenya's CMA is procuring a blockchain surveillance platform to track transactions across 20+ networks as the country prepares to license crypto firms under its new virtual assets law.
Continue with
Kenya's Capital Markets Authority is shopping for a blockchain surveillance platform that can track transactions across more than 20 networks, a procurement move that signals the country is building enforcement capacity before it starts licensing crypto businesses.
Tender documents reviewed by Capital FM Africa show the CMA wants an advanced analytics system capable of monitoring digital asset activity in real time and retrospectively. The platform would support regulatory investigations, flag suspicious transactions, and strengthen compliance oversight as Kenya's crypto licensing framework moves toward implementation.
The system must cover Bitcoin, Ethereum, and at least 20 other blockchains. It would generate automated alerts for high-risk wallets, unusually large transfers, coin mixers, darknet-linked addresses, and entities on sanctions lists from the United Nations and the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The regulator also wants software that can map wallet relationships, rebuild transaction histories, trace funds across multiple blockchains, and assign risk scores tied to money laundering, ransomware, fraud, and terrorism financing. The CMA plans to use the platform to identify the exchanges most used by Kenyan residents and detect offshore platforms serving local users without regulatory approval.
The surveillance purchase follows Kenya's first comprehensive legal framework for digital assets. President William Ruto signed the Virtual Assets Service Providers Act in October, with the law taking effect the following month.