Catenaa, Wednesday, March 11, 2026- Blockchain.com, a leading cryptocurrency brokerage, launched operations in Ghana on Tuesday, extending its footprint in West Africa following rapid growth in Nigeria and tapping into the continent’s expanding digital asset market.
The company reported a 700% surge in brokerage volume in Nigeria since its 2025 debut, driven primarily by trades in USDT, bitcoin, and TRX.
Ghana experienced 140% user growth and 80% transaction increases last year, achieved organically, signaling strong local adoption ahead of the platform’s formal rollout.
Blockchain.com plans to hire locally, develop region-specific products, and build infrastructure to support the anticipated growth, according to Owen Odia, the company’s Africa general manager.
Ghana’s 35 million population represents a key market, where mobile money dominates but crypto remittances from the diaspora, estimated at $4 billion annually across Africa, provide substantial potential.
Stablecoins such as USDT could cut remittance fees by roughly 7% compared with traditional banking channels, offering faster and cheaper cross-border transactions.
The launch aligns with a broader African trend of rapid crypto adoption. Nigeria, with 18% of the population engaged in digital assets in 2024, leads in volume with $59 billion, followed by South Africa ($28 billion) and Kenya.
Chainalysis data shows stablecoins account for 84% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s crypto volume, facilitating remittances (40%), trading (35%), and business payments (25%).
Venture capital investments in African crypto startups totaled $450 million across 120 firms in 2025, attracting competitors such as Binance, Yellow Card, and Luno.
Regulatory clarity is improving: Nigeria’s SEC licensed 12 exchanges, South Africa’s FSCA approved over 150 crypto providers, and Ghana’s crypto bill proposes a 5% transaction tax to fund infrastructure. Institutional adoption is increasing, with banks and telecoms piloting stablecoin programs.
Blockchain.com’s expansion also follows international licensing milestones, including UK FCA registration for brokerage and custody services and an EU MiCA license alongside Revolut.
The firm has processed $1.2 trillion in transactions, created 90 million wallets, and verified 40 million users since 2011. The move positions the platform to capitalize on Africa’s growing crypto economy, addressing challenges such as a 57% unbanked population, currency volatility, and high remittance costs.
