Catenaa, Monday, July 13, 2026- Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking to acquire a blockchain analytics platform capable of monitoring cryptocurrency transactions across more than 20 blockchain networks as the country strengthens oversight of its expanding digital asset sector.
The proposed surveillance system will enable the regulator to track transactions on major networks including Bitcoin and Ethereum in real time and retrospectively. The platform is expected to help identify suspicious activity linked to fraud, money laundering, terrorism financing, ransomware, sanctions evasion and other financial crimes.
The procurement follows the implementation of Kenya’s Virtual Assets Service Providers Act of 2025, which established the country’s first comprehensive legal framework for regulating cryptocurrencies. The legislation divides oversight between the Central Bank of Kenya, which supervises payment services, stablecoins and custodial wallet providers, and the CMA, which regulates exchanges, brokers, investment advisers and tokenization platforms.
According to tender documents, the regulator wants the platform to generate automated alerts for high-risk wallets, unusually large transfers, cryptocurrency mixers, darknet-linked addresses and sanctioned entities. The system will also screen transactions against sanctions lists maintained by the United Nations and the US Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Authorities also plan to use the platform to map relationships between wallets, reconstruct transaction histories, trace assets across multiple blockchains and assign risk scores based on suspected illicit activity. Another objective is identifying exchanges most frequently used by Kenyan investors and detecting offshore platforms operating without local authorization.
The requested capabilities closely resemble commercial blockchain intelligence platforms developed by companies such as Chainalysis, TRM Labs and Elliptic, which supply forensic software to financial regulators and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Although Kenya’s regulatory framework is now in force, no virtual asset service providers have received licenses. Draft regulations published by the National Treasury require existing operators to comply with the new regime by November 2026.
Kenya has emerged as one of Africa’s largest cryptocurrency markets. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis estimated that users in the country received approximately $19 billion in cryptocurrency between July 2024 and June 2025. Industry estimates also suggest more than six million Kenyans actively use digital assets, with peer-to-peer trading remaining a dominant channel.
The move aligns Kenya with a growing international trend. Government agencies in the US, including the FBI, DEA, IRS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, already employ blockchain forensic platforms to investigate digital asset crimes. In the UK, HM Revenue & Customs has also adopted blockchain analytics tools to trace suspicious cryptocurrency transactions.
Kenya has positioned itself as one of Africa’s most active digital finance markets, driven by widespread mobile money adoption and growing cryptocurrency usage. The Virtual Assets Service Providers Act was introduced to bring crypto businesses under formal supervision while aligning the country’s anti-money laundering framework with standards established by the Financial Action Task Force. The acquisition of blockchain surveillance technology marks one of the first major enforcement initiatives under the new law and signals Kenya’s intention to balance innovation with stronger regulatory oversight as its crypto ecosystem continues to expand.
