By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The First Deputy Governor of
the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Zakari Mumuni, has reaffirmed the central bank's
commitment to building a trusted, inclusive, and resilient digital assets
ecosystem, stressing that innovation in the sector must be guided by strong institutions
and public trust rather than speculation.
Speaking at the Standard
Chartered Digital Assets Summit in Accra on Friday, June 19, 2026, Dr. Mumuni
outlined Ghana's strategic approach to digital assets and emerging financial
technologies before an audience of regulators, financial institutions, industry
leaders, and innovators.
He noted that Africa's
growing digital asset economy presents significant opportunities for financial
inclusion, cross-border payments, and capital market development. However, he
emphasized that these opportunities must be pursued within a framework that
safeguards financial stability and consumer confidence.
According to Dr. Mumuni, the
Bank of Ghana has taken proactive steps to support responsible innovation by
establishing a legal framework for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs)
under Act 1154. He added that the central bank has strengthened cooperation
among regulatory institutions, created a dedicated Virtual Assets Department,
and continues to leverage its Regulatory Sandbox to test innovative solutions
in a controlled environment.
“The question is no longer
whether digital assets will shape African finance. They already are. The real
question is whether we will shape that future deliberately,” Dr. Mumuni stated.
He stressed that while
digital assets and tokenisation technologies are transforming financial
services globally, they should serve as tools to strengthen national financial
systems rather than undermine them.
“Whatever we build,
tokenise, or otherwise, we must not displace the cedi. A strong digital
ecosystem should strengthen public money, not compete with it,” he said.
The First Deputy Governor
further called for enhanced collaboration among regulators, financial
institutions, fintech companies, and innovators across Africa to develop a
secure, interoperable, and inclusive digital financial ecosystem capable of
supporting the continent's long-term economic transformation.
His remarks come as Ghana
continues to advance its digital finance agenda while balancing innovation with
regulatory oversight, positioning itself as one of Africa's emerging leaders in
digital financial services and virtual asset regulation.
