Nairobi, May 12 -- Kenya has now concluded public consultations on the Draft Virtual Asset Service Providers Regulations, 2026. The rules will operationalise the VASP Act passed last November and, for the first time, bring Kenya's digital asset economy under the protection of law.

What is often interpreted as regulatory constraint is, in fact, recognition that an emerging market has matured into economic relevance.

Digital assets have moved well beyond theory. They are functioning financial instruments that exist entirely online, recorded on blockchains rather than stored in banks, and range from cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to stablecoins like USDC and newer innovations including tokenised bonds and digital property rights.

This j...