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ARTICLE · 24 APRIL 2025

How The ISA 2025 Reshapes The Nigerian Virtual Asset Market

Tope Adebayo LP
Tope Adebayo LP
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In early 2025, Nigeria's rapidly growing cryptocurrency sector reached a major turning point. After years of regulatory confusion and a well-known banking ban on crypto transactions, a new law changed everything. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Investments and Securities Act 2025 (ISA 2025) into law, officially recognizing digital assets and cryptocurrencies as securities. This landmark legislation replaces the previous 2007 statute and broadens the definition of "securities" in Section 3

NigeriaTechnology
Mosun Oke
Mosun Oke
Philip Oladimeji
Philip Oladimeji
Abdulrasaq Ariwoola
Abdulrasaq Ariwoola
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1. Introduction

In early 2025, Nigeria's rapidly growing cryptocurrency sector reached a major turning point. After years of regulatory confusion and a well-known banking ban on crypto transactions, a new law changed everything. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Investments and Securities Act 2025 (ISA 2025) into law, officially recognizing digital assets and cryptocurrencies as securities. This landmark legislation replaces the previous 2007 statute and broadens the definition of "securities" in Section 357 to include virtual and digital assets.

Under the revised definition, Bitcoin, Ether, and other crypto tokens are no longer on the fringes of the financial world; they are now acknowledged as valid financial instruments under Nigerian law. The impact has been both immediate and insightful. By formally recognizing cryptocurrencies as an asset class, the new Act removes the uncertainty that once plagued the industry. It also ensures that individuals and

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