Overview
- The Capital Markets Authority issued a tender on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, for a Virtual Assets Blockchain Analytics System to monitor Bitcoin, Ethereum and more than 20 other blockchains.
- The requested platform must run in real time and retrospectively to flag high-risk wallets, large transfers, coin mixers, darknet-linked addresses, terrorism financing and sanctioned entities.
- The procurement is a practical step to enforce the Virtual Assets Service Providers Act even though implementing regulations remain in draft form and no VASP licences have yet been granted.
- The CMA’s specifications mirror commercial products from firms such as Chainalysis, TRM Labs and Elliptic, meaning the chosen vendor could shape technical compliance standards and favor well-resourced exchanges.
- Kenya is one of Africa’s largest crypto markets with roughly $19 billion in inflows and an estimated six million users, much activity occurring through peer-to-peer channels that surveillance could now target.