The Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154) is Ghana’s national statute for regulating virtual assets and virtual asset service providers. Parliament’s data portal lists the measure as Bill 140 of 2025, introduced on Nov. 13, 2025, passed by Parliament on Dec. 12, 2025, assigned Act Number 1154, and assented to on Dec. 24, 2025. As of July 15, 2026, official Bank of Ghana and Securities and Exchange Commission materials show the Act being implemented through registration, licensing, supervision and sandbox measures.
The Act is best understood as an activity-based VASP framework rather than a general endorsement of crypto assets. The Bank of Ghana says Act 1154 establishes the legal foundation for registration, licensing and supervision of VASPs in Ghana, while supporting regulatory measures are expected to address compliance, disclosures, taxation and operational standards. The SEC separately describes itself as a co-regulator for virtual asset services under the Act.
Key provisions of Ghana’s VASP framework
Registration, licensing and supervision
The Bank of Ghana’s virtual-assets page identifies categories that must register or obtain a licence, including wallet providers, trading platforms and exchanges, virtual asset investment advisers, virtual asset issuers, virtual asset managers, stablecoin issuance, asset tokenization, dealing services, and virtual asset lending and borrowing. The same page states that the Bank’s Virtual Assets Department will work with the SEC, the Financial Intelligence Centre and other stakeholders to supervise the ecosystem.
SEC-regulated virtual asset services
The SEC’s passage notice identifies services it expects to license and regulate under the Act, including exchanges, trading platforms, virtual asset issuance, tokenization, exchange-traded funds, managers, investment advice, brokerage, securities-related advocacy, securities-related mining and validation, and securities-related sandbox activity. In a later notice, the SEC said its VASP sandbox would provide a controlled testing environment for innovative virtual asset products and services.
Compliance, marketing and transitional measures
Official materials frame Act 1154 around consumer and investor protection, market integrity, financial stability, AML/CFT controls and responsible innovation. The Bank of Ghana says VASPs must comply with the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020, data-protection and cybersecurity standards, and disclosure and reporting obligations. The SEC says its sandbox is intended to strengthen investor protection, market integrity and AML/CFT compliance.
A joint Feb. 20, 2026 notice from the Bank of Ghana and the SEC directed VASPs, including sandbox participants, to refrain from mass marketing or public promotional campaigns unless expressly authorized. The notice also states that virtual asset advocacy is a regulated activity under Act 1154 and requires registration with the Bank of Ghana and SEC. It further says the Act provides transitional arrangements for existing VASPs to apply for licensing or registration once the regime becomes operational.
Status and implementation timeline
Parliament records first reading on Nov. 13, 2025, third reading and passage on Dec. 12, 2025, and presidential assent on Dec. 24, 2025. The SEC announced passage on Dec. 29, 2025. On Jan. 23, 2026, the SEC said it was finalizing a VASP regulatory sandbox. On Mar. 10, 2026, it announced sandbox participants and said guidelines and wider licensing or registration would follow. The Bank of Ghana’s virtual-assets page says its application process and fees pages are expected by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Jurisdictional impact
For CryptoSlate taxonomy purposes, Act 1154 should be classified as a Ghanaian Act with an in-force status, while noting that detailed licensing mechanics remain under rollout. The primary regulators are the Bank of Ghana and SEC, with the Financial Intelligence Centre involved in AML/CFT coordination. The online official Act text was not located during review, so editors should verify the gazetted text before adding a commencement or effective date.