Description

President signed Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill 2025 including prohibition of goods and services

On 15 October 2025, the President of Kenya signed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2025 (Act No. 20 of 2025) into law. Under section 21(1)(a) of the Act, all virtual asset service providers are prohibited from undertaking mixer or tumbler services or anonymity-enhancing services in or from Kenya. The Act defines mixer or tumbler services as cryptographic facilities or services that mix different streams of potentially traceable virtual assets, concealing the origin of funds of a particular virtual asset. Anonymity-enhancing services are defined as offering, facilitating or executing transactions in digital assets with the effect or intention of concealing information. A person who contravenes this prohibition commits a criminal offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding KES 10 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both, in the case of an individual, and to a fine not exceeding KES 25 million in the case of a company.

Original source

Scope

Policy Area
Authorisation, registration and licensing
Policy Instrument
Prohibition of goods and services
Regulated Economic Activity
digital payment provider (incl. cryptocurrencies)
Implementation Level
national
Government Branch
executive
Government Body
central government

Complete timeline of this policy change

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2025-04-04
under deliberation

On 4 April 2025, the Virtual Assets Service Providers Bill 2025 was introduced to the National Asse…

2025-10-15
adopted

On 15 October 2025, the President of Kenya signed the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2025 (Act…

2025-11-04
in grace period

On 4 November 2025, the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2025 (Act No. 20 of 2025) including pro…

2026-11-04
in force

On 4 November 2026, the one-year transitional period under section 47 of the Virtual Asset Service …