Blockchain.com has been admitted into the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme (ARIP), marking an important step in the Company’s long-term commitment to Nigeria and its broader expansion across Africa.
Blockchain.com’s admission into ARIP means the Company has satisfied the SEC’s initial requirements to participate in the programme and is authorized to operate within its defined sandbox scope, subject to the Commission’s ongoing compliance obligations, testing parameters, and regulatory conditions.
Through ARIP, Blockchain.com will work directly with the SEC as the Commission evaluates digital asset business models, tests appropriate safeguards, and develops its long-term regulatory framework for the market.
Owen Odia, General Manager for Africa at Blockchain.com commented:
“Nigeria is one of Africa’s most important digital asset markets and participating in the SEC’s ARIP is an important step forward in our long-term commitment to the country,” said Owen Odia, General Manager for Africa, Blockchain. The programme gives us the opportunity to work directly with the SEC in a controlled environment, bring our global experience to the Nigerian market and help support a framework that protects consumers while enabling responsible innovation. We appreciate the SEC’s proactive approach and look forward to contributing to a safe, transparent and well-regulated digital asset ecosystem.”
Blockchain.com’s participation in ARIP forms part of a broader global strategy to engage constructively with regulators and build within established regulatory frameworks. Over the past year, Blockchain.com has secured several formal licenses and registrations globally, including the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), EU Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA), and a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA).
For Blockchain, ARIP provides a structured environment to test services for the Nigerian market, strengthen consumer protections and work directly with regulators and local stakeholders. The company sees Nigeria as an important market in its African strategy, with strong existing demand for digital assets and an increasingly clear regulatory pathway for responsible operators.
ARIP was established by Nigeria’s SEC as a controlled regulatory sandbox for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and fintech innovators. The programme allows the SEC to observe live applications of digital asset technologies, study operational risks, and establish tailored investor protection and anti-money laundering (AML) standards before final regulatory rules are codified.
