SEC launches Africa Virtual Asset Summit 2026 to advance responsible digital asset ecosystem

The Securities and Exchange Commission, Ghana (SEC) has launched the Africa Virtual Asset Summit (AVAS) 2026, a two-day gathering to be held on 2 and 3 November 2026 at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra.

Under the theme “Tokenisation: Africa’s Pathway Towards Building a Trusted, Inclusive and Innovative Virtual Asset Ecosystem,” AVAS 2026 is designed to deliver practical outcomes.

A central objective is the proposed Accra Declaration — a framework of shared principles and recommendations to advance responsible virtual asset and tokenisation ecosystems across the continent.

The summit will also generate policy recommendations, structured dialogue between supervisors and market participants, industry collaboration and cross-border partnerships.

Why this summit, and why now

Africa’s participation in virtual assets is already significant. The question for regulators is whether the rules surrounding that activity will be clear, consistent and credible.

“Africa’s participation in virtual assets is already significant,” said Director-General, Dr James Klutse Avedzi at the launch.

“That growth must be matched by frameworks that promote innovation, protect investors and maintain confidence in the market.”

Ghana has put such a framework in place. The Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154) establishes the legal foundation for supervised growth of the sector.

It assigns the Commission responsibility for tokenisation, virtual asset issuance, exchanges, investment advisory services and virtual asset funds.

SEC AVAS launch 2 The Commission also operates a regulatory sandbox that allows firms to test products under supervision before full licensing, ensuring that rules are informed by practical experience.