Namibia’s central financial institution has granted the primary set of provisional licenses to 2 cryptocurrency exchanges.
In response to native media, citing a latest media assertion from the regulator, the Bank of Namibia has granted provisional authorization to Mindex Digital Asset Trade (Pty) Ltd. and Landifa Bitcoin Commerce CC to function as digital asset service suppliers.
Nonetheless, they received’t be capable of provide providers to the general public till they obtain ultimate approval from the central financial institution. The provisional licenses, legitimate for six months, permit the businesses to ascertain their operations, rent employees, and arrange the required infrastructure.
Last approval will solely be granted if the businesses meet all necessities mandated by the central financial institution.
Kazembire Zemburuka, a spokesperson for the financial institution, clarified that if the businesses full their setup and are prepared earlier than the six-month interval concludes, the central financial institution can examine their operations and grant approval earlier, permitting them to interact with the general public forward of the general timeline.
The preliminary licenses have been granted beneath the Digital Property Act, which was permitted by the nation’s Nationwide Meeting and subsequently signed by former President Hage Geingob in July of 2023.
Below the Namibia Digital Property Act 2023, non-compliant suppliers face extreme penalties, together with fines of as much as 10 million Namibian {dollars} (roughly $527,983) and imprisonment for as much as 10 years.
The Bank of Namibia, because the regulatory authority designated by the act, retains oversight over digital asset service suppliers to make sure they adjust to measures geared toward stopping cash laundering, terrorism financing, and different monetary crimes.
Final 12 months, Namibia was included within the Monetary Motion Activity Power’s gray record, which identifies nations with strategic deficiencies of their AML/CFT regimes. In an October 2024 replace, the intergovernmental policy-making physique recommended the nation ought to proceed strengthening its countermeasures.
A number of different African nations have launched legal guidelines to manage the digital foreign money sector. Most lately, on Jan. 10, Keny opened up a public session for a draft legislation to manage digital belongings. Different nations like Botswana, Mauritius, and Seychelles have additionally made comparable strikes.
