Kenya’s new crypto rules could force exchanges to delist foreign stablecoins

Kenya could force local cryptocurrency exchanges to stop offering foreign-issued stablecoins—such as Tether’s USDT, Circle’s USDC, and Mento Labs’ USDm—after the central bank was granted authority to restrict access to offshore stablecoins, tightening oversight of the dollar-backed tokens that dominate crypto trading across Africa. The Kenyan Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Regulations , 2026, published on July 24, prohibit licenced cryptocurrency exchanges from offering any stablecoin th