UK-based crypto exchange Blockchain.com is intensifying its African expansion, as it seeks to acquire a license in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest crypto markets.
According to Bloomberg, Blockchain.com plans to open a physical office in Nigeria this quarter. As part of its expansion into the African region, It appointed financial industry veteran Owenzie Irese Odia as the region’s general manager.
Announcing her appointment, Blockchain.com wrote,
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“We are thrilled to welcome Owenize Irese Odia as General Manager, Africa, as we continue to accelerate our mission to usher in the future of finance across the continent. Owen’s reputation as a crypto asset pioneer and advocate in Africa precedes her. A respected thought leader and experienced operator, she brings a deep commitment to expanding access to regulated crypto asset services, making her the ideal leader to scale Blockchain.com’s footprint in Africa.
“As our user base grows steadily across Africa, led by West Africa, our fastest-growing market, we are entering a natural phase of regional investment and establishing a physical presence, beginning with our West African hub. This is a pivotal moment to establish a lasting presence, foster local partnerships, and engage constructively with regulators across the continent.”
In her role, Owen will oversee Blockchain.com’s comprehensive business strategy in Africa, collaborating closely with global product, commercial, compliance, and regulatory teams. She will lead the company’s efforts to:
- Engage with regulators to pursue licensing and ensure compliance.
- Grow Blockchain.com’s brand as a trusted and secure platform for crypto services.
- Build and scale regional teams to serve the unique needs of local customers.
On the company’s expansion to Nigeria, Owen noted that applying for a crypto-exchange license in Nigeria is a top priority. Notably, Blockchain.com’s license pursuit in Nigeria comes after the Nigerian government formally recognized cryptocurrency and other virtual assets as securities for the first time.
Recall that after swinging back and forth between acceptance and rejection, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 25, 2025, took a decisive step toward regulating the cryptocurrency sector in Nigeria, in new SEC Act 2025. The law not only acknowledges virtual assets and investment contracts as securities but also places Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), Digital Asset Operators (DAOPs), and Digital Asset Exchanges under the regulatory oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Section C on page 188 of the official clean copy of the ISA bill, recognizes virtual and digital assets as securities. It describes securities exchange or registered exchange as an organized facility that maintains and provides an infrastructure:
- (a) for bringing together buyers and sellers of securities, virtual assets, commodities, or financial products or instruments.
- (b) for matching bids and offers for securities, virtual assets, commodities, or financial products or instruments of multiple buyers and sellers; and
- (c) whereby a matched bid and offer for securities, virtual assets, commodities, or financial products or instruments constitutes a transaction.
As part of its Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Program (ARIP), the SEC granted provisional licenses, or “Approval-in-Principle,” to two cryptocurrency exchanges—Quidax and Busha in 2024.
Launched in 2011, Blockchain.com got its start as an early pioneer of key infrastructure for the Bitcoin community. First, with a Blockchain Explorer that enabled anyone to not only examine transactions and study the blockchain, but an API that enabled companies to build on Bitcoin.
Since its launch, the platform has created over 92 million wallets, and transacted over $1 trillion, with a presence in over 200 countries, relentlessly building the future of finance, serving people, projects, protocols, and institutions.
With its African expansion, the company’s ambition is to become the go-to regulated platform for consumer investment and payments by investing in Infrastructure, people, and regulatory clarity across Africa.