East Africa’s divergent crypto paths to chaos or innovation

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are charting sharply divergent courses on how they regulate and tax the $14 billion crypto sector.

Photo credit: File | AFP

East Africa is rapidly emerging as a testing ground for the future of digital finance, where the promise of cryptocurrencies collides with the realities of governance, taxation, and economic ambition.

As digital assets gain traction among millions of users and entrepreneurs, the region’s three largest economies — Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda — are charting sharply divergent courses on how they regulate and tax the $14 billion crypto sector.