ENSIGN TRADING

Government is targeting 2027 for the full operationalisation of its Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154), as the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) work to develop the regulatory framework for the rapidly evolving sector.
Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, said the two institutions are developing operational guidelines and implementing policy sandboxes to support the effective implementation of the law.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Virtual Assets Coordinating Committee (VACC), Dr Asiama said the legislation was a critical step in bringing Ghana’s growing virtual asset sector under a formal regulatory framework.
“The operational guidelines are being developed by the designated regulatory authorities, i.e., the Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission, alongside the implementation of policy sandboxes by both institutions towards fully operationalizing the Act by 2027.”
The Act was enacted following concerns raised by Ghana’s 2024 national Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing (AML-CFT-PF) risk assessment.
According to Dr Asiama, the assessment revealed significant adoption and use of virtual assets in Ghana, alongside increasing links between the sector and the formal financial system.
“The report highlighted the urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to govern the evolving virtual asset sector. So, fast forward, we now have Act 1154 before us.”
Regulatory framework
The Governor said the development of operational guidelines and policy sandboxes by the BoG and SEC would help provide the regulatory infrastructure needed to implement the law.
The policy sandboxes are expected to provide a controlled environment for regulators to assess emerging virtual asset products, services and business models while the broader regulatory framework is being developed.
Dr Asiama said the establishment of the VACC is another important component of the implementation process, as it will bring together key institutions responsible for overseeing different aspects of the sector.
The committee comprises representatives from the Bank of Ghana, SEC, Ministry of Finance, Cyber Security Authority and Financial Intelligence Centre, with provision for other relevant institutions to be co-opted when necessary.
He said the committee would provide a statutory platform for coordinated regulatory and supervisory action.
“The inauguration of the virtual assets coordinating committee is therefore critical to the effective implementation of the Virtual Assets Providers Act 2025 Act 1154, as it will provide the statutory platform for coordinated regulatory and supervisory actions among the relevant institutions.”
Balancing regulation and innovation
Dr Asiama stressed that Ghana’s regulatory approach must keep pace with developments in digital finance while creating room for responsible innovation.
“The pace at which virtual assets and digital finance are evolving globally, this leaves us little room for a passive approach.”
He said effective coordination and information sharing would be critical to developing a virtual asset ecosystem that is safe and well regulated without undermining innovation and inclusion.
“Effective coordination, timely information sharing, and a shared commitment to safeguarding the integrity of our financial system, these will be essential if we are to build a virtual asset ecosystem, an ecosystem that is safe, an ecosystem that is well regulated, and an ecosystem that is supportive of innovation and inclusion.”
The Governor said the VACC would also help strengthen Ghana’s response to risks associated with virtual assets, including money laundering, terrorist financing, cybersecurity and consumer protection.
“The committee will facilitate harmonized implementation of the Act and its subsidiary regulatory instruments, strengthen information sharing and interagency cooperation, support coordinated responses to emerging risks, and enhance Ghana’s ability to address money laundering, terrorist financing, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and other risks that are associated with virtual assets.”
Dr Asiama described the inauguration of the VACC as an important transition from the enactment of the legislation to the establishment of a functioning regulatory framework.
“This inauguration this afternoon therefore marks an important transition from the enactment of the legislation to the establishment of an effective, coordinated, and sustainable virtual asset regulatory framework in Ghana.”

Today's most important geopolitical development. The news that has shaken the Middle East today. Iran officially announced a ceasefire with America citing humanitarian concerns and the need to protect civilians in the region. Simultaneously Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz for all commercial vessels. But the most significant part of this announcement is what Iran has said alongside it. They have made it crystal clear that this ceasefire is not a surrender. Not even close.
Iran's announcement states that all military capabilities remain fully intact. All missile and drone production continues underground. The IRGC's operational readiness has not been reduced by even one percent. Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi said this ceasefire is a strategic pause not a strategic retreat. He then delivered the most important line. He said we have proven to the world that the most powerful military on earth cannot force Iran to surrender.
That proof has been established permanently in the pages of history. So why is Iran announcing a ceasefire now. Tehran University Professor Marandi explained today that Iran has achieved all its primary strategic objectives. Iran wanted to demonstrate that American military supremacy in the Middle East is a myth. That has been demonstrated. Iran wanted to show that Hormuz is under Iranian control. That has been shown. Iran wanted to establish that regime change from outside is impossible.
That has been established. Iran wanted to force America into a negotiated settlement on Iranian terms. That process has begun. Marandi then said that continuing the war beyond this point would primarily harm ordinary Iranian citizens and the region's civilian populations. Iran does not want that. Meanwhile on the American side the response has been notably muted. Trump posted on social media saying the ceasefire is a good thing for the world. He said nothing about victory.
Nothing about Iran surrendering. Nothing about nuclear program elimination. Nothing about Hormuz returning to pre-war status. University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape said this silence from Trump is the loudest possible admission of defeat. He said when you start a war promising complete and total obliteration and end it with a social media post saying ceasefire is good then the entire world understands what happened.
British Sky News military expert Professor Michael Clarke said today that history will record April 8 as the day America lost this war. Everything after that was just the inevitable playing out of that defeat. Professor Jeffrey Sachs said today that America spent hundreds of billions of dollars used up critical weapons stockpiles that were meant for a potential conflict with China lost the respect of its allies and gained absolutely nothing.
He said this is the most expensive nothing in American military history. CNN's headline right now says Iran ceasefire opens Hormuz but questions remain about final deal. The questions are all American questions. Iran has no questions. Iran knows exactly where it stands. The Houthis in Yemen also announced suspension of strikes on Saudi shipping following Iran's ceasefire announcement. But they made clear this suspension lasts only as long as Saudi Arabia refrains from further aggression.
What has Iran actually won from this war. Let me count clearly. America has been exposed as a power that cannot achieve its military objectives against a sanctioned nation of 90 million people. Iran's missile and drone technology has proven superior to American interception systems in real battlefield conditions. The Strait of Hormuz is now permanently established as being under Iranian oversight. Every country in the world has seen that Iran can close 20 percent of global oil supply at will.
American military bases across the Middle East have been shown to be vulnerable. The petrodollar system has been further weakened. Saudi Arabia has been humiliated by the Houthis despite American protection. Israel has been shown to be unable to function without direct American military support. And most importantly Iran has survived. Professor Pape said today that within 18 months Iran will be recognized as a superpower of the world.
He said the economic opportunities opening up for Iran now that sanctions will be lifted combined with Iran's demonstrated military capability means the transformation will be rapid. British media The Atlantic published today with the headline The American Century Ended in the Strait of Hormuz. Yes you are reading that correctly. An American publication is saying the American century ended in Hormuz. Imperialist America came to destroy a 5000 year old civilization in 5 hours.
That civilization is still standing. And the civilization that came to destroy it is now counting its losses. History will remember Iran's resistance. And history will remember the shame of the Arab sheikhs who watched from the sidelines while serving their American masters. Iran has shown the world how to survive. How to resist. How to win.

The names change, but the trick is always the same.
Whether it's the recent crash of CWPC or apps like Darazz, Daily Trade, Ghstore, KUKA, and Edollar, the story always ends the same way: the app stops working, the bosses run away, and people lose their money.
Ghana's Cyber Security Authority (CSA) recently warned that in just the first six months of 2026, they saw 352 of these fake investment cases, costing Ghanaians over GHS 3.4 million.
The scammers use social media to find people, accept money via Mobile Money, and pretend they work with big global brands just to look real.
Some of them even undertake philanthropic activities to appear more legitimate, like CWPC which was providing groceries and other relief items for people affected by the recent floods.
So, why do smart people keep falling into this same trap? It usually comes down to three simple reasons:
1. The Promise of Easy Money
When things are financially tough, we all want an extra way to make money.
When an app promises huge profits just for doing simple tasks like liking posts, our common sense takes a back seat.
Deep down, we know real businesses don't double your money overnight, but the hope of getting rich quickly makes us ignore the red flags.
2. The "I Can Get Out Early" Game.
A lot of people who join these apps aren't actually fooled. They KNOW it’s a scam that will eventually crash.
But they think they are smarter than everyone else. They tell themselves: "I am joining early. I will make a quick profit, take my money out, and leave before the platform collapses."
The problem? You can never guess when the scammers will decide to lock the app and run away. You are playing a dangerous game with your life savings.
3. Getting Greedy And Refusing to Pull Out
This is how the "smart" investors get caught. In the beginning, the app actually pays out. You put in a small amount, and you successfully withdraw a profit.
You start to trust it. Instead of taking your original money out and walking away, greed kicks in.
You think, "Wow, if my small money gave me this much, let me put in a much bigger amount!" Or you leave your profits inside so they can grow.
Scammers do this on purpose. They give you a little profit to make you deposit even more money or invite your friends.
By the time the app vanishes, you haven't made anything you've lost your original capital plus everything you thought you won.
How to Protect Yourself:
1. Be very careful with any online platform promising unusually high profits.
2. Don't join random WhatsApp groups or reply to strange messages claiming to be from big companies.
3. Always check with official government regulators before putting your money into any online investment.
If you see a suspicious platform, you can report it directly to the CSA by calling or texting 292, or emailing report@csa.gov.gh.
There is no shortcut to real wealth! Protect your hard-earned money.
#FinancialLiteracy #Ghana #CyberSecurity #StaySafe #InvestmentScams