Connect with us

E-Financial

Who is Buying Crypto in Africa

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The average African crypto buyer is most likely to be male, spends about $20 USD on the first purchase and holds onto it for about nine months, according to data from Luno, the largest crypto platform in the country with over 10 million customers in 40+ countries.

Interest in crypto is rising on the African continent, says Richard Ball, Lead Data Scientist at Luno.

“Over the past year, Luno has verified more than three million new users worldwide. Africa is one of our strongest markets, with over 55% of the new customers added in the last six months being based on the continent. We’re extremely pleased to see new signups continue to register with Luno as we head into the next six months of the year.”

Customer behaviour in Africa

Africans usually start with an average first deposit of $14 USD, an increase since the dip in Bitcoin in November last year, Ball says.

“Most customers start with a relatively small deposit, while the top 25% of our biggest local customers start to buy crypto at around $65 USD and the highest deposit amount among our smallest 25% of customers is only around $3.40 USD.”

Ball says these metrics are good news for Luno, as they indicate that Africans are investing in crypto responsibly. Luno allows customers to buy crypto for as little as $1 USD in line with its mission to ensure wider access and encourages people to start with smaller deposits while they learn more about crypto.

Africa’s most popular crypto coins

According to Ball, the most popular crypto coins in Africa are Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP, with more customers buying than selling. Almost 80% of the transactions on Luno are from people buying crypto, which provides a rough indication of how bullish customers are on the top three coins.

“The greatest increase so far this year in demand is XRP, with a 25% price surge within a single week. USDC, a cryptocurrency linked to the US dollar, is the least popular on Luno’s platform, in line with its status as a stable coin.”

Ball says customers bought USDC during the market dip in the past few months. “When crypto prices fall, some customers buy into USDC to shield themselves from further market volatility. Once volatility has cooled down, traders will typically move from USDC back into crypto such as BTC. In some sense, this is in line with traditional financial markets where investors avoid risk and move to cash during periods of uncertainty.”

Who are Africa’s crypto buyers?

The local buyers are almost a mirror image of the global picture. In line with the gender split in traditional financial services, more men are buying crypto in Africa than women, with about 30% of the activity in the 18–29-year age bracket from women. However, in the 60+ age bracket, a greater percentage of women – about 46% – are active on Luno.

African customers hold their crypto for an average of 9 months, which is much longer than two years ago, with the exception of traders, who would naturally be more active, Ball says. “Overall, this indicates that African customers increasingly view crypto as a longer-term investment and are not necessarily buying it to make a quick buck.”

Behaviour depends on when customers bought

Ball says Luno is noticing that customer behaviour varies depending on when customers first bought crypto. “We frequently perform cohort analysis to track the transactional behaviour of customers who first bought at a particular point in time.

Ball explains that customers who first bought when the price was surging, might be more speculative, while customers who buy when the markets are flat, tend to be longer-term investors.

Using Luno’s savings wallets

Customers using Luno’s savings wallets can earn interest on their crypto holdings and Ball says about 7% of Luno’s customer base uses the savings wallet monthly. “There has been a 13% increase in local customers using the savings wallet over the past three months.

“The interest earned on crypto holdings via savings wallets is paid monthly. Luno customers can earn interest of up to 7.6% when they open a Luno savings wallet. Since Africans are holding on to their crypto coins for longer, it makes sense to earn interest until they are ready to sell.”

Repeat buying

According to Ball, more than 1 in 10 active Luno customers have used the repeat buy function in the past three months, with Africans buying an average of $50 USD worth of cryptocurrency per month using this facility.

Repeat buy is an instruction to buy into the market at regular intervals and is a great way for customers to buy crypto without having to time the market. Without a repeat buy instruction, you need to keep a very close eye on movements in the market to ensure you buy when the price dips and sell when it rises.

 


Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Financial

MoneyMaster Enhances App, Rewards Users with Data and Airtime Bonuses

Published

on

Kindly share this post

MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank has introduced a refreshed mobile banking experience designed to make purchasing airtime and data more convenient and straightforward for customers.

As part of the rollout, customers will enjoy added value on their transactions. Airtime purchases on the Glo network come with a 100 percent bonus, while data purchases attract a 10 percent bonus, giving users amazing rewards on each purchase.

With this revamp, the app is now much easier to use, especially for airtime purchases. From selecting accounts to choosing amounts, the process is more seamless, with clearer options and fewer steps. Data plans are now neatly organized into categories such as daily, weekly, and monthly, making it easier for users to find what they need without endless scrolling.

Beyond the improved layout, customers now have more flexibility in how they recharge. Lower airtime denominations have been introduced, giving users the freedom to choose amounts that better suit their needs, while navigation has been adjusted to be quicker and more intuitive.

Speaking on the update, the bank’s Head of Business, Tajudeen Omokhide, explained that the goal is to make payments as simple and seamless as possible. According to him, customers expect speed, clarity, and affordability, and these improvements are part of the bank’s ongoing effort to meet those expectations. He also encouraged both existing and new users to get the latest version of the app.

These updates are a testament to MoneyMaster’s broader mission of developing practical, relevant products for everyday life. Promoted by Globacom and licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the bank offers mobile wallets, savings accounts, individual current accounts, and business banking services.

MoneyMaster continues to position itself as a flexible, customer-centric platform, enabling over 4,000 individual and business billers to manage payments, access financial services, and stay connected with ease.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Financial

CBN Directs IMTOs to Open Naira Settlement Accounts

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) operating in the country to open and maintain naira settlement accounts with authorised dealer banks, as part of efforts to tighten oversight of diaspora remittances and improve transparency in the foreign exchange market.

CBN Directs IMTOs to Open Naira Settlement Accounts

The directive was contained in a circular dated March 24, 2026, signed by Dr Musa Nakorji, director of the Trade and Exchange Department, and addressed to IMTOs, authorised dealer banks and the general public.

The circular was published on the apex bank’s website on Tuesday.

The CBN said the measure is aimed at “enhancing diaspora remittances, strengthening transparency, traceability, and effective monitoring of all transactions.”

It stated that “all IMTOs are hereby directed to open naira settlement accounts and ensure that all transactions are routed strictly through their designated settlement accounts, maintained with Authorised Dealer Banks in Nigeria.”

Under the new rule, all inflows, beneficiary payments and related settlements linked to international money transfers are to be processed solely through these accounts.

IMTOs may, however, operate multiple settlement accounts across different banks in line with their operational needs.

The circular also introduced tighter controls on how the accounts can be funded, stating that they “shall only be credited with remittance flows and proceeds of foreign exchange conversions by licensed IMTOs (or their agents)” within the Nigerian foreign exchange market.

Operators are required to clearly designate the accounts and submit the details to the CBN, with updates provided periodically where necessary.

To improve market operations, authorised dealer banks are permitted to process foreign currency transfers from IMTO settlement accounts to other banks and approved participants, including licensed Bureau De Change operators.

The apex bank further directed IMTOs to adopt market-reflective pricing by referencing the Bloomberg BMatch system. It said IMTOs “shall observe real-time market prices from the Bloomberg BMATCH and utilise this as guidance for pricing transactions with their customers and Authorised Dealers.”

According to the CBN, this approach is expected to “improve price discovery, reduce information asymmetry between IMTOs and banks, and encourage increased participation in the official FX market.”

The bank added that all operators must maintain proper transaction records for regulatory checks and comply fully with anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and counter-proliferation financing rules.

“This directive takes effect from May 1, 2026. Please note and ensure compliance,” the circular stated.

The move shows the CBN’s push to channel remittance inflows through formal banking channels, boost liquidity in the official foreign exchange market and strengthen regulatory oversight of cross-border transactions.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Financial

DLM Capital Group’s AAA-Rated Sovereign Bond-Backed Composite Notes (“SBCNS”) Strengthens Investor Confidence with Successful First Principal & Interest Payment

Published

on

L-r: Kasham Musa Iliya, Non - Executive Director, DLM Global Markets; Kari Tukur, Non - Executive Director, DLM Capital Group; Dr Sonnie Babatunde Ayere, Group Chief Executive Officer, DLM Capital Group; Olayimika Phillips, Non - Executive Director, DLM Capital Group, and Michael Orimobi, Non - Executive Director, DLM Capital Group at the signing ceremony to conclude the ₦9 billion series 1 SBCN issuance in July 2025 at DLM HQ, Lagos.
Kindly share this post

Foremost Development Investment Bank, DLM Capital Group has reinforced its position as a leader in innovative fixed income solutions with the successful payment of the first principal and interest (coupon) to investors under its Sovereign Bond-Backed Composite Notes (“SBCNs”) issuance.

This milestone, alongside the consistent delivery of quarterly performance reports, underscores the Group’s commitment to transparency, capital preservation, and investor confidence.

DLM SPV PLC’s 40.62% Hold-to-Maturity return ₦7.30 billion (Tranche A) and 19.07% ₦1.70 billion (Tranche B) Plain Vanilla Series 1 Notes, issued under its ₦30.00 billion Medium-Term Notes Programme and developed by Sonnie Babatunde Ayere, Group CEO of DLM Capital, was recently listed on the FMDQ Exchange with the Tranche A bond becoming the most valuable AAA-rated corporate bond on the market.

This represents a new class of structured debt instruments designed to meet both issuer funding needs and investor expectations. As a platform widely recognised for supporting innovative debt structures, FMDQ provides an enabling environment for instruments like DLM’s SBCNs to thrive.

At launch in July 2025, DLM SBCNs, which achieved a 9-notch upgrade from BBB- (GCR Sponsor ratings at issuance) without securitisation, entered the market with a healthy degree of skepticism, as is typical with pioneering financial instruments. However, after six months of post-issuance, DLM Funding SPV Plc has delivered on its promise by comfortably and successfully meeting its first principal and coupon obligations to its investors.

This performance milestone has significantly strengthened market confidence and validated the robustness of the structure. The notes are rated AAA by Global Credit Rating and AAA by DataPro Limited, reflecting their strong credit fundamentals and low-risk profile. Designed to prioritise capital preservation, liquidity, and above competitive market returns, the instrument stands out as one of the most compelling corporate fixed income offerings for institutional investors currently available in the market.

Investor response has been notably strong and institutional investors who are beginning to recognize the value of a well-structured de-risked, high-return and, high-quality fixed income investment backed by a credible issuer with a proven track record. The combination of timely coupon payments, high credit ratings, and ongoing transparency has positioned SBCNs as a preferred option for investors seeking stability and performance in today’s evolving financial landscape.

As investor interest continues to build towards Series 2, DLM SBCNs are not only demonstrating resilience but also setting a benchmark for innovation in Nigeria’s debt capital markets. In its role as a Development Investment Bank (“DIB”), DLM Capital Group remains committed to delivering structured solutions that align with investor needs whilst maintaining the highest standards of governance and execution.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending