Adedeji Owonibi advocates for Nigerian cryptocurrency regulation to fight monetary crimes and make sure the business’s safety and scalability, addressing the complexities of monitoring illicit transactions.
The decision for cryptocurrency regulation in Nigeria has intensified, highlighting the pressing want to deal with monetary crimes, notably cash laundering, inside the burgeoning digital foreign money area. Adedeji Owonibi, the co-founder of A&D Forensics, has been on the forefront of this advocacy, emphasizing the function of regulation in curbing these illicit actions. His insights make clear the complexities and challenges of cryptocurrency transactions, underscoring the crucial for presidency intervention by way of regulation.
Owonibi’s stance on the matter is evident; with out stringent regulation, the cryptocurrency sector in Nigeria stays a fertile floor for monetary malfeasance. He argues that the Nigerian authorities wants to ascertain complete legal guidelines governing cryptocurrency actions to discourage and mitigate the danger of cash laundering and different monetary crimes. This angle is especially related within the wake of the Central Financial institution of Nigeria (CBN) lifting its ban on crypto transactions, permitting banks to function accounts for Digital Asset Service Suppliers (VASPs)​​​​.
The significance of such regulation can’t be overstated, particularly contemplating Nigeria’s place as a big participant within the world cryptocurrency market. Regardless of earlier regulatory challenges, together with a ban by the CBN, cryptocurrency utilization in Nigeria has seen a outstanding surge. The nation ranks prominently in world crypto adoption indexes, pushed by elements akin to restricted entry to conventional banking companies, foreign money depreciation, and inflation​​. This uptick in crypto exercise, nevertheless, additionally raises the specter of elevated monetary crimes, making the decision for regulation all of the extra crucial.
Owonibi’s insights additionally spotlight the potential for regulatory frameworks to reinforce the safety and scalability of the crypto business. He factors out the developmental regulation crafted by The Nationwide Data Know-how Improvement Company (NITDA) as a big step towards creating a good setting for blockchain and crypto business progress. This transfer, in accordance with Owonibi, is what the CBN ought to have thought of again in 2021 as an alternative of severing ties between cryptocurrency alternate corporations and native banks​​.
Moreover, Owonibi delves into the intricacies of monitoring and investigating cryptocurrency fraud, revealing that whereas Over-The-Counter (OTC) transactions and crypto mixers pose challenges to regulation enforcement, developments in regulatory expertise and worldwide cooperation are enhancing the power to hint illicit actions. He emphasizes the evolving panorama of blockchain anonymity and the worldwide efforts to ascertain requirements for transaction traceability, underscoring the importance of regulatory measures in combating cryptocurrency scams​​.
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