Bitcoin Revolution: Kenya’s Crypto Laws Face Urgent Overhaul as BTC ATMs Invade Shopping Malls

Nairobi's shopping centers just got a financial upgrade—Bitcoin ATMs are rolling out nationwide, forcing regulators to scramble.

Digital Gold Rush Hits East Africa

Kenya's financial landscape transforms overnight as shiny new Bitcoin machines pop up in major retail hubs. The sudden infrastructure expansion caught lawmakers completely off guard.

Parliament Panics Over Crypto Control

Legislators now race against time to rewrite the nation's digital asset regulations. Current frameworks—designed for traditional banking—prove utterly inadequate for handling decentralized finance's rapid expansion.

Mainstream Adoption Accelerates

Local merchants report surging interest from both tech-savvy youth and curious small business owners. The machines process transactions in minutes while traditional banks take days—because apparently moving money faster requires revolutionary technology that's only been around since 2009.

Regulatory Wake-Up Call

Central bank officials convene emergency sessions while crypto enthusiasts celebrate another victory for financial sovereignty. Kenya's financial future just got decentralized—whether regulators like it or not.

New ATMs Hit Mainstream Retail Spaces

Reports say that “Bankless Bitcoin” kiosks have been installed in major shopping centers, including Two Rivers Mall, among other places in Westlands, for cash-to-crypto services. These machines allow users to buy and sell Bitcoin directly, placing the machines side-by-side with traditional banking ATMs. Jarring Timing: Implementation of Kenya’s ‘Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2025’.

Regulatory Warning: No Licenses Granted Yet

Yet despite the growing visibility of crypto infrastructure, Kenyan regulators have issued a stern warning. To date, no VASP has been licensed under the new law.

In a joint notice, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) clarified that the necessary licensing regulations are still being developed by the National Treasury, adding that operation without a license remains illegal.

Public Notice on the VIRTUAL Assets Service Providers Act 2025 pic.twitter.com/suDoXIVWhN

Crypto’s Dual Face: Informal & Formal Worlds Collide

The ATM rollout underlines an increasing tension between Kenya’s growing, informal crypto economy and its new, regulated future.

Around neighborhoods like Kibera, bitcoin (BTC) has long been used informally. Examples include a local fintech firm named Afribit Africa, which paid community workers in BTC. It allowed savings and value storage outside formal banking.

For many residents, BTC represents financial inclusion and freedom, most especially in a place where formal banking access can be limited.