Kenya reduces the paid-in capital requirement for stablecoin issuers by 40% to 2.32 million USD

The Kenyan National Treasury has reduced the minimum paid-up capital requirement for stablecoin issuers by 40%, to approximately $2.32 million, down from nearly $3.9 million in the draft rules from March last year.

Under the new regulations, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) will oversee stablecoin issuers and other virtual asset service providers, and may require local platforms to cease offering offshore-issued tokens. The framework requires at least 30% of customer funds to be held in independent trust accounts at Kenyan commercial banks, with the remaining funds invested in qualified local assets. The fiat-backed stablecoin reserves must be consistent with the anchor currency.

Issuers are required to maintain either $463,300 in liquid capital or 100% of their liquid liabilities, whichever is higher, and hold qualified reserve assets on a 1:1 basis. Issuers must also conduct quarterly stress tests, submit monthly reserve and transaction reports, and ensure that customers can redeem tokens at face value within two business days.