President of the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN), Mela Claude Ake, has said that Nigeria’s fintech fortunes in 2026 will depend mainly on regulatory certainty and the rapid adoption of stablecoins.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP, Ake said, though, that the sector’s explosive growth in 2025 was born of necessity: inflationary pressures, forex scarcity, and policy shifts forced Nigerians to embrace blockchain-powered finance.
He, however, stated that the 2025 success will position the industry for a defining year ahead.
But, he warned that lingering uncertainty around government policy could slow the momentum in 2026.
“The renewed engagement between banks and crypto firms restored a measure of user trust and investor confidence, but it remains somewhat cautious for now because of the concern that the Nigerian state has no problem with sudden policy somersaults,” he said.
While Nigeria’s fintech sector exited 2025 on a resilient footing, retaining its status as Africa’s largest digital finance market despite FX instability, rising inflation and a cautious regulatory climate that continues to shape innovation into the new year.
According to Ake, blockchain-powered payments, renewed bank–fintech partnerships and the growing use of stablecoins have shifted digital assets from speculative instruments to practical financial tools for households, SMEs and exporters navigating capital controls and limited access to foreign exchange.
While noting that identity management and lending, though promising, are still developing. He identified payments as the most significant commercial driver entering 2026. “Payments transitioned from a retail-only crypto activity into a foundational layer for the national financial infrastructure,” he said.
The SIBAN’s president, in his projection of trends for 2026, said stablecoins would entirely disrupt remittances. “They are fast, usually available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you don’t have a monetary policy restricting your access. It’s a cross-border payment fantasy,” he stated.
He urged the government to prioritise faster licensing, lower taxes and careful handling of NIN/TIN integration. “If this integration is seamless, it provides the trust infrastructure global investors need. If it is clunky or used primarily for surveillance, it will stifle innovation and drive blockchain activities underground,” Ake warned.
Also speaking, chief executive officer of FlashChange, Bidemi Oke, said the fintech narrative heading into 2026 has moved firmly from hype to real-world utility.
According to him, the return of banks to crypto partnerships is a turning point that will shape investors’ confidence in 2026
“Nigeria’s crypto growth in 2025 was driven solely by utility. Crypto became a practical financial tool — hedging against inflation, enabling faster cross-border payments and unlocking global trade beyond traditional banking limits,” he said.
Oke described the return of banks to crypto partnerships as a turning point that will shape investor confidence in 2026. “It reduced friction across the system, improved how investors viewed the market and gave everyday users greater confidence. As trust improved, transaction volumes naturally followed,” he stated.
Meanwhile, he suggests that stablecoins will reshape remittances in the year ahead, powering rather than replacing existing rails. He warned of risks such as regulatory uncertainty, custody failures and over-reliance on offshore issuers.
Hence, for Nigeria to emerge as Africa’s blockchain hub in 2026, he said, “A clear, unified digital asset framework. Predictable regulation would shift Nigeria from a high-adoption market to a true hub for crypto innovation and execution.”