Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering tighter limits on how much retail investors can put into digital assets, with a proposed N10 million ceiling on total investments within a 12-month period. Under the new proposal, individual investors would also be restricted to a maximum of N1 million in digital asset offerings from a single issuer.
The proposed limits are contained in the SEC’s draft rules on Digital and Virtual Assets Operations, Custody and Markets, published on August 20, 2026. The framework is aimed at strengthening oversight of Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital asset market while giving investors greater protection against potential losses, fraud and poorly regulated operators.
If approved, the rules would cover a broad range of digital asset activities, including issuance, tokenisation, trading, custody, transfers and settlements, as well as investment and advisory services. The SEC said the proposed framework would apply not only to operators in Nigeria but also to service providers dealing with Nigerian residents and entities targeting Nigerian investors through digital platforms.
The proposed limits mark a significant increase from the SEC’s earlier framework, which capped retail investment at N200,000 per issuer and N2 million across all digital asset offerings within 12 months. The latest proposal therefore represents a fivefold increase in both limits, signalling the regulator’s attempt to allow greater participation while maintaining safeguards for everyday investors.
The SEC’s latest move comes as it expands regulation of virtual asset service providers and warns Nigerians to be cautious about unregistered investment platforms. The commission has invited stakeholders and members of the public to submit their views on the proposed rules to its Rules Committee within two weeks. For investors, the development could reshape how much they can put into digital assets while offering another layer of protection in an increasingly active market.
source: The guardian
