Economy
Nigeria Records Highest Crypto Ownership, Use in 2022
By Adedapo Adesanya
A new research has revealed that Nigeria topped the countries with the highest rate of cryptocurrency use and ownership in 2022.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, clinched the top spot, with almost half the population having used or owned cryptocurrency.
The study, conducted by an online casino guide Trading Browser, analysed data on crypto ownership and usage. The ranking was done via the percentage of the population that reported that they used or owned cryptocurrency each year from 2019 to 2022.
Nigeria tops the list, with 45 per cent of the population using or owning cryptocurrency in 2022. The nation boasts over 90 million people using cryptocurrency – that’s almost 150 per cent higher than the population of the United Kingdom.
From 2019 to 2022, Nigeria saw a 17 per cent total increase in ownership and use from 28 per cent to 45 per cent, equating to over 34 million people adopting cryptocurrency over the three years.
Coming in second place is Thailand. The Southeast Asian country has a massive 44 per cent of its population reporting to using or owning cryptocurrency – equal to just over 30 million people.
Despite being dwarfed by some of the other contenders on the list, Thailand has the biggest uptake in ownership and usage, with a huge 21 per cent increase from 23 per cent to 44 per cent. That’s equal to 14.6 million people, just over one in five of the population of the country, which is the highest percentage of the top ten.
The number three spot belongs to Turkey. The transcontinental country has 40 per cent of its population owning and using cryptocurrency in 2022, equal to over 33 million people. The adoption of cryptocurrency has doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent amongst the population from 2019 to 2022 – over 16 million people. This increase from 2019 to 2022 places Turkey second in terms of cryptocurrency uptake.
The first South American country on the list, Argentina, comes in fourth with an ownership and usage rate of 35 per cent in 2022 – almost 16 million people. This may well change in the near future, though, with several draft laws aimed at institutionalising and regulating various aspects of digital assets and the virtual currency industry.
In fifth place comes the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is hot on the heels of Argentina, with 34 per cent of the population owning or using cryptocurrency in 2022 – just over one in three people of the almost 10 million population.
Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg that a key area the UAE is looking to expand into, is cryptocurrencies. So, this might well mean that the 34 per cent figure is set to increase over the coming years.
The remainder of the top ten features the Philippines in sixth place with 29 per cent (15 million) of its population using or owning cryptocurrency. Vietnam is in seventh place with 27 per cent of the population, equalling just over 26 million people using or owning cryptocurrency.
Surprisingly, in joint eighth place, the country with the highest population in the top ten, India, is matched with the country with the lowest population in the top ten, Singapore. Both nations have a rate of 25 per cent of the population owning or using cryptocurrency in 2022, over 341 million and almost 1.5 million, respectively.
In ninth place is Brazil. The second South American country of the top ten has the lowest rate of cryptocurrency ownership and use at only 24 per cent – just over 51 million of the population. Last place in the top ten is South Africa, with a usage and ownership ship of 23 per cent, working out to over 13 million people.
Surprisingly, the United States ranks 22nd on the list, with only 16 per cent of the population owning or using cryptocurrency. That’s equivalent to just over one in six people. The United Kingdom ranks even lower, coming in at 50th place with only 11 per cent of the country owning or using cryptocurrency – equal to just over 7 million people.
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for Trading Browser said, “The information presented in the data offers valuable perspectives on the industry’s current status, specifically emphasizing the increasing adoption of digital assets worldwide. It is positive to observe various countries making strides in terms of cryptocurrency regulation and infrastructure. It is hoped that this data will contribute to the further development and widespread acceptance of digital assets.”
The study was conducted by Trading Browser, a one-stop solution for cryptocurrency traders and investors. They have a dedicated team of experienced crypto professionals on hand to guide and help people through cryptocurrency trading. They also provide information on the market, best practices for trading, and useful tools and resources for making informed decisions.
By Dipo Olowookere
A cryptocurrency investor and owner of Polyfarm, Mr Bamu Gift Wandji, is currently cooling off in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was handed over to the anti-money laundering agency by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday, January 30, 2026, after his arrest on Monday, January 12, 2026.
A statement from the EFCC yesterday disclosed that the suspect was apprehended by the NSCDC in Gwagwalada, Abuja for running an investment scheme without the authorisation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is the apex capital market regulator in Nigeria.
It was claimed that Mr Wandji created a fraudulent crypto investment platform called Polyfarm, where he allegedly lured innocent Nigerians to invest in Polygon, a crypto token that attracts high returns.
Investigation further revealed that he also deceived the public that his project, Polyfarm, has its native token called “polyfarm coin” which he sold to the public.
In his bid to promote the scheme, the suspect posted about this on social media platforms, including WhatsApp, X (formally Twitter) and Telegram. He also conducted seminars in some major cities in Nigeria including Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja where he described the scheme as a life-changing programme.
Further investigation revealed that in October, 2025, subscribers who could not access their funds were informed by the suspect that the site was attacked by Lazarus group, a cyber attacking group linked to North Korea.
Further investigations showed that Polyfarm is not registered and not licensed with SEC to carry out crypto transactions in Nigeria. Also, no investment happened with subscribers’ funds and that the suspect used funds paid by subscribers to pay others in the name of profit.
Investigation also revealed that native coin, polyfarm coin was never listed on coin market cap and that the suspect sold worthless coins to the general public.
Contrary to the claim of the suspect that his platform was attacked, EFCC’s investigations revealed that the platform was never attacked or hacked by anyone and that the suspect withdrew investors’ funds and utilized the same for his personal gains.
The EFCC, in the statement, disclosed that Mr Wandji would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
By Dipo Olowookere
Profit-takers pounced on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Friday, weakening it by 0.09 per cent at the close of transactions.
Investors toned down on their hunger for Nigerian stocks during the last trading session of the week, with selling pressure mainly on the banking space, which shed 0.78 per cent.
The bourse crumbled despite the other sectors closing green, with the consumer goods up by 0.10 per cent, and the energy index up by 0.02 per cent, while the industrial index closed flat.
Livestock Feeds depreciated by 10.00 per cent to sell for N6.30, Learn Africa declined by 10.00 per cent to N8.10, Living Trust Mortgage Bank also slipped by 10.00 per cent to N4.05, Deap Capital gave up 9.97 per cent to trade at N9.39, and Industrial and Medical Gases lost 9.61 per cent to finish at N31.50.
On the flip side, Zichis appreciated by 9.97 per cent to N4.19, Abbey Mortgage Bank gained 9.94 per cent to quote at N9.40, RT Briscoe jumped by 9.93 per cent to N7.86, Haldane McCall grew by 9.90 per cent to N4.33, and Omatek increased by 9.87 per cent to N3.00.
Business Post reports that the market breadth index was positive despite the poor outcome, recording 33 price gainers and 31 price losers, representing strong investor sentiment.
The All-Share Index was down by 156.91 points during the session to 165,370.40 points from the 165,527.31 points achieved a day earlier, and the market capitalisation depleted by N184 billion to N106.153 trillion from N105.969 trillion.
Trading data showed that 687.4 million equities valued at N15.0 billion exchanged hands in 41,553 deals yesterday compared with the 691.4 million equities worth N15.4 billion traded in 38,665 deals on Thursday, implying a jump in the number of deals by 7.47 per cent, and a slip in the trading volume and value by 2.60 per cent, respectively.
The busiest stock on Friday was Veritas Kapital with 80.5 million units worth N197.0 million, Secure Electronic Technology transacted 79.3 million units valued at N87.5 million, Deap capital transacted 33.3 million units for N340.5 million, Access Holdings sold 31.0 million units valued at N703.0 million, and Zenith Bank exchanged 30.6 million units worth N2.2 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange appreciated by 0.20 per cent on Friday, January 30, supported by the gains achieved by two securities on the platform.
During the session, Okitipupa Plc went up by N15.70 to finish at N234.60 per share versus the previous day’s N218.90 per share and Paintcomm Investment Plc expanded by 5 Kobo to close at N11.05 per unit compared with the previous day’s N11.00 per unit.
It was observed that yesterday, there were three price losers led by Geo-Fluids Plc, which dropped 60 Kobo to sell at N5.75 per share versus N6.35 per share, Afriland Properties Plc declined by 35 Kobo to close at N13.65 per unit compared with Thursday’s closing price of N14.00 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc depreciated by 3 Kobo to 66 Kobo per share from 69 Kobo per share.
At the close of business, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) rose by 7.34 points to 3,630.11 points from 3,622.77 points and the market capitalisation grew by N4.39 billion to N2.171 trillion from N2.167 trillion.
A total of 287,618 units of securities exchanged hands on Friday compared with the previous day’s 1.9 million units of securities, indicating a decline in the volume of trades by 85.6 per cent.
The value of transactions, according to data, was down by 77.2 per cent to N3.1 million from N13.4 million, but the number of deals increased by 31.3 per cent to 21 deals from 16 deals.
Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc remained the most traded stock by value (year-to-date) with 15.4 million units exchanged for N623.0 million, followed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 1.6 million units traded for N108.5 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 9.1 million units valued at N61.1 million.
CSCS Plc also ended the session as the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 15.4 million units sold for N623.0 million, followed by Mass Telecom Innovation Plc with 10.1 million units worth N4.1 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 9.1 million units valued at N61.1 million.
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