Kenya Seeks Blockchain Tool to Monitor Crypto Transactions

The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) in Kenya is seeking to purchase a blockchain surveillance system to track and monitor cryptocurrency transactions in the country. The platform would help identify high-risk wallets, large transfers, coin mixers, darknet-linked addresses, and sanctioned entities.

The CMA wants to generate automated alerts for suspicious activity and enforce compliance with existing regulations. The system would also map relationships between wallets, reconstruct transaction timelines, and trace funds across chains.

This move comes as Kenya implements its new Virtual Assets Service Providers Act, which gives the country its first comprehensive crypto framework. The law splits oversight between the Central Bank of Kenya and the CMA, part of a broader push to align with anti-money-laundering standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.

The CMA is looking for an advanced blockchain analytics platform that can track Bitcoin, Ethereum, and at least 20 other blockchains in real time and retrospectively. The system would also help identify exchanges most used by Kenyans and detect unlicensed offshore platforms serving the local market.