Akuna Wallet, a financial platform co-founded through a partnership between the Akuna Group, founded by Sir Idris Elba, and the Stellar Development Foundation, has officially entered the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) Virtual Assets Regulatory Sandbox.
Akuna is among the first entities admitted to the sandbox following the passage of Ghana’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025.
Supervised testing began in February 2026 with a broader public rollout is planned for later this year, pending BoG approval.
The wallet uses the Stellar network to enable creators to receive global payments, hold digital value, and convert to local currency seamlessly.
Why it matters
African creators currently pay a “participation tax” just to access their own money. Cross-border payments to Sub-Saharan Africa cost an average of 8.8%—nearly triple the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%.
- For a creator earning $1,000, that’s a $90 loss in fees alone.
- With Africa’s creator economy projected to hit $18 billion by 2030, these inefficiencies represent a multi-billion dollar barrier to wealth creation.
What they’re saying
“Across Africa there are millions of creators… doing incredible work but the financial systems supporting them haven’t always kept pace,” said Sir Idris Elba, co-founder of Akuna Wallet.
“Moments like this represent real progress toward building a financial system that works for the next generation.”
The bottom line: By moving inside the regulatory tent, Akuna aims to prove that blockchain isn’t just a workaround for “gray market” finance, but a legitimate tool for national economic infrastructure.
Go deeper: “You can’t build trusted financial infrastructure outside of regulatory frameworks,” says co-founder Denelle Dixon. “Working within the Bank of Ghana’s sandbox is exactly how we intend to do this: transparently, collaboratively, and with accountability.“
