DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 – The Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority (NIFC) has reinforced Kenya’s emergence as a leading African hub for financial services, digital innovation, green finance, and regulated virtual assets during high-level engagements at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
At a private leadership breakfast hosted by SCC Fund SP, ChainBLX SPC, and Digital.Davos, global investors and technology leaders discussed the deployment of compliant blockchain infrastructure, institutional-grade digital platforms, and scalable innovation aligned with global regulatory standards.
The discussions saw ChainBLX SPC and SCC Fund SP confirm plans to establish operations in Kenya, supported by NIFC, marking a significant milestone in the country’s investment agenda.
Speaking in Davos, NIFC CEO Daniel Mainda said: “Kenya has made a deliberate shift from momentum to architecture. Through the Nairobi International Financial Centre, we are building markets — not experiments — anchored in regulatory clarity, strong institutions, and real economic outcomes. Nairobi is positioning itself as Africa’s trusted platform for capital, innovation, and regulated digital assets, offering active facilitation, sandbox support, and targeted incentives for regional headquarters, holding companies, venture capital and private equity funds, and high-growth startups. We will compete on regulatory quality, not regulatory arbitrage — and we are open for serious business.”
The engagements also highlighted Kenya’s progress in establishing a regulatory framework for digital and virtual asset service providers under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, positioning Nairobi as a competitive base for international firms targeting African markets.
Karl Seelig, Founder of ChainBLX SPC, welcomed the collaboration, noting Kenya’s blend of regulatory certainty and innovation ecosystem. SCC Fund SP CEO Dr Yutaka Niihara said the discussions in Davos reflect growing confidence in Nairobi as a regional platform.
In parallel, NIFC underscored Kenya’s advancing national capital platforms, including the National Infrastructure Fund and sovereign investment frameworks, aimed at mobilizing long-term private capital and strengthening project delivery.
NIFC reaffirmed that Nairobi is open to international firms across financial services, fintech, digital assets, carbon markets, and green finance, offering regulatory clarity, deep talent, and strategic access to African markets.
