BCEAO surveys UEMOA fintechs on cryptocurrency, its first move on crypto

At the end of February 2026 the BCEAO circulated a questionnaire to fintech operators across the eight-state UEMOA zone on possible uses of cryptocurrencies in the regional financial system, reported by Jeune Afrique on 9 March. It is the central bank's first known crypto survey after years of restrictive silence, and because BCEAO rules apply simultaneously in all eight member states, whatever framework eventually follows will be regional by construction. The questionnaire itself has not been published; this entry is based on the Jeune Afrique reporting (in French).