Methodology and Framework
Version 1.0 | July 2026
Sheria means law in Swahili.
The Sheria Index is a companion research project to the Africa Financial Tyranny Index (AFTI), maintained by HakiFedha as part of its commitment to producing open, freely available research that helps civil society actors across Africa understand and navigate the financial and legal environments in which they operate.
📌 Project Status: Beta / Work in Progress
The Sheria Index is actively expanding. The initial data repository is undergoing continuous verification as regulatory landscapes shift across the continent. We are systematically updating country entries, and community contributions or verified regional corrections are highly encouraged.
The latest dataset is available as:
The Sheria Index tracks the regulatory status of Bitcoin and digital assets across Africa.
It is designed to answer a question that existing regulatory trackers do not:
What does the regulatory landscape mean specifically for civil society actors?
This includes:
- NGOs
- journalists & researchers
- activists
- human rights defenders
- whistleblowers
- community organisers & organisations
- independent media
Most existing crypto regulatory analysis is produced for exchanges, institutional investors, or legal compliance teams.
The Sheria Index is produced for people for whom Bitcoin is not primarily a financial opportunity, but a tool of financial sovereignty, operational continuity, and resistance to censorship.
The Sheria Index follows five core research principles:
Each country assessment is based on verifiable sources, including legislation, regulatory instruments, official government statements, international assessments, and credible research.
Regulatory environments differ significantly across African countries. Each entry is independently assessed based on the country's own laws, institutions, enforcement practices, and civil society context.
The methodology, data fields, classification framework, and sources are publicly available so that researchers and communities can review, verify, and contribute improvements.
The Sheria Index distinguishes between what laws formally state, how regulators interpret those laws, and how enforcement occurs in practice.
Digital asset regulation is evolving rapidly. Country entries are reviewed periodically, with updates recorded through the last_updated field and formal version releases when significant changes occur.
African regulatory frameworks generally govern digital assets broadly, using terms such as:
- virtual assets
- crypto assets
- digital currencies
Bitcoin is rarely singled out in legislation as its own legal category.
The Sheria Index documents the regulatory landscape as governments have defined and legislated it while analysing the implications specifically through a Bitcoin lens, consistent with HakiFedha's mission and scope.
We maintain that Bitcoin is fundamentally different from the broader digital asset category because it possesses unique properties including:
- decentralisation
- fixed supply
- censorship resistance
- absence of an issuing authority
Where regulations apply broadly to digital assets, we assess their practical implications for Bitcoin use, including:
- self-custody
- peer-to-peer acquisition
- cross-border transfers
The Sheria Index covers:
- legal status of Bitcoin and digital assets
- regulatory classification
- responsible regulatory authorities
- VASP licensing requirements
- KYC and AML obligations
- tax treatment
- legal status of self-custody
- legal status of peer-to-peer trading
- civil society risk assessment
- practical implications for civil society
- key legislation
- enforcement notes
- supporting sources
The index does not provide:
- investment advice
- exchange-specific compliance guidance
- institutional legal advice except where directly relevant to civil society use
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Low | No formal restrictions on Bitcoin use. No documented pattern of financial repression. P2P acquisition available without significant surveillance risk. |
| Low-Medium | Regulatory framework developing but no material restrictions. Some surveillance risk through conventional banking channels. Monitor developments. |
| Medium | Regulatory obligations reduce anonymity for exchange-based acquisition. Some documented financial pressure on civil society. P2P acquisition recommended. |
| Medium-High | Tightening regulation combined with documented financial repression. Operational security strongly recommended. Self-custody essential. |
| High | Active documented financial repression. Regulation creates significant surveillance obligations or is selectively enforced. Bitcoin self-custody and P2P are critical tools. |
| Critical | Extreme financial repression documented at scale. State financial surveillance targets civil society. Bitcoin self-custody becomes a survival tool and conventional financial channels should be treated as compromised. |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| country | Country name |
| region | African sub-region |
| legal_status | Overall legal status of Bitcoin and digital assets |
| regulatory_classification | Government classification |
| vasp_licensing | Licensing requirements |
| kyc_aml_required | Whether KYC/AML obligations apply |
| tax_treatment | Tax treatment |
| self_custody_status | Legal status of self-custody |
| p2p_status | Legal status of peer-to-peer trading |
| civil_society_risk_level | Risk classification |
| civil_society_notes | Plain-language assessment |
| key_legislation | Primary legal instruments |
| enforcement_notes | Known enforcement patterns |
| last_updated | Date of latest review |
| sources | Supporting sources |
Every country entry requires at least one credible primary or secondary source.
Accepted sources include:
- National legislation
- Regulatory instruments
- Central bank statements
- Financial regulatory authorities
- FATF mutual evaluations
- FATF grey-list announcements
- Peer-reviewed academic publications
- Reports from credible international organisations
- Credible legal journalism
- Credible financial journalism
The following are not accepted as primary evidence:
- unverified social media posts
- exchange promotional material
- anonymous blogs
- sources that cannot be independently verified
Many African countries have no comprehensive digital asset legislation.
Rather than assuming Bitcoin is either legal or prohibited, the Sheria Index records the absence of a legal framework as a finding in itself.
We distinguish between:
| Classification | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Explicit prohibition | Law specifically prohibits Bitcoin or digital assets |
| Implicit prohibition | No explicit ban, but regulatory guidance treats crypto as outside permitted financial activities |
| Legal grey zone | No formal framework and inconsistent enforcement |
| Partial recognition | Certain activities (such as taxation) recognised without comprehensive regulation |
| Legal, regulated | Comprehensive legal framework exists |
Where law and enforcement differ significantly, the Sheria Index documents both.
The Sheria Index is updated on a rolling basis as regulatory developments occur.
Each country entry includes a last_updated field.
A formal version release is published whenever five or more country entries have been materially revised.
The Sheria Index is intended for research and educational purposes.
It is not legal advice.
African regulatory environments evolve rapidly, and some jurisdictions have limited publicly available documentation.
Users should verify the current legal position before relying on this index for operational decisions and seek qualified legal advice where appropriate.
The Sheria Index is part of HakiFedha's broader open research ecosystem focused on Bitcoin, financial freedom, privacy, and civil society resilience.
Related resources:
-
Africa Financial Tyranny Index (AFTI)
Documents verified incidents of financial repression affecting civil society actors across Africa: https://github.com/HakiFedha/africa-financial-tyranny-index -
Africa Bitcoin Remittance and Off-Ramp Directory
A practical directory documenting Bitcoin access, remittance, and off-ramp options across African countries: https://github.com/HakiFedha/africa-bitcoin-local-currency-offramp-directory
The Sheria Index is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Contributions, corrections, and verified updates are welcome.
Visit: https://hakifedha.org
or open an issue or pull request on this repository.
The mapping data and documentation are available under the terms of the central HakiFedha LICENSE.