The National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) issued a strong public warning on April 5, 2026, against cryptocurrency transactions involving the Rwandan Franc (RWF), directly responding to Bybit's recent launch of RWF support on its peer-to-peer trading platform. The central bank explicitly stated that crypto assets are not authorized for payments, conversion involving the RWF, or P2P trading under current regulatory frameworks.
The NBR reminded the public that the Rwandan Franc is the country's sole legal tender and urged residents to avoid crypto transactions citing "serious financial risks and no recourse in case of loss." The warning came swiftly after Bybit's April 4 announcement that users could buy and sell digital assets using RWF on its P2P marketplace.
Financial institutions licensed by the central bank are barred from facilitating conversions between RWF and crypto assets. Despite the regulatory pushback, Bybit has continued its global expansion strategy and had not issued an official response to the NBR's warning as of the report.
