Nigeria settled the question at the level of statute. The Investments and Securities Act 2025, gazetted on 2 May 2025, writes “virtual and digital assets” into the definition of securities, and it gives the Securities and Exchange Commission the job of registering and regulating virtual and digital asset exchanges, virtual asset service providers and digital asset operators. So holding and trading crypto is lawful, and the earlier posture — in which the Central Bank told banks not to service crypto businesses — has been replaced by a framework in which the activity is regulated.
A perpetual on HBAR tracks price and does not confer ownership of the underlying — the same contract mechanics apply in every jurisdiction; what differs by country is legal status and funding rails.
7 venues open Hedera perps to traders in Nigeria.
ApeX
Aster
gTrade
Helix
Hyperliquid
LighterFour steps from sign-up to an open position.
Capital Gains Tax applies at a flat rate of 10% on all gains from cryptocurrency disposals for individuals.
Trading Hedera from Nigeria: legal.
Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria (SEC) covers virtual and digital assets and their operators; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) covers bank accounts held by virtual asset service providers.
Capital Gains Tax applies at a flat rate of 10% on all gains from cryptocurrency disposals for individuals.
Virtual asset service providers in Nigeria must obtain an SEC licence to operate in digital currency and meet criteria before they can access banking services.