Key Takeaways
- • South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT launched a state-funded blockchain cluster in Busan, with KRW 7.82 billion (about USD 5.9 million) set aside and a 1:1 matching ratio from the Busan Metropolitan Government.
- • Dubai's Land Department, with Ctrl Alt and Ripple, launched Phase Two of its real estate tokenisation project in February 2026, enabling controlled secondary-market trading of tokenised properties on the XRP Ledger.
- • Hong Kong's Cyberport Blockchain & Digital Asset Pilot Subsidy Scheme, launched June 2025, funds up to HK$500,000 (about USD 64,000) per pilot, covering up to 80% of project costs.
- • The DRC's AXIS programme, led by the DRC Social Fund with Phoenix Capital, introduced the Sovereign Gold Reserve Token (SGRT), described as overcollateralized at a 4:1 ratio of gold reserves.
- • The article is an opinion piece by Nicky Okoye of Global Investment Advisory Community (GIAC) urging African sub-national authorities, including Nigeria, to adopt digital asset hub strategies.
Summary
An opinion column by Nicky Okoye, founder of the Global Investment Advisory Community (GIAC), published by THISDAYLIVE, surveys sub-national digital asset initiatives across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa and argues that municipal governments in Nigeria and Africa should build comparable hubs.
In Asia, South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT launched a blockchain cluster project in Busan in mid-2026, aimed at converging port logistics, tourism, and healthcare with blockchain. The government allocated about KRW 7.82 billion (approximately USD 5.9 million), matched 1:1 by the Busan Metropolitan Government. In Malaysia, Selangor state, through its state-owned digital corporation Sidec, launched the Token-X accelerator in 2026 for digital asset and Web3 startups, focusing on tokenisation of property, infrastructure, commodities, and carbon credits. In Vietnam, the People's Committee of Da Nang signed an MoU with Tether (USDT) in November 2025 to support digital infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and sandboxes, with a target of 35–40% of GRDP from the digital economy by 2030. Hong Kong's Cyberport launched its subsidy scheme in June 2025, which covers up to 80% of eligible pilot project costs, with priority areas including RWA tokenisation and stablecoins; Cyberport reports hosting over 280 blockchain companies.
In Dubai, the Dubai Land Department, with Ctrl Alt and Ripple, launched Phase Two of a real estate tokenisation project in February 2026. The pilot tokenised 10 properties worth over $5 million and generated approximately 7.8 million tokens eligible for resale on the XRP Ledger. Ctrl Alt, a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider and the first firm to receive an Issuer licence from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), reports having tokenised more than $850 million in assets across real estate, private credit, funds, and commodities.
In Africa, the DRC launched the AXIS sovereign tokenisation programme, led by the DRC Social Fund with Phoenix Capital, to tokenise community resources beginning with artisanal gold. The Sovereign Gold Reserve Token (SGRT) is classified as work in progress under IFRS/IAS. The article describes the DRC as accounting for 60% of Sub-Saharan Africa's $30 billion annual gold smuggling losses. Ukraine's territorial communities are also exploring RWA tokenisation for post-war reconstruction financing, though the article describes this at the level of academic and policy research rather than implemented projects.
Okoye proposes six pillars for an African digital asset hub: regulatory clarity (citing Nigeria's ISA-2025), public-private partnerships, alignment with existing economic strengths, direct financial support, talent development, and a flagship project. He states that GIAC is seeking partnerships in Africa with announcements expected in 2027 and names a flagship RWA-T project billed for May 2027. These forward-looking claims are the author's own and have not been independently verified.
In Asia, South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT launched a blockchain cluster project in Busan in mid-2026, aimed at converging port logistics, tourism, and healthcare with blockchain. The government allocated about KRW 7.82 billion (approximately USD 5.9 million), matched 1:1 by the Busan Metropolitan Government. In Malaysia, Selangor state, through its state-owned digital corporation Sidec, launched the Token-X accelerator in 2026 for digital asset and Web3 startups, focusing on tokenisation of property, infrastructure, commodities, and carbon credits. In Vietnam, the People's Committee of Da Nang signed an MoU with Tether (USDT) in November 2025 to support digital infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and sandboxes, with a target of 35–40% of GRDP from the digital economy by 2030. Hong Kong's Cyberport launched its subsidy scheme in June 2025, which covers up to 80% of eligible pilot project costs, with priority areas including RWA tokenisation and stablecoins; Cyberport reports hosting over 280 blockchain companies.
In Dubai, the Dubai Land Department, with Ctrl Alt and Ripple, launched Phase Two of a real estate tokenisation project in February 2026. The pilot tokenised 10 properties worth over $5 million and generated approximately 7.8 million tokens eligible for resale on the XRP Ledger. Ctrl Alt, a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider and the first firm to receive an Issuer licence from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), reports having tokenised more than $850 million in assets across real estate, private credit, funds, and commodities.
In Africa, the DRC launched the AXIS sovereign tokenisation programme, led by the DRC Social Fund with Phoenix Capital, to tokenise community resources beginning with artisanal gold. The Sovereign Gold Reserve Token (SGRT) is classified as work in progress under IFRS/IAS. The article describes the DRC as accounting for 60% of Sub-Saharan Africa's $30 billion annual gold smuggling losses. Ukraine's territorial communities are also exploring RWA tokenisation for post-war reconstruction financing, though the article describes this at the level of academic and policy research rather than implemented projects.
Okoye proposes six pillars for an African digital asset hub: regulatory clarity (citing Nigeria's ISA-2025), public-private partnerships, alignment with existing economic strengths, direct financial support, talent development, and a flagship project. He states that GIAC is seeking partnerships in Africa with announcements expected in 2027 and names a flagship RWA-T project billed for May 2027. These forward-looking claims are the author's own and have not been independently verified.
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