Nigeria’s New Tax Regime: What You Need to Know (Finance Act 2025)
At Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment LTD., we are committed to keeping our clients informed about the latest regulatory changes affecting businesses and individuals in Nigeria.
The Finance Act 2025 represents one of the most significant tax reforms in Nigeria in recent years. Signed into law to simplify the tax system, reduce multiple taxation, and improve ease of doing business, the Act introduces several key changes:
Major Highlights:
Company Income Tax (CIT) reduced to 25% for large companies (from 30%).
Tertiary Education Tax significantly reduced from 2% to 0.5%.
- Strengthened rules against multiple taxation across federal, state, and local governments.
- Expanded scope of Value Added Tax (VAT) on digital services and luxury goods.
- Higher exemption thresholds for Capital Gains Tax and Personal Income Tax.
- Mandatory digital compliance through the new Rev360 platform.
New Tax Portal – Rev360
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has launched Rev360 (www.rev360.gov.ng), a unified digital platform for all federal tax filings and payments. This new system makes tax compliance easier, faster, and more transparent.
Our Advisory
These reforms present both opportunities and compliance requirements for businesses. Early adaptation will help you avoid penalties and optimize your tax position.
Institutional Crypto: Wall Street Is No Longer Watching from the Sidelines
How Banks, Asset Managers and Market Infrastructure Firms Are Moving Digital Assets into Mainstream Finance
By Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
🌐 www.akinyeleoluwale.finance
Executive Summary
Institutional crypto adoption has entered a new phase.
The story is no longer limited to banks experimenting with Bitcoin or asset managers launching exchange-traded funds. Major financial institutions are now investing in crypto companies, building tokenized securities infrastructure, expanding digital custody, exploring stablecoins and integrating blockchain into traditional market systems.
Recent developments include Citadel Securities investing $400 million in Crypto.com, a major DTCC tokenization trial involving firms such as BlackRock, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, and Circle receiving approval to establish a federally regulated national trust bank.
Together, these developments suggest that digital assets are evolving from a speculative market into a permanent layer of global financial infrastructure. (Reuters)
However, institutional adoption does not eliminate risk. Crypto prices remain volatile, regulation continues to evolve, and some institutional capital has recently rotated away from digital assets. The opportunity is real—but so are the challenges.
What Is Institutional Crypto?
Institutional crypto refers to the participation of professional financial organisations in the digital asset economy.
These institutions include:
Their involvement can take several forms, including direct cryptocurrency investment, crypto ETFs, regulated custody, stablecoin issuance, tokenized securities, blockchain settlement and investments in digital asset companies.
The defining difference between retail and institutional participation is scale.
Retail investors may purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum through an exchange. Institutions require regulated custody, deep liquidity, detailed reporting, risk controls, legal certainty and infrastructure capable of processing large transactions safely.
Citadel Securities Invests $400 Million in Crypto.com
One of the strongest recent signals of institutional confidence came from Citadel Securities, one of the world’s largest market-making firms.
Citadel Securities invested $400 million in Crypto.com, valuing the digital asset platform at approximately $20 billion. The transaction represents Crypto.com’s first institutional fundraising round. (Reuters)
The investment is important for two reasons.
First, Citadel Securities is part of the traditional financial establishment. Its participation signals that major market infrastructure firms increasingly view crypto as a serious long-term business opportunity.
Second, the funding is expected to support Crypto.com’s expansion into areas such as:
This is not simply a bet on cryptocurrency prices.
It is a strategic investment in the infrastructure that could connect conventional finance with blockchain-based markets.
Wall Street Moves Toward Tokenized Securities
Institutional crypto is increasingly becoming an asset-tokenization story.
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC, is working with nearly 40 financial and technology firms on a blockchain-based trial involving tokenized stocks and US Treasurys.
Participants reportedly include:
The trial is designed to represent traditional financial assets as blockchain-based tokens while preserving their legal rights, including ownership, dividends and voting privileges. (The Wall Street Journal)
This development matters because DTCC is one of the most important components of global financial-market infrastructure. It provides clearing, settlement and asset-servicing functions for enormous volumes of traditional securities.
When an institution of this scale tests blockchain technology, the conversation shifts from experimentation to potential systemic integration.
What Is Tokenization?
Tokenization involves representing ownership rights in an asset through a digital token recorded on a blockchain or distributed ledger.
The underlying asset may be:
Tokenization may allow financial assets to be transferred and settled more efficiently.
Potential benefits include:
Faster Settlement
Traditional securities transactions can require multiple intermediaries and settlement periods. Blockchain-based systems may reduce the time between trade execution and final settlement.
Fractional Ownership
Expensive assets may be divided into smaller digital units, potentially widening investor access.
Greater Transparency
Blockchain records can provide clearer ownership and transaction histories.
Programmability
Tokenized assets can interact with smart contracts, enabling automated payments, compliance checks and corporate actions.
Extended Market Access
Certain tokenized markets may eventually operate beyond traditional exchange hours.
These benefits explain why many institutions consider tokenization more strategically important than short-term cryptocurrency trading.
Circle Moves Closer to Traditional Banking
Stablecoin issuer Circle has received approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish Circle National Trust, a federally regulated national trust bank.
The institution is expected to support the reserve and custody infrastructure behind Circle’s USDC stablecoin and may eventually provide digital asset custody services to selected institutional clients. (The Wall Street Journal)
This is another example of crypto companies moving toward regulated banking structures.
It also demonstrates that institutional adoption is happening in both directions:
Traditional financial institutions are moving into crypto, while digital asset companies are becoming more integrated with conventional finance.
Stablecoins Are Becoming Institutional Payment Infrastructure
Stablecoins are digital tokens designed to maintain a stable value relative to a reference asset, typically a national currency such as the US dollar or euro.
Institutions are exploring stablecoins for:
A European stablecoin initiative reportedly expanded to include 37 financial institutions, reflecting the growing desire among banks to participate in blockchain-based payment infrastructure. (Reuters)
Major institutions are also evaluating tokenized bank deposits, which represent conventional commercial-bank money on blockchain networks.
Some banking executives believe tokenized deposits may prove more useful for regulated financial institutions than privately issued stablecoins. (Reuters)
The future may therefore include several forms of digital money operating together:
Regulation Is Becoming a Catalyst
For years, regulatory uncertainty was one of the biggest obstacles preventing deeper institutional participation in crypto.
Large institutions need clarity on:
In March 2026, the US Securities and Exchange Commission published guidance clarifying how federal securities laws apply to areas including protocol staking, mining, airdrops, wrapped assets, stablecoins and digital securities. (SEC)
The SEC’s 2026 regulatory agenda also emphasises investor protection, capital formation and orderly markets as the agency continues developing its digital asset framework. (SEC)
Clearer regulation does not guarantee institutional investment.
However, it reduces the legal uncertainty that previously discouraged many banks, asset managers and public companies from entering the market.
The Rise of Crypto ETFs
Exchange-traded funds have provided traditional investors with regulated exposure to digital assets without requiring them to manage private keys or open accounts with crypto exchanges.
Crypto ETFs allow institutions to participate through familiar investment structures, established brokers and recognised custody arrangements.
However, institutional demand is not always consistent.
Digital assets recorded a third consecutive quarterly decline in the second quarter of 2026, while spot crypto ETF products experienced significant outflows as capital rotated toward artificial-intelligence-related equities and investors responded to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty. (CoinDesk)
This is an important reminder:
Institutional adoption does not mean institutional capital will only move in one direction.
Professional investors constantly rebalance portfolios based on valuations, liquidity, interest rates, risk appetite and expected returns.
Why Institutions Are Interested in Crypto
Several long-term drivers continue attracting institutions.
Portfolio Diversification
Some institutions view Bitcoin and other digital assets as potential alternative investments.
Client Demand
Banks and asset managers face growing demand from clients seeking crypto exposure.
Market Infrastructure
Custody, compliance, execution and reporting systems have become more sophisticated.
Tokenization
Blockchain may modernise how traditional securities are issued, traded and settled.
Stablecoin Payments
Stablecoins may reduce friction in domestic and international payments.
New Revenue Opportunities
Institutions can earn revenue from trading, custody, asset management, settlement and advisory services.
Strategic Competition
Financial firms that ignore digital assets risk losing clients and market share to more innovative competitors.
Institutional Adoption Is Bigger Than Bitcoin
Bitcoin remains the most recognisable institutional digital asset, but the broader opportunity includes much more.
The institutional crypto economy now covers:
The long-term transformation may therefore be less about replacing traditional finance and more about rebuilding parts of it on faster and more programmable infrastructure.
Risks Institutions Still Face
Institutional involvement should not be mistaken for proof that digital assets are risk-free.
Market Volatility
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can experience severe price movements.
Regulatory Risk
Rules may change across jurisdictions, creating compliance complexity.
Custody Risk
Digital assets require secure management of private keys and operational systems.
Counterparty Risk
Exchanges, stablecoin issuers and service providers may fail or face liquidity problems.
Technology Risk
Smart-contract vulnerabilities, blockchain outages and cybersecurity incidents remain important concerns.
Liquidity Risk
Smaller digital assets may not offer sufficient liquidity for large institutional transactions.
Reputational Risk
Financial institutions must protect their reputation when offering products linked to volatile or controversial assets.
These risks explain why institutional adoption tends to develop gradually rather than all at once.
What Institutional Crypto Means for Retail Investors
Institutional participation can benefit retail investors by improving:
However, retail investors should avoid assuming that institutional involvement guarantees future price appreciation.
Institutions may hedge positions, short assets, exit markets quickly or use crypto only for infrastructure and settlement rather than long-term investment.
The presence of Wall Street makes the market more mature—but not automatically safer.
Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd. Insight
The institutional crypto era is not defined by a single Bitcoin purchase or ETF launch.
It is defined by the gradual integration of blockchain into the machinery of global finance.
When market makers invest in crypto exchanges, clearing institutions test tokenized securities and stablecoin issuers establish regulated trust banks, digital assets begin moving from the edge of finance toward its core infrastructure.
The biggest long-term winners may not necessarily be the cryptocurrencies receiving the most social-media attention.
They may be the companies and networks providing:
Investors should therefore look beyond price speculation and examine the infrastructure being built around digital assets.
Final Thoughts
Institutional crypto adoption is real, but it is not a straight-line story.
Recent investments and tokenization initiatives demonstrate growing confidence in blockchain-based finance. At the same time, ETF outflows and market volatility show that professional investors remain highly selective.
The next stage of adoption will likely be driven by utility rather than hype.
Banks will focus on settlement.
Asset managers will focus on regulated investment products.
Payment firms will focus on stablecoins.
Market infrastructure companies will focus on tokenization.
The long-term question is no longer whether institutions will participate in digital assets.
It is:
Which institutions, technologies and financial models will define the next generation of global markets?
About Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd. provides professional insights into cryptocurrency, blockchain, artificial intelligence, tokenization, digital finance and global investment trends.
Our mission is to help investors and businesses understand the developments shaping the future of finance.
🌐 Website: www.akinyeleoluwale.finance
📧 Email: akinyeleoluwaleco@gmail.com
📱 WhatsApp: +2348023988821
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