The Zimbabwean Dollar dropped 40% against the US Dollar in March 2024
Over the years, the value of the Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) has been on a massive downward trend compared to the US Dollar (USD). This has led to the latter accounting for most of the domestic transactions in the Southern African country. The ZWL went from 10,152.5 to USD 1 as of January 1, 2024, to 30,674.3 on April 1, 2024. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is introducing a gold-backed digital currency as a legal tender to stabilise its currency.
Wealth-building dominates motivation: 45.4% cite “active wealth building” as their primary motive, and an additional 21.8% cite “long-term financial security”.
Payments and utility are minor drivers: Only 3.3% report “daily utility” and 2.2% “digital commerce” as their chief motive for using crypto.
Hedging and cross-border flows matter: 8.7% use crypto for currency hedging, and 4.1% for cross-border payments, showing a dual role of investment plus international value flows.
Nigerian retail users treat crypto like a conventional financial instrument rather than only as a means of payment or speculation.
Nearly two-thirds (67%) of all crypto transactions in Nigeria are below ₦50,000, reflecting widespread use among everyday retail users.
The ₦15,000–₦25,000 band (28.2%) is the single largest group, showing consistent, small-scale engagement rather than high-value speculation.
Around 25% of users transact between ₦50,000 and ₦250,000, suggesting a growing middle class of more confident, mid-level investors.
Less than 3% of users transact above ₦1 million, confirming that Nigeria’s crypto market remains primarily retail-driven, not institutional or high-net-worth.