Ethiopia doubles down on its crypto ban while mining Bitcoin at scale The National Bank of Ethiopia (@NBEthiopia) has reaffirmed that using, trading, or transferring virtual assets remains prohibited without its express approval, warning the public off crypto entirely in a notice published Thursday. The clarification widens the net, covering all digital representations of value rather than just cryptocurrencies, from exchange and transfers to custody and related services. No new rules or enforcement came with it. The hard line sits awkwardly next to the state's own business, with around 600MW of hydropower sold to Bitcoin miners in one of the world's fastest-growing mining hubs, leaving citizens barred from touching the asset their grid helps produce.