Nigerian crypto startup Roqqu has announced the acquisition of Flitaa, a smaller crypto exchange with operations in Nigeria and Kenya, in a move that marks its entry into East Africa’s fast-growing digital asset market.

Although the exact value of the all-cash deal was not disclosed, sources estimate it to be between $85,000 and $350,000.

The acquisition, which Roqqu says has received regulatory approval, offers the company a strategic shortcut into the Kenyan market by bypassing the country’s slow-moving crypto licensing process. Competitors like Luno and Busha have struggled with delays under Kenya’s pending Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) framework.

Flitaa will retain its brand but now operates on Roqqu’s infrastructure. However, its original leadership and staff have exited, with Roqqu director Great Onomor appointed as CEO of Flitaa.

“Rather than go through the hassle of building from scratch, we saw value in Flitaa’s groundwork, especially their operations in Kenya and expansion plans for Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania,” said Ayo Shonibare, Roqqu’s chief marketing officer.

Founded in 2021, Flitaa built a user base of over 72,000 by offering access to lesser-known tokens and integrating deeply with Kenya’s mobile money platform M-PESA. This feature allowed users to easily buy, sell, and convert crypto into Kenyan Shillings — a critical advantage in a market where banks are barred from servicing crypto firms.

While Flitaa lacked intellectual property and suffered from poor app reviews, its compliance track record and embedded operations made it an attractive acquisition target. The move also stabilizes Flitaa, which had struggled with limited funding and infrastructure.

The deal marks the first publicly disclosed intra-African crypto acquisition and signals growing consolidation in the continent’s digital asset sector. It also suggests African crypto firms are increasingly looking beyond survival, using mergers and acquisitions to accelerate regional expansion.