Digital Assets, Fraud, and the Limits of Criminal Law
The rapid expansion of digital assets has blurred the distinction between commercial failure and criminal conduct in Nigeria. This article examines the growing tendency to criminalise digital asset disputes that are fundamentally civil or contractual in nature, analyses the legal threshold for fraud, and highlights the dangers of using criminal process as a substitute for civil remedies. It advocates legislative, regulatory, and institutional reforms to preserve the integrity of criminal law while ensuring effective investor protection in Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
