Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) refers to gold mining operations that use manual methods or light mechanised equipment rather than industrial-scale machinery. Ghana's ASM sector accounts for approximately 40% of the country's total gold output — over $8 billion annually — and supports the livelihoods of an estimated 4.5 million people directly and indirectly.
ASM gold is typically higher-grade and more traceable than large-scale mining output — because each gram comes from a specific, identifiable small concession rather than a blended industrial operation. This traceability is what makes GoldPool's blockchain ownership model possible.
GoldPool uses the GoldBod Bank of Ghana Reference Rate as its official pricing benchmark. This is the rate at which GoldBod purchases gold from licensed ASM operators, set daily by the Bank of Ghana based on the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) AM Fix adjusted for the prevailing USD/GHS exchange rate.
The BoG Reference Rate is typically 2–5% below the global spot price, reflecting the premium that international buyers pay for LBMA-certified, large-volume gold. As GoldPool pursues LBMA pathway certification, this gap is expected to narrow significantly for Premium Pool gold.
Gold is internationally priced in troy ounces (ozt), not standard ounces. One troy ounce = 31.1035 grams. When GoldPool refers to gold weight in pool documentation, we use grams for transparency — because grams are easier to understand and are the unit used by GoldBod in its assay certificates.
Gold has historically served as a store of value during periods of currency devaluation, inflation, and geopolitical uncertainty. The Ghana cedi depreciated significantly against the USD between 2021 and 2024 — but gold held its purchasing power. GoldPool allows investors to hold a real gold position denominated in USD terms, providing a natural hedge against cedi volatility.
GoldPool's fractional model means that a $50 investor and a $5,000 investor both own a proportional share of the same physical gold — the same assay certificate, the same GoldBod seal, the same blockchain token structure. The only difference is the size of their fractional share. All investors receive identical regulatory protections, regardless of investment size.
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