Is crypto legal in Cameroon? Regulation & rules (2026)

Cameroon has enacted no dedicated national cryptocurrency legislation; individual use is neither explicitly legalised nor banned, leaving crypto in a grey area governed only by general commercial and AML statutes.

COBAC issued a directive in May 2022 prohibiting all banks, microfinance institutions, and payment service providers across the CEMAC region—including Cameroon—from facilitating or engaging in any cryptocurrency transactions.

On 14 December 2022, COSUMAF (the CEMAC-zone securities and financial market regulator) published updated rules covering blockchain, ICOs, virtual assets, and VASPs, establishing a regional authorisation framework applicable in Cameroon.

Cameroon was placed under FATF increased monitoring in June 2023 and remained listed as of February 2026, having completed fewer than 40% of its 24-point AML/CFT action plan; developing a VASP regime is part of its remediation obligations.

BEAC is designing a sovereign digital currency pegged 1:1 to the CFA franc to counter private stablecoins; a harmonised CEMAC sub-regional crypto-asset regulatory framework—developed in cooperation with the IMF—is expected in 2026.

Cameroon's General Tax Code and the 2025 Finance Law contain no specific provisions for cryptocurrency capital gains, mining income, staking rewards, or VAT; no official guidance has been issued on how general tax rules apply to digital-asset transactions.