Is crypto legal in Egypt? Rules & regulation (2026)

Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority issued a fresh warning against trading or investing in cryptocurrencies after a rise in local online ads, reiterating that the assets lack legal backing and could be used in fraud, money laundering and terror financing. It reaffirmed that Law 194 of 2020 criminalizes such activity and urged citizens to report it.

The Central Bank of Egypt issued a further set of regulatory decrees expanding the licensed digital-payments ecosystem — broadening infrastructure for payment service providers while the statutory ban on unlicensed crypto under Law 194/2020 remained fully in force.

Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority issued three implementing decrees for Law No. 5/2022, setting mandatory IT-security infrastructure standards, digital identity and e-contract rules, and outsourcing requirements for licensed fintech firms — completing the operational framework for non-banking fintech while leaving crypto outside its scope.

Egyptian prosecutors announced the arrest of 29 people accused of running an unlicensed cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded the public, illustrating active enforcement of the crypto prohibition. The case underscored official concern about crypto-linked fraud.

The Central Bank of Egypt reiterated that dealing in all types of crypto assets, by individuals, companies, apps or platforms, is prohibited and that no license has ever been granted under Law 194 of 2020. It cited extreme price volatility and illicit-use risks.

The CBE renewed its statutory warning against cryptocurrency dealing, citing extreme price volatility, use in financial crimes and electronic piracy, and the complete absence of any official governmental guarantee — and confirming that no crypto licences had been issued under Law 194/2020.

In its financial stability report the Central Bank of Egypt confirmed work on a central bank digital currency (the e-Pound) and e-KYC, later set for a 2030 launch tied to financial-inclusion goals, positioned partly to head off private cryptocurrency adoption. A first feasibility-study phase was completed by 2024.

The Central Bank of Egypt launched the national Instant Payment Network enabling real-time interbank transfers across all licensed banks and e-wallets. The IPN forms the cornerstone of Egypt's strategy to satisfy demand for fast digital payments through regulated infrastructure rather than crypto.

Egypt enacted a dedicated fintech law giving the Financial Regulatory Authority licensing authority over fintech startups operating in insurance, nano-finance, consumer finance, and financial advisory sectors, including a regulatory sandbox. Cryptocurrency and DeFi were explicitly excluded from its scope.

Following the enactment of the Banking Sector Law, the CBE issued a second public advisory reiterating that cryptocurrency dealing is now explicitly prohibited by statute, that no licences had been granted, and that violators face criminal prosecution — the first post-statute warning campaign.

The Central Bank of Egypt repeated its position that crypto assets are not currencies because they are not issued by any official authority and have no legal backing, warning that losses from trading would not be recoverable under Egyptian law. The statement reinforced the framework set by Law 194 of 2020.

Egypt's landmark banking reform law replaced the 2003 CBE Act and for the first time enshrined the crypto prohibition in statute. Article 206 explicitly bans the issuance, trading, promotion, or platform-operation of cryptocurrencies without prior CBE approval, with criminal penalties up to EGP 10 million and imprisonment.

Egypt's Central Bank and Banking System Law No. 194 of 2020, via Article 206, prohibits issuing, trading, promoting or operating platforms for crypto assets and e-money without a CBE license, establishing the de facto ban that still governs the country. Penalties include imprisonment and fines up to EGP 10 million.

The CBE published a 'Warning Statement' cautioning the public against trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, citing extremely high risk and lack of legal protection, its first formal public stance, predating the 2020 statutory ban. It set the tone for repeated warnings in following years.

Egypt's top Islamic authority, Dar al-Ifta, issued a fatwa by Grand Mufti Shawki Allam ruling that buying, selling and trading Bitcoin is forbidden under Sharia, likening it to gambling and citing risks to financial stability and potential terror financing. Though non-binding, the ruling shaped public sentiment and the state's restrictive approach.

A senior Central Bank of Egypt official made the first explicit public policy statement that Egypt had no intention of permitting cryptocurrency, framing the CBE's position months before the formal warning bulletin and setting the regulatory trajectory that would be codified in Law 194/2020.