Crypto & Digital Assets · Kazakhstan
Is crypto legal in Kazakhstan? Rules & regulation (2026)
Kazakhstan shaded by its crypto & digital assets status
Crypto is regulated in Kazakhstan.
FrameworkLaw of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 193-VII 'On Digital Assets in the Republic of Kazakhstan' (in force 1 April 2023; comprehensively amended effective 1 May 2026), applied on a dual track by (i) the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) on the mainland and (ii) the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) inside the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), whose AFSA Rulebook on Digital Asset Activities has been in force since 1 January 2024.
Kazakhstan operates a comprehensive, in-force digital-assets regime under Law No. 193-VII, which distinguishes 'unsecured digital assets' (cryptoassets) from 'digital financial assets' (DFAs, including money-backed stablecoins and tokenised assets). A major 2026 tranche of amendments came into force on 1 May 2026, extending licensing of unsecured-crypto exchange operators and registration of trading-platform / DFA-platform operators from the AIFC bubble to the whole country under NBK supervision. Presidential Decree of 7 July 2026 layered on tax incentives for regulated crypto activity, a stablecoin cross-border-payments track and further liberalisation of mining, cementing the country's 'regulated crypto hub' stance.
Key points
Inside the AIFC, AFSA licenses Digital Asset Trading Facilities and custody providers under the 2024 Rulebook on Digital Asset Activities; outside the AIFC, the NBK now licenses unsecured-crypto exchange operators and registers DFA/trading-platform operators after the 1 May 2026 amendments to Law 193-VII.
Unsecured digital assets (BTC, ETH etc.) are NOT recognised as legal tender, financial instruments or financial assets in Kazakhstan; they may only be issued, traded and custodied through licensed/registered infrastructure, and the NBK maintains a list of approved cryptocurrencies eligible for domestic circulation.
AIFC crypto licences cover 'Operating a Digital Asset Trading Facility' and 'Providing Custody'; providers must meet AFSA capital, AML/CFT, market-integrity and admission-to-trading rules, and only tokens on AFSA's approved list (incl. major assets like BTC, ETH and Toncoin) may be traded.
President Tokayev's decree of 7 July 2026 exempts individual income from digital-asset transactions conducted through Kazakhstan's regulated platforms from personal income tax (conditional on disclosure of foreign-venue holdings) and directs the government to build a legal channel for stablecoin-based cross-border trade settlements.
In 2025 Kazakhstan created the state-backed Alem Crypto Fund under the Ministry of AI and Digital Development, managed by Qazaqstan Venture Group inside the AIFC, seeded first with BNB in partnership with Binance Kazakhstan and targeted at USD 500 m–1 bn.
In the October 2025 IOSCO thematic review of crypto-asset markets, the AIFC's AFSA framework was recognised as fully aligned with all ten IOSCO Priority Recommendations for crypto and digital-asset market oversight.
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