Crypto & Digital Assets · Montenegro
Crypto license in Montenegro: VASP requirements (2026)
Montenegro shaded by its crypto & digital assets status
Crypto is developing in Montenegro, primarily under Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (amended 28 February 2025); CMA Rulebook on CASP Registration (25 December 2025); overseen by the Capital Market Authority (Komisija za tržište kapitala).
Montenegro adopted its first-ever crypto regulatory framework via AML law amendments on 28 February 2025, establishing a mandatory CASP registration system (not a licensing regime) administered by the Capital Market Authority. Crypto is legal, treated as a digital asset/property rather than legal tender, with KYC/AML obligations for providers and a 9% flat tax on capital gains. A dedicated MiCA-aligned standalone law was in public consultation as of September 2025, with finalization targeted for 2026; until then, significant regulatory gaps remain, particularly for stablecoins, token offerings, DeFi, and enforcement.
How to get a crypto license in Montenegro
To provide crypto-asset services in Montenegro you need registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP), supervised by the Capital Market Authority (Komisija za tržište kapitala), under the Law on Digital Assets (Official Gazette 11/23) and the AML/CTF Law.
- Authority
- the Capital Market Authority (Komisija za tržište kapitala)
- License required
- registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP)
- Framework / law
- the Law on Digital Assets (Official Gazette 11/23) and the AML/CTF Law
- Minimum capital
- no fixed minimum; adequate resources and a local AML/CTF compliance officer required
- Timeline
- around 2 months to incorporate and register
- Cost
- a €5,000 state fee, plus legal and compliance costs
- Passporting
- No — a Montenegrin VASP registration is national; Montenegro is an EU candidate aligning its regime toward MiCA.
Montenegro is marketed as a crypto-friendly hub; it is not yet in the EU, so its VASP regime is separate from MiCA.
Crypto license in Montenegro: FAQ
Yes. To provide crypto-asset services in Montenegro you need registration as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP), supervised by the Capital Market Authority (Komisija za tržište kapitala), under the Law on Digital Assets (Official Gazette 11/23) and the AML/CTF Law.
The Capital Market Authority (Komisija za tržište kapitala).
A €5,000 state fee, plus legal and compliance costs.
Typically around 2 months to incorporate and register.
Key points
Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing on 28 February 2025, defining 10 crypto-asset services and introducing the first formal regulatory obligations for CASPs, aligned with FATF Recommendation 15, MONEYVAL, and OECD standards rather than EU MiCA.
Providing crypto-asset services requires registration with the CMA's online CASP registry, not a permit or licence. There are no minimum capital requirements beyond standard company law (€1 for an LLC; €25,000 for a JSC), and the procedure is designed primarily as a transparency and AML/KYC gateway.
On 25 December 2025, the Capital Market Authority issued a 15-page Rulebook on conducting the CASP registry and assessing the reputation of directors, governing-body members, and beneficial owners, completing the operational framework for CASP registration under the AML amendments.
Prime Minister Spajić announced in September 2025 that a dedicated law aligned with EU MiCA would be adopted, and the Finance Ministry launched a public consultation on draft legislation. The government, CMA, and Central Bank of Montenegro (CBCG) are co-drafting the text, with finalization targeted for 2026.
Capital gains from crypto trading are subject to Montenegro's standard 9% flat personal and corporate income tax. Crypto transactions are exempt from VAT. However, the tax authority acknowledged in December 2025 that enforcement is limited pending a standalone digital-assets law, and OTC/cash-settled crypto trading remains a largely unmonitored grey zone.
Balkan Insight reporting (December 2025, March 2026) identified significant unregulated OTC crypto trading via Telegram groups and in-person cash transactions, with millions in flows. Officials were found exploiting asset-declaration gaps; the Global Initiative risk bulletin (May 2025) noted that seizing crime-related virtual assets remains a challenge across the Western Balkans including Montenegro.
Montenegro - other topics
Crypto & Digital Assets in other countries
Last verified 5/25/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Methodology & how to cite · Explore the full world map →