Crypto & Digital Assets · Tunisia
Is crypto legal in Tunisia? Rules & regulation (2026)
Tunisia shaded by its crypto & digital assets status
Crypto is unclear in Tunisia, primarily under Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) January 2018 directive prohibiting unauthorized virtual-currency activities; Exchange Control Act (Law No. 76-18 of 21 January 1976, as amended); draft new Foreign Exchange Code in final parliamentary passage (expected Q1 2026).
Tunisia maintains an active state-level prohibition on cryptocurrency activities under the BCT's 2018 directive, making public trading, payments, exchange services, and mining illegal and subject to up to five years' imprisonment. A new Foreign Exchange Code in final parliamentary passage (expected Q1 2026) would, for the first time, legally recognize crypto-assets and require their declaration under BCT-defined rules, while a separate draft VASP licensing bill remains under parliamentary committee review with no enactment date confirmed.
Key points
In January 2018 the Central Bank of Tunisia issued a formal directive categorizing all virtual currencies as unauthorized, criminalizing trading, payments, exchange services, and advertising without state authorization; penalties reach 5 years' imprisonment and fines exceeding 100,000 TND. The ban was grounded in foreign-exchange controls and AML concerns.
A draft Foreign Exchange Code submitted by the Ministry of Finance to Parliament would repeal the 1976 forex law and introduce first-time legal recognition of 'crypto-assets' as a defined category. Residents would be required to declare and repatriate crypto holdings above BCT-set thresholds; a strict sanctions regime (fines + up to 3 years' imprisonment for non-declaration) would apply.
Since approximately 2020 the BCT has operated a regulatory sandbox permitting a small number of fintechs to test blockchain-based payments, remittances, and supply-chain traceability under strict BCT oversight; this is the only legal pathway for private-sector blockchain experimentation.
Parliamentary committees are reviewing a separate bill to decriminalize crypto possession and create a licensed VASP regime (conditional exchange licenses, mandatory on-shore KYC, progressive capital gains tax). A phased timeline has been discussed: framework by 2026, sandbox expansion in 2026, pilot exchanges by 2027, full retail access by 2028, but no bill has been enacted as of May 2026.
The BCT developed an internal proof-of-concept e-Dinar with Tunisian Post and DigiCash under the Digital Tunisia 2025 initiative. The BCT officially denied that any formal CBDC test launch had taken place; no public pilot or live issuance exists as of mid-2026.
The Tunisian Financial Analysis Committee (CTAF) enforces AML/CFT rules. Tunisia was removed from the FATF grey list in 2023 after strengthening its AML regime; the 2018 crypto ban has been partly justified as an AML/capital-flight control measure.
Tunisia - other topics
Crypto & Digital Assets in other countries
Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Methodology & how to cite · Explore the full world map →