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

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed the Law on Virtual Assets on 22 November 2025; it entered into force on 1 January 2026, establishing Turkmenistan's first national crypto legal framework aimed at attracting foreign investment and stimulating digitalisation.

The law classifies virtual assets as objects of civil rights in two categories — secured (asset-backed) and unsecured (e.g. Bitcoin) — but explicitly excludes them from recognition as legal tender, currency, securities, or means of payment for goods and services.

Crypto exchanges, custodial platforms, and mining operations must obtain a Central Bank of Turkmenistan licence or registration; offshore-linked entities are ineligible, and credit institutions are barred entirely from offering crypto services.

All virtual-asset service providers must enforce KYC and AML procedures; anonymous wallets and anonymous transactions are explicitly prohibited, with advertising of virtual assets also subject to regulatory restrictions.

Authorities retain broad power to suspend, void, or compel refunds of token issuances; the Cabinet of Ministers sets issuance procedures and maintains a unified issuance register with conditions for foreign issuers.

Both natural persons and legal entities may engage in cryptocurrency mining following mandatory registration with the Central Bank and compliance with technical standards set by the regulator.