Bitcoin Law Around the World
No country regulates Bitcoin with a single law. It is touched by many: securities and commodities rules, tax codes, anti-money-laundering standards, bank-capital rules, sanctions, energy rules for miners, and a few laws that name Bitcoin outright. This page lists 110 of them in 42 countries and territories, the EU and 5 international standard-setters. The United States has its own section with 48 federal and state acts, including laws of 5 US states. Each record gives the official name, status, what it does to Bitcoin, and links to the sources.
At a glance
- Records
- 110
- Countries and territories
- 42
- In force
- 71
- Adopted, not yet applicable
- 6
- Proposed or stalled
- 11
- Bans
- 3
Direct means the rule names Bitcoin or regulates trading, holding, mining or reserves of Bitcoin. Indirect means the rule applies to exchanges, stablecoins, tax reporting or banks and reaches Bitcoin only through them. Coverage is partial: a record appears here only after we opened its source and read it, so some countries are not listed yet.
Source: official and secondary sources in every record below · checked 2026-10-16
What changed in 2026
17 Mar 2026: the SEC and CFTC jointly list Bitcoin as a digital commodity (effective 23 Mar). On 15 Sep 2026 the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY market-structure bill, 49–50.
Records:United States: SEC–CFTC interpretation (2026)United States: CLARITY Act (stalled)
United States, Oct 2026: FinCEN withdrew its 2020 unhosted-wallet and 2023 crypto-mixing proposals (effective 6 Oct), the SEC proposed crypto custody rules (6 Oct) and the CFTC opened rule-making for crypto-asset markets (13 Oct). All three are drafts or withdrawals, not new law.
Records:United States: FinCEN withdrawals (2026)United States: SEC custody proposal (2026)United States: CFTC rule-making notice (2026)
4 Aug 2026: Russia's Law 282-FZ legalises regulated trading through licensed intermediaries from 1 Sep 2026. Payments in crypto stay banned.
Records:Russia: 282-FZ (2026)
6 Feb 2026: the People's Bank of China tightens the mainland ban, including unapproved offshore yuan stablecoins.
EU: DAC8 tax reporting started on 1 Jan 2026, the longest MiCA transition ended on 1 Jul 2026, and from 10 Jul 2027 the AML Regulation bars anonymous accounts at crypto providers.
Records:European Union: DAC8European Union: MiCAEuropean Union: AMLR (from 2027)
UK: the FCA authorisation window opened on 30 Sep 2026; the new regime starts on 25 Oct 2027.
Japan: in July 2026 the Diet passed the amendment that moves crypto under the securities-style FIEA; a flat 20% tax is proposed from 2028.
Reserves and licensing: Kazakhstan created a National Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve (Law 259-VIII, 2026), Pakistan passed a Virtual Assets Act creating PVARA, and Vietnam's digital technology law took effect on 1 Jan 2026.
Records:Kazakhstan: Law 193-VII, amended 2026Pakistan: Virtual Assets Act 2026Vietnam: Digital Technology Industry Law
Law in the news is not always law: Brazil's flat 17.5% crypto tax lapsed on 8 Oct 2025 and never took effect; Algeria banned virtual assets in July 2025.
Source: source links in the linked records · checked 2026-10-16
Bitcoin law at a glance: key countries
30 key jurisdictions, 29 of the 42 countries and territories plus the EU: the big markets, crypto hubs and the countries that ban Bitcoin, plus five offshore centres. Click a law to jump to its full record.
| Country | Where it stands | Reserve · ETF · mining | Tax (individuals) | Key laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | The SEC and CFTC list Bitcoin as a digital commodity, not a security (effective 23 Mar 2026). The CLARITY market-structure bill passed the House but failed a Senate vote on 15 Sep 2026. | Spot Bitcoin ETFs trade since Jan 2024. Reserve by executive order (forfeited coins only); Texas, New Hampshire and Arizona have state reserve laws. Mining is legal; Texas registers large miners. | Taxed as property (IRS Notice 2014-21); custodial brokers report sales on Form 1099-DA; Congress repealed the DeFi-broker rule in 2025. | |
European Union | Exchanges and custodians need a MiCA licence. MiCA does not restrict private holding or self-custody. | — | Providers report to tax authorities under DAC8 (from 1 Jan 2026). | |
United Kingdom | Holding and self-custody stay legal; platforms need FCA authorisation (regime starts 25 Oct 2027). | Retail investors may buy crypto ETNs since 8 Oct 2025. | Providers report to HMRC (CARF) from 1 Jan 2026. | |
Switzerland | Bitcoin is an asset, not legal tender; FINMA supervises banks and exchanges. | National reserve initiative lapsed (June 2026). Lugano accepts Bitcoin for city payments. | — | |
Russia | Regulated trading through licensed intermediaries since 1 Sep 2026 (non-qualified investors: up to ₽300,000 a year per intermediary). Payments in crypto remain banned. | Mining is legal, with a registry. Cross-border settlements only in an experimental regime. | Income is taxable under the Tax Code (rates not verified here). | |
Ukraine | Holding is not prohibited. The 2022 virtual-assets law is signed but not yet in force. | — | Draft only: 18% income tax plus 5% military levy (not adopted). | |
Türkiye | Platforms and custodians need a Capital Markets Board (SPK) licence. | — | No crypto-specific transaction tax in force (Oct 2026). | |
China (mainland) | Trading and exchange services are banned (PBOC notice of 6 Feb 2026). The notice does not by itself make private possession a crime. | — | — | |
Hong Kong | Retail trading allowed on SFC-licensed platforms. | Spot Bitcoin ETFs listed since 30 Apr 2024. | — | |
Japan | Lawful asset, not legal tender. Crypto moves under securities-style rules (amendment passed July 2026; start date still to be set). | No spot Bitcoin ETF listed yet (Sept 2026 reports). | Progressive rates today; a flat 20% is proposed from 2028. | |
South Korea | Legal on registered local exchanges with real-name bank accounts. | Domestic spot Bitcoin ETFs unavailable. | 20% (22% with local tax) above KRW 2.5 million, scheduled for 1 Jan 2027; delay bills pending. | |
Singapore | Bitcoin is a digital payment token, not legal tender; service providers need an MAS licence. | — | — | |
Thailand | Trading through SEC-licensed platforms; pilot lets tourists convert crypto to baht. | — | Gains on SEC-licensed Thai platforms are exempt from personal income tax until 31 Dec 2029. | |
Vietnam | Trading only through licensed domestic platforms; not a means of payment. | — | 0.1% on each transfer through a licensed provider (secondary sources). | |
Kazakhstan | Licensed exchanges; digital assets are not recognised as a means of payment. | Mining needs a licence (3 years). A National Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve was created by Law 259-VIII (2026). | — | |
United Arab Emirates | A virtual asset regulated by Dubai VARA and Abu Dhabi ADGM FSRA, not legal tender; a major hub for crypto firms. | — | — | |
Pakistan | Virtual Assets Act 2026 creates a licensing authority (PVARA). | Strategic Bitcoin Reserve announced May 2025; no verified government purchases. | — | |
Brazil | Trading is legal; cross-border crypto transfers count as foreign-exchange operations. | — | A flat 17.5% tax lapsed on 8 Oct 2025; earlier rules continue. | |
Argentina | Holding and trading are legal; providers register with the CNV. | — | Committed to CARF data exchange by 2029. | |
Canada | Trading platforms and funds are regulated by the provincial securities regulators (CSA). | Spot Bitcoin ETFs have traded since 2021. | CARF reporting from 1 Jan 2026. | |
Australia | Platform licensing under the new framework starts 9 Apr 2027; AUSTRAC AML rules apply from 31 Mar 2026. | Spot Bitcoin ETFs on the ASX since June 2024. | — | |
Nigeria | Regulated, not banned: digital assets are securities under the Investments and Securities Act 2025. | — | Income tax on gains, withholding, 1.5% stamp duty on conversions (secondary sources). | |
South Africa | FSCA-licensed providers; the Travel Rule applies to all transfers, including to self-hosted wallets. | — | — | |
Algeria | Banned: owning or trading Bitcoin is a criminal offence. | — | — | |
Egypt | Practical ban: issuing, trading and running platforms need Central Bank approval, and none has been issued. | — | — | |
Bermuda offshore / hub | Licences for digital-asset exchange, custody and issuance businesses (classes T, M and F). | — | — | |
Cayman Islands offshore / hub | Service providers register with CIMA; custodians and trading platforms are licensed. | — | — | |
The Bahamas offshore / hub | Registration with the Securities Commission is mandatory for digital-asset businesses. | — | — | |
Seychelles offshore / hub | The FSA licenses wallet, exchange, brokerage and investment services; unlicensed business is prohibited. | — | — | |
Puerto Rico (US) offshore / hub | US territory with its own tax regime for qualifying new residents. | — | Qualifying residents can pay 0% Puerto Rico tax on gains accrued after moving; new applicants after 31 Dec 2026 pay 4%. |
- United States
- Where it stands
- The SEC and CFTC list Bitcoin as a digital commodity, not a security (effective 23 Mar 2026). The CLARITY market-structure bill passed the House but failed a Senate vote on 15 Sep 2026.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs trade since Jan 2024. Reserve by executive order (forfeited coins only); Texas, New Hampshire and Arizona have state reserve laws. Mining is legal; Texas registers large miners.
- Tax (individuals)
- Taxed as property (IRS Notice 2014-21); custodial brokers report sales on Form 1099-DA; Congress repealed the DeFi-broker rule in 2025.
- European Union
- Where it stands
- Exchanges and custodians need a MiCA licence. MiCA does not restrict private holding or self-custody.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- —
- Tax (individuals)
- Providers report to tax authorities under DAC8 (from 1 Jan 2026).
- United Kingdom
- Where it stands
- Holding and self-custody stay legal; platforms need FCA authorisation (regime starts 25 Oct 2027).
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- Retail investors may buy crypto ETNs since 8 Oct 2025.
- Tax (individuals)
- Providers report to HMRC (CARF) from 1 Jan 2026.
- Switzerland
- Where it stands
- Bitcoin is an asset, not legal tender; FINMA supervises banks and exchanges.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- National reserve initiative lapsed (June 2026). Lugano accepts Bitcoin for city payments.
- Tax (individuals)
- —
- Russia
- Where it stands
- Regulated trading through licensed intermediaries since 1 Sep 2026 (non-qualified investors: up to ₽300,000 a year per intermediary). Payments in crypto remain banned.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- Mining is legal, with a registry. Cross-border settlements only in an experimental regime.
- Tax (individuals)
- Income is taxable under the Tax Code (rates not verified here).
- Ukraine
- Where it stands
- Holding is not prohibited. The 2022 virtual-assets law is signed but not yet in force.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- —
- Tax (individuals)
- Draft only: 18% income tax plus 5% military levy (not adopted).
- Key laws
- Türkiye
- Where it stands
- Platforms and custodians need a Capital Markets Board (SPK) licence.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- —
- Tax (individuals)
- No crypto-specific transaction tax in force (Oct 2026).
- Key laws
- China (mainland)
- Where it stands
- Trading and exchange services are banned (PBOC notice of 6 Feb 2026). The notice does not by itself make private possession a crime.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- —
- Tax (individuals)
- —
- Key laws
- Hong Kong
- Where it stands
- Retail trading allowed on SFC-licensed platforms.
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs listed since 30 Apr 2024.
- Tax (individuals)
- —
- Japan
- Where it stands
- Lawful asset, not legal tender. Crypto moves under securities-style rules (amendment passed July 2026; start date still to be set).
- Reserve · ETF · mining
- No spot Bitcoin ETF listed yet (Sept 2026 reports).
- Tax (individuals)
- Progressive rates today; a flat 20% is proposed from 2028.
“—” means this point is not covered on this page, not that there is no rule.
Source: every cell is backed by the records below · checked 2026-10-16
United States: federal acts, agency actions and state laws
48 acts that touch Bitcoin directly or indirectly: statutes and bills (GENIUS, CLARITY, the Anti-CBDC and BITCOIN bills), executive orders (including the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve), SEC, CFTC, IRS, FinCEN, OFAC, DOJ and banking-regulator actions, and the main state laws. Each row shows the stage it has reached (enacted, passed one chamber, in committee, order, rule, proposal) with a date; open a row for the status, effect on Bitcoin and every source. Bills, proposals and expired items are not law: check the stage and the status line.
Showing 48 of 48 US records, newest first in each group. The date is the key event (signing, vote, order or publication).
Congress: laws and bills 8
Statutes signed into law and bills still moving or expired
- United StatesProposedDirect effect
Status: Introduced 21 May 2026 (Rep. Begich). The House Financial Services Committee ordered it reported, as amended, on 16 September 2026 by 28–21. No House floor vote in the official record (last updated 24 Sep 2026).
As introduced, it would make Treasury set up a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve for 'qualifying' Bitcoin (finally forfeited coins) and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile for non-Bitcoin digital assets held by the government, with monitoring and auditing, and would offset costs using certain Federal Reserve resources.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct if enacted: would put the existing reserve policy into statute. Not law; the text we read is the introduced version.
- State reserve
- United StatesStalledDirect effect
Status: Passed the House 294–134 on 17 July 2025. Senate Banking Committee ordered it reported on 14 May 2026 and reported it on 1 June 2026. On 15 September 2026 the Senate failed cloture on the motion to proceed, 49–50 (60 needed), and a motion to reconsider was entered. No later action in the official record (last updated 17 Sep 2026).
Market-structure bill that would give the CFTC oversight of spot trading in 'digital commodities' and split duties with the SEC.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for exchanges and brokers: would confirm that Bitcoin trades as a commodity under a single federal regime. Not law.
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- U.S. Senate: Cloture Motions, 119th Congress (H.R.3633 motion to proceed, 49–50, vote No. 234) ↗official
- Orrick: The CLARITY Act Stalls in the Senate ↗secondary
- Congress.gov / GPO: H.R. 3633: bill status, votes and Senate actions (Library of Congress data) ↗official
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: H.R. 3633 as passed by the House, official text ↗official
- Congress.gov: H.R.3633 on Congress.gov ↗official
- United StatesAdopted, not yet applicableIndirect effect
Status: Enacted: Public Law 119-27, signed 18 July 2025 (Senate 68–30 on 17 June 2025, House 308–122 on 17 July 2025). Not yet in force: it takes effect on the earlier of 18 months after enactment or 120 days after final rules. Implementing rules are still proposals (as of 16 Oct 2026): OCC and Treasury, FDIC (10 Apr 2026) and Federal Reserve (29 Sep 2026).
Creates a federal framework for payment stablecoins: only permitted issuers may issue them in the US, with full reserves, redemption rights and AML duties.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Does not regulate Bitcoin itself, but sets the rules for the dollar tokens that most exchanges use to buy and sell Bitcoin.
- Stablecoins
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- OCC: OCC Bulletin 2026-3: GENIUS Act Regulations, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ↗official
- RegWatch: GENIUS Act Implementation Tracker: Rules and Deadlines ↗secondary
- Federal Register: Treasury NPRM: GENIUS Act Regulations on Payment Stablecoin Issuance, Offer, and Sale (91 FR, 18 Aug 2026) ↗official
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: Public Law 119-27 (S. 1582), official text ↗official
- Congress.gov / GPO: S. 1582: bill status and votes (Library of Congress data) ↗official
- Federal Register: FDIC proposed rule: GENIUS Act requirements for FDIC-supervised issuers (91 FR 18534) ↗official
- Federal Register: Federal Reserve Board proposed rule: Implementing the Board's responsibilities under the GENIUS Act (91 FR … ↗official
- United StatesStalledIndirect effect
Status: Committee ordered it reported 27–22 on 2 April 2025; passed the House 219–210 on 17 July 2025. No Senate action in the official record (last updated 19 Sep 2026).
Would bar the Federal Reserve from issuing a retail central bank digital currency.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Would leave private money, including Bitcoin and stablecoins, as the only digital cash-like options in the US.
- Legal status
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Enacted. House 292–132 (11 Mar 2025), Senate 70–28 (26 Mar 2025), signed 10 April 2025 as Public Law 119-5.
Under the Congressional Review Act, disapproves the IRS final rule 'Gross Proceeds Reporting by Brokers That Regularly Provide Services Effectuating Digital Asset Sales' (89 FR 106928, 30 Dec 2024), so the rule has no force. The separate custodial-broker rules stay.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax reporting). Non-custodial front ends and similar DeFi services were not made 'brokers' that report users' sales; custodial exchanges still report.
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- U.S. Government Publishing Office: Public Law 119-5 (H.J. Res. 25), official text ↗official
- Congress.gov / GPO: H.J. Res. 25: bill status and votes (Library of Congress data) ↗official
- Federal Register: IRS final rule disapproved: Gross Proceeds Reporting by Brokers That Regularly Provide Services Effectuatin… ↗official
- Congress.gov: H.J.Res.25 on Congress.gov ↗official
- United StatesProposedDirect effect
Status: Introduced 11 March 2025 (Sen. Lummis, Rep. Begich) and referred to the Senate Banking and House Financial Services committees. No committee vote or floor action recorded as of 16 Oct 2026.
Would create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Bitcoin Purchase Program: 200,000 Bitcoin a year for five years (1,000,000 in total), held for at least 20 years, with costs offset using certain Federal Reserve resources.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct if enacted: would let the US buy Bitcoin and lock it away. Today only a bill; the 2025 executive order does not allow purchases.
- State reserve
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- Congress.gov / GPO: S. 954: bill status (Library of Congress data) ↗official
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: S. 954 as introduced, official text ↗official
- Congress.gov / GPO: H.R. 2032: bill status (Library of Congress data) ↗official
- Congress.gov: S.954 on Congress.gov ↗official
- Congress.gov: H.R.2032 on Congress.gov ↗official
- United StatesLapsedDirect effect
Status: Passed the House 279–136 on 22 May 2024; received in the Senate on 9 September 2024 and referred to the Banking Committee. No Senate action recorded; the bill expired with the 118th Congress (3 January 2025). Its ideas continue in the CLARITY Act.
First market-structure bill to pass a chamber: it would have split oversight of digital assets between the SEC and CFTC and defined 'digital commodities'.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (historical). Never became law, but it set the template for the CLARITY Act.
- Market rules
- United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Enacted: Public Law 117-58, signed 15 November 2021. The reporting rules built on it are in force (see the Form 1099-DA record).
Section 80603 amended section 6045 of the Internal Revenue Code: it clarified who is a 'broker' and defined a 'digital asset' as any digital representation of value recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax reporting). It is the statutory base for broker reporting of Bitcoin sales to the IRS.
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16
White House: executive orders and reports 5
Orders signed by the President and the working-group report
- United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: In effect as an executive order (91 FR 30475, 22 May 2026). Agency reviews were due within 90 days and actions within 180 days (about mid-November 2026); we did not verify the outcome.
Within 90 days the CFPB, SEC, NCUA, CFTC, FDIC and OCC must review rules, guidance, supervisory practices and application processes that could be updated to facilitate fintech and digital-asset innovation, including bank and credit-union charters; within 180 days they must act on the review. The Federal Reserve is asked to evaluate, and report within 120 days on, access to Reserve Bank payment accounts and services for non-bank firms, including those engaged in digital assets.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Aims to make it easier for crypto firms to get bank charters and Federal Reserve payment access, which affects the on-ramps to Bitcoin.
- Banks & capital
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: In effect as an executive order (90 FR 38921, 12 Aug 2025). It sets 180-day tasks for the Department of Labor and other regulators.
Makes it US policy that retirement-plan participants can have access to alternative assets, a category that includes holdings in actively managed vehicles investing in digital assets. The Labor Department must reexamine its ERISA guidance.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Could open 401(k) money to crypto funds, but the order names no coin and creates no right by itself.
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawDirect effect
Status: Published July 2025 under Executive Order 14178. A policy report with recommendations; it has no force of law.
A government-wide review of digital-asset markets and recommendations to Congress and agencies. It states that the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the Digital Asset Stockpile will be administered by Treasury and capitalised with forfeited assets.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (reserve) and indirect (market rules). It shows how the administration reads its own reserve order and what laws it wants Congress to pass.
- State reserve
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawDirect effect
Status: In effect as an executive order. Reserve is funded only with forfeited Bitcoin; no purchases have been made and no budget-neutral acquisition plan has been published as of 16 Oct 2026.
Directs Treasury to hold forfeited Bitcoin as a reserve asset that is not to be sold, and asks Treasury and Commerce for budget-neutral ways to acquire more.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. The first national policy to treat Bitcoin as a reserve asset, though it is an order to agencies, not a statute.
- State reserve
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- The White House: Establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile ↗official
- Crypto Briefing: White House puts Bitcoin security ahead of any new purchases (14 Oct 2026) ↗secondary
- Federal Register: Executive Order 14233, 90 FR 11789 ↗official
- The White House: Report of the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets (July 2025), Reserve and Stockpile section ↗official
- United StatesPolicy / soft lawDirect effect
Status: In effect as an executive order (90 FR 8647, 31 Jan 2025).
Sets a policy to protect the ability to use open blockchains, to mine and validate, to transact without censorship and to keep self-custody; bans a US central bank digital currency; revokes the 2022 Biden order (EO 14067); creates the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Names mining and self-custody as protected activities. It is policy for agencies, not a statute.
- Mining
- Legal status
Sources · checked 2026-10-16
SEC and CFTC: ETFs, markets, mining 13
Orders, interpretations, staff statements and proposed rules
- United StatesProposedDirect effect
Status: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking published 13 October 2026 (91 FR 64811). Comments are open until 14 December 2026; no proposed text yet.
The CFTC says it intends to write rules under section 2(c)(2)(D) of the Commodity Exchange Act for transactions and markets in crypto assets and asks for public comment.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for trading venues, once final: would set CFTC rules for transactions and markets in crypto assets, which would reach Bitcoin trading. Not yet a rule.
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesProposedIndirect effect
Status: Proposed rule published 6 October 2026 (91 FR 63870). Comments are open until 7 December 2026; not final.
Would set custody rules under the Investment Company Act for how regulated funds hold crypto securities and similar investments, and amend the Advisers Act custody rule for how registered advisers custody client crypto funds and securities.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Shapes who may hold Bitcoin for funds and advised accounts, such as ETF and adviser custody.
- Banks & capital
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesProposedIndirect effect
Status: Proposed rule published 21 August 2026 (91 FR 54510). Comments are open until 20 October 2026; not final.
Would create a tailored offering regime for investment contracts involving crypto assets, with two exemptions from Securities Act registration: up to $5 million over four years, or up to $75 million per 12 months, with disclosure duties.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Targets token offerings. Bitcoin itself is treated as a digital commodity under the March 2026 SEC–CFTC interpretation, not as a security.
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Issued 17 March 2026, effective 23 March 2026.
Sets a five-category token taxonomy (digital commodities, collectibles, tools, stablecoins, digital securities) and lists Bitcoin (BTC) as an example of a digital commodity.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Confirms the agencies treat Bitcoin as a non-security commodity, which supports ETFs, futures and exchange listings.
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- CFTC: CFTC Joins SEC to Clarify the Application of Federal Securities Laws to Crypto Assets ↗official
- CFTC: Federal Register text of the interpretation (lists Bitcoin (BTC) as a digital commodity) ↗official
- SEC: SEC file S7-2026-09: Application of the Federal Securities Laws to Certain Types of Crypto Assets ↗official †
- United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Announced 4 December 2025. The CFTC's filing record shows a 'Bitcoin US Dollar Spot' product from the exchange coded BTNL certified on 1 December 2025.
The CFTC announced that listed spot crypto products can trade on CFTC-registered futures exchanges for the first time, bringing leveraged retail spot trading under a federal regulator.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Adds a federally supervised venue for buying Bitcoin spot, alongside state-licensed exchanges.
- Market rules
- United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Order issued 17 September 2025 (90 FR 45414, 22 Sep 2025).
Approved Nasdaq, Cboe BZX and NYSE Arca rules that let commodity-based trusts list without a separate SEC order if the commodity meets set criteria, for example if its futures have traded on a regulated futures exchange for at least six months.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Bitcoin funds can list under standard rules, so new Bitcoin ETPs launch faster.
- ETFs
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Order issued 29 July 2025 (90 FR 36248, 1 Aug 2025).
Approved rule changes that let authorised participants create and redeem shares of Bitcoin and Ether trusts with the coins themselves instead of only cash.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Makes spot Bitcoin ETPs cheaper and closer to holding the coin.
- ETFs
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawDirect effect
Status: Staff statement of 20 March 2025. It is the staff's view, not a rule, and has no legal force.
The staff's view is that solo mining and mining-pool participation on a proof-of-work network, under the facts described, do not involve the offer and sale of securities, so miners need not register those activities.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for miners. The statement covers protocol mining on proof-of-work networks (it does not name Bitcoin, but Bitcoin fits the description): solo mining and pools need no securities registration on the staff's reading.
- Mining
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Effective 30 January 2025. Companies apply it to annual periods beginning after 15 December 2024 (earlier use allowed).
Rescinds SAB 121 (Topic 5.FF), which had made companies that safeguard crypto-assets for others record them as liabilities on their balance sheet. They now use the ordinary loss-contingency rules.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Removes a major accounting barrier for banks and brokers that want to custody Bitcoin for clients.
- Banks & capital
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: Launched 21 January 2025 under Commissioner Hester Peirce; its work feeds the SEC's 2026 rule proposals.
The SEC announced a task force to build a clear regulatory framework for crypto assets instead of relying mainly on enforcement actions.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. A change of approach: from case-by-case enforcement to rule-making. It names no specific coin.
- Market rules
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Order issued 10 January 2024 (89 FR 3008, 17 Jan 2024). The order covered rule changes by NYSE Arca, Nasdaq and Cboe BZX.
The SEC approved, by accelerated approval, the exchanges' proposed rule changes to list and trade Bitcoin-based commodity-based trust shares and trust units.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Lets investors hold Bitcoin exposure through ordinary brokerage accounts.
- ETFs
- United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: CME and CFE self-certified Bitcoin futures on 1 December 2017; such contracts trade on CFTC-registered exchanges.
The CFTC explained how designated contract markets may list Bitcoin futures by self-certification under heightened review, and called Bitcoin 'a commodity unlike any the Commission has dealt with in the past'.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Regulated Bitcoin futures exist because of this process; Bitcoin ETF listing standards later rely on futures history.
- Market rules
- United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Order issued 17 September 2015 (CFTC Docket No. 15-29). It remains the foundation of the CFTC's view that Bitcoin is a commodity.
In its first action against an unregistered Bitcoin options platform, settled the same day, the CFTC held that Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are properly defined as commodities under the Commodity Exchange Act.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. Gives the CFTC jurisdiction over fraud and manipulation in Bitcoin and over Bitcoin derivatives.
- Market rules
Tax: IRS and Treasury 5
Property treatment, forks, broker reporting, Form 1099-DA
- United StatesProposedIndirect effect
Status: Proposed regulations published 6 March 2026 (91 FR 10983); comment period ended 5 May 2026. Not final as far as we found.
Would give digital-asset brokers an alternative way to get customer consent to receive their tax statements electronically, without offering a paper option.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax administration). Technical change for exchanges that issue Form 1099-DA.
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: In effect. It gives a safe harbor for allocating unused basis to each wallet or account as of 1 January 2025.
Taxpayers may rely on a safe harbor to allocate unused basis of digital assets to the digital assets held in each wallet or account as of 1 January 2025.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (tax). Affects how Bitcoin holders calculate gain when they sell coins held in several wallets.
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- IRS: Revenue Procedure 2024-28 ↗official
- United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Final rule 89 FR 56480 (9 July 2024), effective 9 September 2024. Brokers report gross proceeds for 2025 sales and cost basis for covered assets from 2026.
Custodial brokers must file information returns and give customers statements on gross proceeds and basis from digital-asset sales, on Form 1099-DA.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax and reporting). The IRS will see Bitcoin sales on US exchanges; self-custody holders keep their own records.
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Published 2019 and still in effect (exact publication day not stated in the text we read).
A hard fork alone, with no new coins received, creates no taxable income. If the taxpayer receives new coins in an airdrop after a fork, they are ordinary income once the taxpayer can exercise dominion and control over them.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (tax). Applies to Bitcoin forks such as coins received after a chain split.
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- IRS: Revenue Ruling 2019-24 ↗official
- United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: Issued 25 March 2014; the basic rule is still applied and repeated in IRS guidance on digital assets.
Virtual currency is treated as property, not currency: general tax rules for property apply. A miner has gross income, at fair market value on receipt, when Bitcoin is successfully mined.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (tax). Selling, swapping or spending Bitcoin can create taxable gain or loss; mined coins are taxable income.
- Mining
- Tax
Sources · checked 2026-10-16
AML, sanctions and enforcement: FinCEN, OFAC, DOJ 9
Bank Secrecy Act, Travel Rule, mixers, prosecutions
- United StatesLapsedDirect effect
Status: Both proposals were withdrawn as of 6 October 2026 (91 FR 63514 and 63513). FinCEN says it will take no further action on the unhosted-wallet proposal.
The withdrawn proposal of 23 December 2020 would have required banks and money services businesses to file reports, keep records and verify customers' identity for transactions involving unhosted wallets (or wallets hosted in a jurisdiction FinCEN names). The withdrawn proposal of 23 October 2023 would have found international crypto mixing to be a class of transactions of primary money-laundering concern and required enhanced recordkeeping and reporting for it.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for self-custody. The US will not impose those extra wallet-reporting duties; the basic Travel Rule and AML rules still apply to exchanges.
- AML / sanctions
- United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Sentences imposed: CEO Keonne Rodriguez on 6 November 2025 (five years) and CTO William Hill on 19 November 2025 (four years). The FinCEN unhosted-wallet and mixing proposals are covered in their own record.
The Justice Department says the two founders conspired to operate a money-transmitting business that knowingly transmitted more than $237 million of criminal proceeds through Samourai's Bitcoin mixing service Whirlpool and its Ricochet feature.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Bitcoin and self-custody stay legal, but people who run a service that mixes or moves other people's coins can face criminal charges, even if the software is non-custodial.
- AML / sanctions
- United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: PM2BTC order effective 11 October 2024 (89 FR 82499). Huione Group final rule 90 FR 48295, effective 17 November 2025.
FinCEN barred US financial institutions from certain transmittals involving PM2BTC, a Russia-linked exchanger of rubles for Bitcoin and other coins, and from correspondent accounts for Huione Group, a Cambodia-based group found to launder funds for DPRK actors and scammers.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. US exchanges and banks cut off flows to these services, so Bitcoin routed through them cannot be cashed out through US institutions.
- AML / sanctions
- United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Designations and delistings in effect as of 16 Oct 2026.
OFAC removed Tornado Cash's smart contracts from the SDN list in March 2025 and, in August 2025, sanctioned Garantex's successor Grinex and the ruble token A7A5 network.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Sending Bitcoin to or from sanctioned addresses is prohibited for US persons; sanctions screening is built into US exchanges.
- AML / sanctions
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: Issued 4 August 2025. A supervisory notice asking for suspicious-activity reports; not a new rule.
Urges banks and other institutions to watch for scam payments and other illicit activity through convertible-virtual-currency kiosks and to file suspicious-activity reports that reference the notice.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Bitcoin ATM operators and their banks face more scrutiny.
- AML / sanctions
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: Internal DOJ policy since 7 April 2025; it disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.
Directs federal prosecutors to focus on fraud, scams, terrorism, cartels and other harm to investors, and says the Department will no longer target virtual-currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services and offline wallets for the acts of their end users or for unwitting violations of regulations.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Lowers the risk for US developers and exchanges that handle Bitcoin. It is a policy, not a law, and a later administration can reverse it.
- AML / sanctions
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: Designations announced in 2022 and 2023. We did not re-check the current SDN-list status of each entry; Treasury removed the sanctions on Tornado Cash on 21 March 2025.
The Treasury sanctioned the mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io, which obscured the source of Bitcoin, and the Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash. US persons may not deal with sanctioned entities or their listed addresses.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Bitcoin received from a listed mixer can be blocked by US exchanges; the sanctions target the services, not Bitcoin itself.
- AML / sanctions
Not independently confirmed: Current SDN-list status of each mixer entry not re-checked.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- U.S. Department of the Treasury: U.S. Treasury Issues First-Ever Sanctions on a Virtual Currency Mixer, Targets DPRK Cyber Activity (Blender… ↗official
- U.S. Department of the Treasury: U.S. Treasury Sanctions Notorious Virtual Currency Mixer Tornado Cash ↗official
- U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury Sanctions Mixer Used by the Lazarus Group (Sinbad.io) ↗official
- U.S. Department of the Treasury: Treasury Removes Sanctions on Tornado Cash ↗official
- United StatesIn forceDirect effect
Status: In force. The 2019 guidance consolidates the earlier rulings and says it creates no new requirements.
A user who only uses or holds Bitcoin is not a money services business; an administrator or exchanger is a money transmitter. The 2014 ruling says a person who mines Bitcoin and uses it only for their own purposes is a user, not an MSB. The 2019 guidance applies the rules to business models such as hosted wallets and kiosks.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for miners and exchanges: solo miners and holders have no FinCEN registration duty; exchanges and custodians do.
- Mining
- AML / sanctions
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- FinCEN: FIN-2013-G001: Application of FinCEN's Regulations to Persons Administering, Exchanging, or Using Virtual C… ↗official
- FinCEN: FIN-2014-R001: Application of FinCEN's Regulations to Virtual Currency Mining Operations ↗official
- FinCEN: FIN-2019-G001: Application of FinCEN's Regulations to Certain Business Models Involving Convertible Virtual… ↗official
- United StatesIn forceIndirect effect
Status: In force. FinCEN has applied the Bank Secrecy Act to virtual-currency exchangers and administrators since March 2013 guidance.
Money transmitters, including Bitcoin exchanges that qualify, must register with FinCEN, run AML programs and file reports. For transmittals of $3,000 or more they must keep records and pass sender and recipient information to the next institution.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. This is why US exchanges ask for KYC and collect transfer data. Peer-to-peer transfers between your own wallets are not covered by it.
- AML / sanctions
Sources · checked 2026-10-16
Banking regulators: OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC 2
Whether banks may hold crypto for clients
- United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: Issued March and May 2025; the OCC's position is in effect.
IL 1183 rescinded IL 1179 (November 2021), which had set up a supervisory non-objection process, and reaffirmed that crypto-asset custody, distributed-ledger and stablecoin activities from earlier letters are permissible for national banks. IL 1184 addresses custody and execution services for crypto-assets.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. US banks can hold Bitcoin for clients without asking for prior approval.
- Banks & capital
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United StatesPolicy / soft lawIndirect effect
Status: Issued 28 March and 24 April 2025.
The FDIC rescinded FIL-16-2022 (the 2022 prior-notification requirement) and confirmed that banks may engage in permissible crypto-related activities without prior FDIC approval, if risks are managed. The Federal Reserve Board rescinded its 2022 advance-notification letter and its 2023 non-objection letter for dollar-token activities.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Fewer federal barriers for banks to offer Bitcoin services.
- Banks & capital
States 6
State reserve, licensing and mining laws
- United States (Arizona)In forceDirect effect
Status: In force. A broader 2026 reserve bill (SB 1649) failed on House third reading on 9 June 2026.
Sets up a reserve fund fed by staking rewards, airdrops and interest on unclaimed digital assets held by the state; the state has no power to buy Bitcoin under this law.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct but narrow: a cost-neutral reserve, not a buying programme.
- State reserve
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United States (Texas, Arkansas, Montana)In forceDirect effect
Status: In force; details differ by state. Arkansas and Montana provisions were summarised from secondary sources and the Montana code index only.
Texas requires large crypto-mining facilities (75 MW and above, with at least 10% interruptible load) to register with the PUC and sets grid rules for large loads; Arkansas and Montana protect home or digital-asset mining from targeted local rules.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for miners: mining is legal, but access to power and grid duties are regulated.
- Mining
Not independently confirmed: Only selected states checked.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United States (Texas)In forceDirect effect
Status: In force immediately on signing (20 June 2025). Reported first state purchase (about $5M via a Bitcoin ETF, Nov 2025) comes from secondary sources.
Creates a state Bitcoin reserve fund managed by the Comptroller; $10 million was appropriated for investment in assets above a $500 billion market-cap threshold (only Bitcoin qualifies today).
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct. A US state authorises public money to be invested in Bitcoin.
- State reserve
- United States (New Hampshire)In forceDirect effect
Status: Signed by the governor on 6 May 2025. As of Aug 2026 the state treasury reportedly held no Bitcoin directly.
Lets the state treasurer invest up to 5% of certain public funds in digital assets with a market cap above $500 billion (only Bitcoin qualifies today).
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct, but permissive: the treasurer may invest and may decline.
- State reserve
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United States (California)In forceDirect effect
Status: Signed 13 October 2023. A licence from the DFPI has been required since 1 July 2026 for digital-financial-asset business with California residents. Kiosk limits ($1,000 a day per customer) apply from 2024.
Requires a licence for exchange, transfer and custody of digital financial assets for California residents, with capital, surety bond, disclosure and supervision duties. Exempts, among others, persons who only provide connectivity software or computing power to decentralized networks and persons expecting less than $50,000 a year from the activity. Sets fee caps and daily limits for crypto kiosks.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for exchanges, custodians and Bitcoin ATM operators that serve Californians. Ordinary holders and self-custody users are not licensed.
- Exchange licensing
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - United States (New York)In forceDirect effect
Status: In force. The New York Department of Financial Services lists Bitcoin on its 'Greenlist' of coins that licensed firms may list after notifying DFS ten days before.
Anyone running a virtual-currency business involving New York or its residents (transmission, custody for others, buying and selling or exchange as a business, issuing) needs a BitLicense or a New York trust charter. A consumer who only invests, a merchant who only accepts payment, a solo miner and a software developer do not need one in themselves.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for exchanges and custodians that serve New York; no licence is needed to hold, mine or spend Bitcoin yourself.
- Exchange licensing
Bill pages on Congress.gov and bill data on GovInfo come from the same Library of Congress record; we read the data on GovInfo, and the Congress.gov links are for readers. SEC, Federal Register and state-regulator pages are official too.
Source: congress.gov, govinfo.gov, federalregister.gov, whitehouse.gov, sec.gov, cftc.gov, irs.gov, fincen.gov, treasury.gov and other official sites · checked 2026-10-16
Every law outside the United States, with status and sources
The United States has its own section above. Filter by region, country, status or topic. “Law year” is the year the act was passed or the regime started; check the status line for what applies today.
Showing 20 of 62 (of 62 records)
† marks a source that blocks automated access: we confirmed the fact through a search-engine extract of that page, not by opening it.
- Bermuda2018In forceIndirect effect
Digital Asset Business Act 2018 (DABA) and BMA licensing guidance
Status: In force; BMA applicant guidance updated September 2025.
Licensing regime for digital-asset businesses (exchange, custody, issuance) with class T (test), M (modified) and F (full) licences.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (licensing). A reference offshore regime for Bitcoin custody and exchange firms.
Not independently confirmed: Month of entry into force not verified.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Canada2026Partly in forceDirect effect
Stablecoin Act (Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1; Royal Assent 26 March 2026), CSA crypto-fund rules, and CARF reporting from 1 January 2026
Status: Stablecoin Act enacted; regulations pending. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have traded in Canada since 2021 as regulated investment funds.
Federal registration of stablecoin issuers with the Bank of Canada; securities regulators (CSA) regulate crypto trading platforms and funds.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for investment products (Bitcoin ETFs), indirect for stablecoins and tax reporting.
- Cayman Islands2020In forceIndirect effect
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Act (2024 Revision)
Status: In force; registration and, for custody and trading platforms, licensing under CIMA.
Requires VASPs in or from the Cayman Islands to register with CIMA, and custodians and trading platforms to be licensed.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (licensing).
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Puerto Rico (US)2022In forceIndirect effect
Puerto Rico Act 60 (Individual Resident Investor incentives) as changed by Act 38 of 2026
Status: Applications filed by 31 Dec 2026 keep the 0% capital-gains regime through 2035; from 1 Jan 2027 new applicants pay 4% and need six years of non-PR residency (per secondary summaries).
Residents who qualify can pay 0% Puerto Rico tax on capital gains accrued after becoming resident; pre-move Bitcoin gains can still be taxed federally under sourcing rules.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax). A US-law tax haven for long-term Bitcoin holders.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - The Bahamas2024In forceIndirect effect
Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act, 2024 (DARE Act)
Status: In force; registration with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas is mandatory.
Covers digital-asset businesses, exchanges, token offerings, stablecoins, custody, advisory and staking.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (licensing).
- Czech Republic2025In forceIndirect effect
Czech income-tax amendment (in force 15 Feb 2025): time test and annual limit for crypto-assets; CNB digital-asset test portfolio
Status: In force. The Czech National Bank holds only a USD 1 million test portfolio of digital assets, not Bitcoin in international reserves.
Private crypto gains are exempt if annual gross proceeds are up to CZK 100,000 or the asset was held more than three years (three-year exemption capped at CZK 40 million with other qualifying income).
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax). A three-year holding of Bitcoin is generally tax-free for Czech residents.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Estonia2024In forceIndirect effect
Estonian Market in Crypto-Assets Act (in force 1 July 2024) and tax treatment of crypto gains
Status: In force; legacy VASP licences ended 1 July 2026.
Implements MiCA nationally; gains from crypto transfers are taxed as property-transfer gains, and from 1 Jan 2025 crypto-assets on authorised platforms count as financial assets.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (licensing and tax).
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - European Union2026In forceIndirect effect
EU 20th sanctions package against Russia (23 April 2026): crypto measures
Status: Adopted 23 April 2026; the ban on transactions with Russia-established crypto providers applies from 24 May 2026 (per secondary sources; check the Official Journal).
Bans EU persons from transacting with crypto-asset service providers and platforms established in Russia and with RUBx and the digital ruble; A7A5 was already banned in the previous package.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Moving Bitcoin through Russian exchanges becomes a sanctions breach for EU persons.
- European Union2024Adopted, not yet applicableIndirect effect
Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (AML Regulation, Art. 79 on anonymous accounts) and Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 (AMLA)
Status: Adopted; the main rules apply from 10 July 2027.
From July 2027 crypto service providers may not keep anonymous accounts or accounts that obfuscate transactions (including anonymity-enhancing coins). The new EU authority AMLA starts direct supervision in 2028.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Not a ban on owning privacy coins or on self-custody; it limits what regulated platforms may offer.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - European Union2023In forceDirect effect
Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA)
Status: Fully applicable since 30 Dec 2024. The longest national transitional period ended on 1 July 2026; unauthorised providers must wind down. The Commission opened a MiCA review consultation (to 31 Aug 2026).
One EU licence regime for crypto-asset service providers (exchanges, custodians, brokers) and rules for stablecoin issuers.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for platforms: a Bitcoin exchange serving EU clients must hold a MiCA licence. Private holding and self-custody are not restricted by MiCA.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - European Union2023In forceIndirect effect
Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 on information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets (Transfer of Funds Regulation, Travel Rule)
Status: Applies to EU crypto service providers since 30 Dec 2024 (EBA Travel Rule Guidelines EBA/GL/2024/11).
Service providers must attach sender and recipient data to crypto transfers; for transfers above €1,000 to or from a self-hosted wallet they must check that the wallet belongs to their customer.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct for exchanges, indirect for users: withdrawals to your own wallet can require proof of ownership. Direct person-to-person transfers without a provider are outside the rule.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - European Union2023In forceIndirect effect
Directive (EU) 2023/2226 (DAC8): tax reporting and exchange of information on crypto-assets
Status: Applies from 1 Jan 2026; first provider reports for 2026 are due in 2027.
Crypto service providers collect user and transaction data and report it to tax authorities, who exchange it between EU states.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax transparency). The EU version of OECD CARF.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16- European Commission: DAC8 ↗official
- Gibraltar2018In forceIndirect effect
Financial Services (Distributed Ledger Technology Providers) Regulations 2017 and DLT Providers and VAA Providers Regulations 2020
Status: In force; 2026 reforms are moving POCA-registered VASPs into DLT licensing (per secondary sources).
The GFSC licenses firms that store or transmit value belonging to others using DLT, under nine regulatory principles.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (licensing). One of the earliest national frameworks for Bitcoin custody and exchange businesses.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Liechtenstein2020Partly in forceIndirect effect
Token and TT Service Provider Act (TVTG, 'Blockchain Act'), in force 2020
Status: Still applies to non-MiCA activities; MiCA-covered providers lost the TVTG transition on 1 July 2026 and need MiCA authorisation.
Defines tokens as legal objects, regulates token issuers, custodians and exchanges, and sets civil-law rules for transfer of tokens.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Gives legal certainty to holding and transferring tokens, including Bitcoin custody, in a small EEA state.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Malta2018Repealed / supersededIndirect effect
Malta Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFAA, 2018): transition to MiCA CASP licences
Status: Transition ended 30 June 2026; operators needed an MFSA CASP licence from 1 July 2026 and the VFA regime is being repealed (3 July per MFSA letter).
Malta's pioneering national crypto licence was replaced by the EU MiCA authorisation.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (licensing). Malta stays a hub for licensed exchanges, now under MiCA.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Poland2026StalledIndirect effect
Poland: act on the crypto-assets market (MiCA implementation), vetoed three times
Status: President Nawrocki vetoed three versions; the Sejm failed to override the third veto on 4 Sept 2026 (241–198, 266 needed). No national authority is designated to license providers.
MiCA applies directly, but Poland has no law naming a competent authority, so local licences cannot be issued.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. A rare EU gap: Polish firms must seek licences in other EU states.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Portugal2023In forceIndirect effect
Portuguese personal income-tax rules on crypto-assets (from 1 January 2023)
Status: In force as of the AT leaflet; check for 2027 budget changes.
Gains on crypto held less than 365 days are taxed at 28% (or the marginal rate); gains on crypto held at least 365 days are generally excluded. Mining and habitual trading are business income.
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect (tax). Long-term Bitcoin holding is generally tax-free for individuals.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Switzerland2026LapsedDirect effect
Swiss popular initiative 'for a financially strong, sovereign and responsible Switzerland (Bitcoin initiative)'
Status: Signature collection deadline passed in June 2026 without the 100,000 signatures; campaigners dropped the bid (Reuters, May 2026).
Would have required the Swiss National Bank to hold Bitcoin in its reserves.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (reserve), but did not pass the signature stage.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16 - Switzerland2021In forceIndirect effect
Federal Act on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in DLT (DLT Act, in force 2021) and the Federal Council's 2025 consultation on payment-instrument and crypto-institution licences
Status: DLT Act in force; the licence reform was a consultation (22 Oct 2025 – 6 Feb 2026), not yet law.
The DLT Act gives legal certainty to tokenised rights and DLT trading venues; the proposed reform adds a payment-instrument-institution licence (stablecoins) and a crypto-institution licence (custody, trading).
Effect on Bitcoin: Indirect. Bitcoin is treated as an asset, not legal tender; banks and exchanges operate under FINMA supervision.
- Switzerland (Lugano)2022In forceDirect effect
City of Lugano 'Plan B': acceptance of Bitcoin, Lightning and USDT for municipal payments (Phase II, 2026–2030)
Status: City policy, not national law. Payments are converted to CHF on T+1; the Swiss franc remains the only legal tender.
The city accepts BTC, Lightning BTC and USDT for all municipal invoices including taxes and fines, with no amount limit.
Effect on Bitcoin: Direct (local payments). A city-level 'de facto' payment option, not legal tender.
Not independently confirmed: Year 2022 for Phase I not confirmed on the cited page.
Sources · checked 2026-10-16
Source: link to the law, regulator or press on every record · checked 2026-10-16
Questions people ask
Is Bitcoin legal?
In most of the 42 jurisdictions on this page, holding and trading Bitcoin is legal but regulated: exchanges and custodians need a licence, and tax and anti-money-laundering rules apply. The records marked "Ban" are China, Algeria, Egypt. Mainland China bans trading and exchange services. Always check the current law of your own country.
Is Bitcoin legal tender anywhere?
Legal tender means a shop or creditor must accept it. Of the places covered here, the Central African Republic made Bitcoin legal tender in April 2022 and repealed that in March 2023. Switzerland, Singapore, the UAE, China and Kyrgyzstan are recorded as not treating it as legal tender. El Salvador, the best-known case, is not on this page yet because we have not finished checking its primary sources.
Which governments or states have a Bitcoin reserve?
Laws or orders that set up a reserve are recorded for United States, United States (Texas), United States (New Hampshire), United States (Arizona), Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. The US federal reserve is made only of forfeited coins by executive order, not a law. Pakistan announced a reserve in May 2025. A reserve on paper is not the same as coins bought, so check the card for what has actually happened. The Swiss popular initiative for a national reserve lapsed in June 2026.
Why does my exchange ask for KYC and check my wallet?
The FATF Travel Rule (Recommendation 15) makes licensed exchanges collect sender and recipient data on transfers. In the EU, for transfers above €1,000 to or from your own wallet, the provider must check that the wallet is yours. Peer-to-peer self-custody transfers are outside these rules.
What are CARF and DAC8?
CARF is the OECD standard under which crypto service providers collect customer and transaction data and tax authorities exchange it across borders. DAC8 is the EU version, in force since 1 January 2026. The UK, Canada and others apply CARF from 2026. The effect: Bitcoin held on an exchange becomes visible to the tax authority of your home country.
Does MiCA restrict self-custody?
No. MiCA sets one licence regime for exchanges, custodians and brokers serving EU clients, and rules for stablecoin issuers. It does not restrict private holding or self-custody of Bitcoin.
What does the dagger (†) next to a source mean?
Some official sites (for example sec.gov, congress.gov, eur-lex) block automated access. For a source marked † we could not open the page ourselves and confirmed the fact only through a search-engine extract of that page. Every record on this page also has at least one source we opened and read.
Not legal or tax advice. Data as of 16 October 2026; laws change often. We read each source before listing a record and show what we could not confirm. Records whose primary source we could not open yet are not shown, and France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Mexico, the Philippines, Malaysia and the Gulf states other than the UAE are not covered yet. Spotted a mistake or a missing law? Tell us on the forum and we will fix it.