Armenia

DeFi Intel Research Desk2026-07-14Asia

Is crypto legal in Armenia? (2026)

Yes — cryptocurrency is legal in Armenia. Current status: Legal — CBA licence required. Oversight sits with Central Bank of Armenia (CBA). Full details — governing law, licensing, tax and dated enforcement history — follow below (last reviewed 2026-07-14).

Framework: The Law on Crypto-Assets (HO-159-N) entered into force on 4 July 2025, making the Central Bank of Armenia the licensing and supervisory authority for crypto-asset services; the CBA published its first package of subordinate regulations — including Regulation 7/01 on licensing procedure and conditions — on 21 January 2026, in full effect since 31 January 2026.

The law requires any person intending to provide crypto-asset services — issuance and sales, custody, trading-platform operation, advisory and transfer services — to obtain a CBA licence before starting operations. Licences are granted for an indefinite term, are non-transferable and specify the particular services authorised; the regime carries full AML/KYC obligations and prohibitions on market abuse, and does not apply where an asset already qualifies as a security, derivative, investment fund, bank deposit or insurance product. The CBA maintains a public register of licensed providers and conducts compliance inspections. Parliament tightened the framework on 17 December 2025, passing amendments in an extraordinary session alongside the Law on Non-Cash Transactions effective 1 January 2026. CBA officials describe a transitional exemption running from January 2026 to January 2027, during which providers may accept cash transactions up to 300,000 drams (about USD 790) while customer identification and transaction record-keeping remain mandatory; firms already operating before 4 July 2025 must obtain their licence by 31 January 2027.

Tax treatment

The Law on Crypto-Assets is a licensing and conduct statute; crypto-specific tax rules were not among the sources verified for this profile. Capital-gains and income treatment of crypto-asset disposals is pending verification — consult Armenia's State Revenue Committee or a local adviser before transacting.

• Capital-gains rate (crypto): Pending verification
• Holding-period rule: Pending verification

Travel rule applicability

Status: AML perimeter in force; transfer-data specifics pending verification. Licensed crypto-asset service providers carry full AML/KYC obligations under the Law on Crypto-Assets, and customer identification with transaction record-keeping is mandatory even during the 2026–2027 licensing transition. Whether the CBA has operationalised FATF travel-rule transfer-data requirements for provider-to-provider transfers is pending verification.

Notable enforcement actions

• 2025. The Law on Crypto-Assets entered into force on 4 July 2025; parliament passed tightening amendments in an extraordinary session on 17 December 2025.
• 2026. The CBA's licensing regulations took effect on 31 January 2026, opening the application window. No public enforcement actions against crypto firms had been verified by DeFi Intel as of 14 July 2026 — the transition window for pre-existing providers runs to 31 January 2027.

Public licensed CASP list

The Central Bank of Armenia is required to maintain a public register of licensed crypto-asset service providers and publishes its crypto-asset supervision materials at cba.am. With the licensing window open only since 31 January 2026 and the transition period for pre-existing providers running to 31 January 2027, DeFi Intel had not verified any completed licences as of 14 July 2026 — consult the CBA register for live status.

Comparison to neighbours

Compare Armenia crypto regulation with three geographically adjacent jurisdictions:

Doing business in Armenia — practical notes

Market entry requires a CBA licence specifying each crypto-asset service to be provided, supported by corporate documents, governance and risk-management policies, information on managers and significant shareholders, and evidence of capital held in a CBA-approved account. Providers active before 4 July 2025 may continue operating under transitional conditions — including the 300,000-dram cash cap and mandatory customer identification — but must be licensed by 31 January 2027. Verify current requirements against the CBA's Regulation 7/01 before structuring.

Methodology and sources

This profile was researched and updated by DeFi Intel's research desk on 2026-07-14 from the primary and secondary sources listed below. Claims that could not be verified against a source are omitted or marked pending — we do not republish unverified third-party datasets. Submit corrections and primary-source links to research@defi-intel.com.

Sources

• Library of Congress — Armenia: new law establishes comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto-assets
• Central Bank of Armenia — crypto-asset service providers
• Central Bank of Armenia — publication of regulations governing the crypto-asset sector
• HAP Law Firm — Armenian crypto market regulation (law in force 4 July 2025)
• Cryptopolitan — Armenia amends crypto law and starts licensing service providers (Dec 2025)