Belarus
Is crypto legal in Belarus? (2026)
Yes — cryptocurrency is legal in Belarus. Current status: Legal via HTP regime. Oversight sits with Hi-Tech Park (HTP) · National Bank. Full details — governing law, licensing, tax and dated enforcement history — follow below (last reviewed 2026-07-15).
Legal status
Primary regulator
Stablecoin status
Framework: Presidential Decree No. 8 "On the Development of the Digital Economy" (signed 21 December 2017, in force 28 March 2018) + Presidential Decree No. 19 on crypto banks and digital tokens (signed 16 January 2026).
Belarus legalised digital tokens early. Decree No. 8 (signed 21 December 2017, effective 28 March 2018) formally recognised digital tokens in Belarusian law, created the legal basis for their issuance, circulation and exchange, legalised mining and token sales when conducted by residents of the Hi-Tech Park (HTP), recognised smart contracts, and extended the HTP's special legal regime until 1 January 2049. The token-transaction tax exemptions it introduced were separately time-limited: originally to 1 January 2023, then extended by Presidential Decree No. 80 (in force 31 March 2023) to 1 January 2025. Crypto exchanges operate under HTP registration and supervision. The regime is now extending into banking: on 16 January 2026 President Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19 on crypto banks and the regulation of digital tokens, defining a crypto bank as a joint-stock company authorised to combine digital-token activities with banking, payment and related financial operations, conditional on HTP resident status and inclusion in a register of crypto banks kept by the National Bank. State media frame the decree as reinforcing Belarus's financial-IT positioning; a full-scale digital-ruble launch is expected in the second half of 2026.
Tax treatment
Decree No. 8 granted tax exemptions on token transactions for companies and individuals, originally until 1 January 2023; Presidential Decree No. 80 (in force 31 March 2023) extended them to 1 January 2025, and they were not renewed in that form. Since 1 January 2025 individuals must declare crypto income annually, with a 13% income tax on transactions conducted on foreign (non-HTP) platforms; transactions through HTP-resident crypto companies remain exempt. The HTP special regime itself (including its corporate preferences) runs to 1 January 2049.
Travel rule applicability
Status: channelled through HTP platforms. Supervision runs through HTP registration. In July 2023 the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced legislative plans to prohibit P2P crypto exchange between individuals and confine citizens' trading to HTP-registered exchanges; verify current enforcement practice before relying on P2P channels.
Notable enforcement actions
- 2023. The Interior Ministry announced plans to ban P2P crypto transactions between individuals, citing fraud cash-out schemes (27 illegal exchange operators identified), steering citizens to HTP-registered exchanges.
- 2025. President Lukashenko publicly pushed for "transparent rules" to attract crypto investors (September 2025).
- 2026. Decree No. 19 of 16 January 2026 created the crypto-bank framework: HTP residency plus entry in the National Bank's crypto-bank register.
Public licensed CASP list
Crypto platforms operate as HTP residents, and crypto banks will appear in the National Bank's new register under the January 2026 decree. DeFi Intel has not verified a consolidated public register of HTP crypto platforms this cycle.
Comparison to neighbours
Compare Belarus crypto regulation with three geographically adjacent jurisdictions:
Doing business in Belarus — practical notes
Token business in Belarus runs through the HTP perimeter — residency is the licence. Crypto-bank status additionally requires National Bank registration under the January 2026 decree, whose implementing practice is new. The regime is state-directed and moving quickly (crypto banks, digital ruble in H2 2026); verify current HTP and National Bank guidance before structuring.
Methodology and sources
This profile was researched and updated by DeFi Intel's research desk on 2026-07-15 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
- BelTA (state agency) — Lukashenko signs decree on crypto banks, tokens (16 Jan 2026)
- President of Belarus — decree on crypto banks and tokens (official)
- Wikipedia — Decree No. 8 on the Development of the Digital Economy
- REVERA Law — Decree No. 80 extends token tax incentives to 1 Jan 2025
- Interfax — Belarus to introduce digital ruble in H2 2026 (NBB)
- US Library of Congress — regulatory approaches to cryptoassets: Belarus
- CoinDesk — Lukashenko pushes transparent crypto rules (Sept 2025)
- CoinDesk — planned P2P transaction ban (July 2023)
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Frequently asked questions
Is cryptocurrency legal in Belarus in 2026?
Yes, cryptocurrency is legal in Belarus via the HTP regime, with oversight by the Hi-Tech Park and the National Bank.
What is the tax rate on crypto income for individuals in Belarus after 1 January 2025?
Since 1 January 2025, individuals must declare crypto income annually and pay a 13% income tax on transactions conducted on foreign (non-HTP) platforms.
What did Presidential Decree No. 19, signed on 16 January 2026, establish?
Decree No. 19 defined a crypto bank as a joint-stock company authorized to combine digital-token activities with banking, payment and related financial operations, conditional on HTP resident status and inclusion in a register kept by the National Bank.