Serbia
Is crypto legal in Serbia? (2026)
Yes — cryptocurrency is legal in Serbia. Current status: Legal — licensed regime. Oversight sits with National Bank of Serbia · Securities Commission. Full details — governing law, licensing, tax and dated enforcement history — follow below (last reviewed 2026-07-15).
Legal status
Primary regulator
Stablecoin status
Framework: Law on Digital Assets (RS Official Gazette No. 153/2020), adopted December 2020 and applied since June 2021, plus secondary legislation of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) and the Securities Commission. Serbia is an EU candidate country and is not subject to MiCA.
The Law on Digital Assets (LDA) splits supervision between two authorities: the NBS licenses and supervises services related to virtual currencies, while the Securities Commission oversees digital tokens and digital assets with the features of financial instruments. Providing virtual-currency services without a prior NBS licence is unauthorised provision and a criminal offence, and the NBS invites the public to report suspected unlicensed activity. Providers must hold minimum founding capital of EUR 20,000–125,000 depending on the services offered, at least half paid in cash. Legal entities and entrepreneurs that acquire virtual currency without using an NBS-licensed provider must report holdings to the Records of Virtual Currency Holders via the Data Exchange Centre. Digital assets are recognised as a form of property but are not legal tender; mining is permitted without LDA-specific restrictions.
Tax treatment
Gains on digital-asset disposals are taxed as capital gains at 15% for individuals, with reliefs: half the gain is exempt if proceeds are reinvested into a domestic entity within 90 days, and 2026 legal guides report a full exemption for digital assets held continuously for ten or more years. Licensed exchanges, custodians and dealers are exempt from capital-gains tax on inventory coins acquired solely for onward sale.
- Capital-gains rate (individuals): 15%
- Reinvestment relief: 50% exemption if reinvested into a domestic entity within 90 days
Travel rule applicability
Status: AML-obligated sector. The LDA designates digital-asset service providers as obligated entities under Serbia's anti-money-laundering law, with electronic records of all digital-asset transactions retained for at least ten years. Specific FATF travel-rule transfer-data thresholds are pending verification.
Notable enforcement actions
- Ongoing. The NBS publicly warns that providing virtual-currency services without its licence is a criminal offence and solicits reports of unauthorised providers (virtuelne.valute@nbs.rs).
- 2022. The NBS licensed VESCON DOO Beograd for virtual-currency services (Decision No. 12065 of 16 December 2022), an early entry in its public register.
Public licensed CASP list
The NBS publishes a public Register of Virtual Currency Service Providers; entries include VESCON DOO Beograd, licensed for reception, transmission and execution of virtual-currency orders plus custody and exchange services. 2025–2026 legal guides report two licensed crypto exchanges operating in Serbia — Belgrade platforms ECD (self-described first crypto platform in Serbia) and Crypto12 (which states approval by the NBS and the Securities Commission) both market locally regulated services. Token-side providers are supervised by the Securities Commission, which has also approved several white papers.
Comparison to neighbours
Compare Serbia crypto regulation with three geographically adjacent jurisdictions:
Doing business in Serbia — practical notes
Market entry requires a licence before serving Serbian residents: applications for virtual-currency services go to the NBS, while digital-token and financial-instrument services go to the Securities Commission, with founding capital of EUR 20,000–125,000 depending on scope. Verify current NBS and Securities Commission secondary legislation 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
- National Bank of Serbia — Law on Digital Assets (RS Official Gazette No. 153/2020, English text)
- NBS — Digital assets supervision (licensing, unauthorised-provision warning)
- NBS — Register of virtual currency service providers
- Global Legal Insights — Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Laws: Serbia 2026
- Injac Attorneys — Crypto and digital assets in Serbia (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
Is cryptocurrency legal in Serbia in 2026?
Yes, cryptocurrency is legal in Serbia under a licensed regime overseen by the National Bank of Serbia and the Securities Commission.
What is the capital gains tax rate for individuals on digital asset disposals in Serbia?
Gains on digital-asset disposals are taxed as capital gains at 15% for individuals, with a 50% exemption if proceeds are reinvested into a domestic entity within 90 days.
Which authority licenses virtual currency services in Serbia?
The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) licenses and supervises services related to virtual currencies under the Law on Digital Assets.