Cryptocurrency in Kazakhstan
Regulation is being revised. We check this page monthly, but before a large operation confirm with the primary source — something may have changed this week.
In brief
- Jurisdiction: Republic of Kazakhstan
- Base law: the Law “On Digital Assets in the Republic of Kazakhstan” No. 193-VII of 6 February 2023, in force since 1 April 2023
- Key updates: Law No. 231-VIII of 17 November 2025 and Law No. 259-VIII of 16 January 2026
- Types of assets: digital financial assets and unbacked digital assets
- Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies: unbacked digital assets; not recognized as a means of payment
- Buying and exchange: through providers licensed or registered by the National Bank, or through participants of the AIFC holding the corresponding AFSA permission
- Mining: a licensed activity for Kazakhstan’s individual entrepreneurs and legal entities; the license is issued for three years
- Taxes: income from disposal with a gain in value and income from mining may create tax obligations
In short
This page describes, for a beginner, how the handling of cryptocurrency is arranged in Kazakhstan: what is lawful, where one can legally buy, and how mining and taxes work. This is an overview of facts, not legal advice; specifics for your own situation should be checked against official sources and, if necessary, with a lawyer.
The law permits the purchase, storage, and exchange of unbacked digital assets through the regulated channels it provides for. Such assets, including Bitcoin, are not recognized in Kazakhstan as a means of payment, a financial instrument, or a financial asset. Payment products connected with cryptocurrency settle in money after its conversion, rather than as direct payment with the crypto-asset.
Legal status
The current version of the law distinguishes two types of digital assets: digital financial assets and unbacked digital assets. Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies belong to the unbacked ones. Digital financial assets are issued and circulate within a regulated infrastructure and may certify rights in respect of money, financial instruments, goods, property claims, or another underlying asset.
An unbacked digital asset in itself is not recognized as a means of payment, a financial instrument, or a financial asset. Payment products connected with cryptocurrency may operate through its immediate sale and subsequent settlement in ordinary money; this is not direct payment for goods with cryptocurrency.
Where to buy and exchange legally
For an ordinary purchase, sale, or exchange of cryptocurrency, one should use a provider holding the necessary license or registration record. Outside the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), the status of operators is checked in the registers of the National Bank of Kazakhstan. A separate legal regime operates within the AIFC, and the presence of the corresponding permission is checked in the public register of its regulator — the AFSA. The mere existence of a brand or an app does not by itself confirm a platform’s right to serve users from Kazakhstan.
The general mechanics of buying are covered in the guide how to buy crypto, and choosing a venue by verifiable signs — in the hub choosing an exchange.
Mining
Digital mining in Kazakhstan is a licensed activity for individual entrepreneurs and legal entities; the license is issued for three years. Requirements for equipment, placement in data centres, and power supply are established by legislation and have been refined over time. The current conditions are published in official sources.
Taxes
The disposal of a digital asset with a gain in value may create a tax obligation. For an individual, the tax base depends on the positive difference between the value on disposal and the confirmed value of acquisition. For digital mining, separate payments and reporting are provided for. The specific regime depends on the person’s tax status, the nature and regularity of the operations, and the current version of the Tax Code. This is not tax advice.
How the regulation changed in 2026
In January and May 2026 the regulation of digital assets in Kazakhstan changed substantially. Law No. 231-VIII extended the legal model for the circulation of unbacked digital assets beyond the AIFC. Since 1 May 2026 a system has been in effect in which the National Bank licenses or registers digital-asset providers operating in the general jurisdiction of Kazakhstan. The AIFC retains a separate legal regime, and its participants are regulated by the AFSA. Digital mining was not first permitted by these amendments: it has been a licensed activity since the base law was introduced in 2023.
Because the rules are recent and continue to be refined, the current status should be checked against official legal sources.
Security and risks
The legal status is changing, so before large operations one should check the current requirements. One should use only lawful, licensed, or registered venues and beware of counterfeits and offers with unrealistic returns (see phishing and scams). Responsibility for keeping keys safe lies with the wallet owner (what is a seed phrase, how to store crypto).
Where to check the current state
The current versions of the laws, the list of licensed and registered providers, the mining rules, and the tax provisions are published in official sources: the “Adilet” legal database (adilet.zan.kz), the website and registers of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the public register of the AFSA, and the materials of the State Revenue Committee.