Crypto Regulation by Country: World Map

Each country decides independently how to treat cryptocurrencies. There is no global standard, so the situation differs dramatically from country to country.

🟢 Legal — what does it mean?

In countries with legal status, cryptocurrencies can be freely bought, sold, held, and in many cases used for payments. Licensed exchanges typically operate. Examples: Germany, Switzerland, USA, Japan, UAE.

🟡 Restricted — what is banned?

In these countries crypto can be held and traded, but with important caveats: ban on paying for goods and services, mandatory KYC, high taxes, or trading only through state-approved platforms. Examples: Russia, India, Turkey, South Korea.

🔴 Banned — how serious is it?

Countries with a ban have officially declared crypto operations illegal. Enforcement varies: China blocks access at the infrastructure level, while Algeria has criminal prosecution. Despite bans, populations often use P2P exchanges and VPNs.

What is MiCA?

MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) is the EU regulation that came into full force in 2024. It sets unified rules for all 27 EU countries: exchange licensing (CASP), stablecoin regulation, and consumer protection. A company with a MiCA licence in one EU country can automatically operate in all of them.