Is crypto legal in Argentina?

Crypto is legal in Argentina, and the country now has a formal registration system for the businesses that sell it. Individuals can buy, hold and sell crypto. The main limits apply to who may offer it: registered crypto firms can, while banks cannot.

Is bitcoin legal tender in Argentina?

No. Bitcoin is legal to own but it is not money in the legal sense. Law 27.739, published in the Boletín Oficial on March 15, 2024, defines a virtual asset as a digital representation of value that can be traded or transferred and used for payments or investment. The same definition expressly leaves out fiat currencies, so the peso and bitcoin sit in separate legal categories.

Can I buy bitcoin in Argentina?

Yes, through providers registered with the Comisión Nacional de Valores (CNV), the securities regulator. Law 27.739 requires any virtual asset service provider (PSAV) serving Argentina, local or foreign, to register with the CNV and makes them subject to anti-money-laundering rules. The CNV opened the registry with Resolución General 994 in March 2024. A foreign platform counts as operating in Argentina if, for example, it uses a ".ar" domain or targets Argentine residents.

Resolución General 1058 of March 2025 went further. It sets minimum net worth of up to US$150,000 for exchanges and custodians, requires custodians to keep client assets separate and publish proof of reserves, and requires monthly client and transaction reports. Existing firms had to re-register under it during 2025.

What you cannot do is buy crypto through your bank. Since May 2022, central bank rule Comunicación "A" 7506 has barred banks from offering or facilitating crypto operations. A later rule extended this to payment apps. In October 2026 a central bank superintendent said the ban will not be lifted this year, Crowdfund Insider reported. For the wider picture, see crypto anti-money laundering rules.

Is crypto mining legal in Argentina?

Mining is not banned. When the tax authority AFIP raided a large mining farm near Buenos Aires in 2022, the issues were undeclared income and alleged electricity theft, The Block reported. The advocacy group ONG Bitcoin Argentina pointed out at the time that mining is not a crime under the criminal code when it follows local laws.

What are Argentina's crypto laws in short?

Law 27.739 sets up the PSAV registry, the CNV supervises it, and the central bank keeps traditional finance apart from crypto. Compare Argentina with other countries in is cryptocurrency legal and crypto regulation around the world.

Rules differ by country and change often. Check the regulator or a qualified professional for your own situation.