Is crypto legal in Belarus?

Crypto is legal in Belarus as of October 2026, but it is tightly channelled. People can own, mine and trade crypto, yet buying or selling it for money must go through operators registered in the High-Tech Park, a special economic zone. The Belarusian ruble remains the only legal tender, and tokens cannot be used to pay for goods or services.

Is bitcoin legal in Belarus?

Yes. Decree No. 8 of December 21, 2017, on the development of the digital economy, created the legal basis for tokens and cryptocurrency, according to the law firm Revera. It set rules for creating, storing, transferring and exchanging tokens and set requirements for exchanges, platform operators and miners.

Operators of crypto platforms and exchanges must be HTP residents, with minimum charter capital of 2,000,000 Belarusian rubles, Revera says. Neither individuals nor companies may use tokens as payment for goods, works or services.

What is the Belarus crypto law for individuals?

The key change came with Decree No. 367 of September 17, 2024, on the circulation of digital tokens. Revera says it gives individuals an exhaustive list of permitted actions: mining, storing tokens in wallets, exchanging tokens, buying or selling them for rubles, foreign currency or e-money, and giving or bequeathing them.

Buying and selling for money must go through HTP residents. Revera says foreign platforms and peer-to-peer deals are not permitted for this. At the time, an HTP exchange executive told ForkLog that, in his reading, the decree does not ban swapping one crypto for another on foreign exchanges. That is his interpretation, not the decree's text. Similar limits had applied to companies since 2017.

Individuals may mine for personal purposes without a permit, but not as a business, while companies and sole proprietors need HTP resident status to mine, according to Revera. For tax rules, which changed in 2025, see crypto tax around the world.

Where can I buy bitcoin in Belarus?

Only through exchanges and exchangers registered in the HTP. In September 2024 ForkLog counted eight bitcoin exchanges and two exchangers registered there. Access to some foreign platforms has also been restricted. According to The Block, authorities blocked the websites of Bybit, BingX, Bitget and OKX on December 10, shortly before the cryptobank decree.

The latest step is cryptobanks. On January 16, 2026, President Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19, which lets HTP-resident joint-stock companies combine token operations with banking and payment services. They must be entered in a register kept by the National Bank and follow both National Bank rules and HTP supervisory board decisions, The Block and ForkLog reported.

For comparison with a neighbour, see is crypto legal in Russia, and for the wider picture, crypto regulation around the world.

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