With Law no. 25-10 published in Official Gazette on July 24, 2025, Algeria has imposed a total ban on bitcoin and any other digital asset: any activity related to mining, trading, possession, or promotion of cryptocurrencies is now a criminal offense.
What does the new law on cryptocurrencies in Algeria foresee?
Algeria has adopted a radical approach regarding digital resources. The new regulation affects every aspect of criptovalute, with no exceptions: article 6a explicitly bans “any form of issuance, purchase, sale, possession, use, or promotion of crypto-assets.” This means that it is also prohibited to hold assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum or any other criptovaluta.
Under the new law, the creation, management, or promotion of trading platforms, digital wallets, and any related activity, whether on national territory or online, are also illegal. Even the use of intermediaries or the advertising of services related to digital assets are considered offenses.
What are the penalties for those who break the law in Algeria?
The sanctions are severe. The perpetrators of violations risk imprisonment from two months to one year and fines between 200,000 and 1,000,000 Algerian dinars (up to 7,700 dollars). The law allows for the possibility of imposing both detention and monetary penalties, even for minor infractions, making any interaction with the crypto world risky.
The mining, a practice widespread in southern areas due to reduced energy costs, is now officially prohibited. The law closes every loophole: promotion, participation, even at a hobbyist level, entail the same criminal risks.
Why has Algeria chosen this hard line against crypto?
The position of the government is to prevent financial risks and strengthen the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. The main concern is the volatility of digital assets and the lack of traceability; two aspects that — according to the authorities — jeopardize national economic stability and facilitate criminal activities.
The law is presented as a response to the need to comply with the international standards defined by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the intergovernmental body that establishes global guidelines on anti-money laundering.
How does the Algerian choice differ from the rest of the world?
The strategy of Algeria is diametrically opposed to the recent developments in the United States or in emerging countries like Pakistan.
The United States Congress, in fact, has passed the GENIUS Act, among the first significant regulations post-Reagan, which distinguishes and integrates stablecoin and crypto within the financial framework, instead of banning them.
In Pakistan, however, they are considering more favorable regulations for crypto innovation and financial inclusion, according to industry reports. Nearby African nations, such as Morocco, have launched pilot programs to regulate exchanges and wallets, without reaching a total block like in Algeria.
In the global context, the majority of countries today are seeking a balance between prevention and openness to digital innovation, while Algeria opts for the most restrictive line possible.
What risks and concrete consequences for the population and investors?
For citizens and potential foreign investors, bitcoin and all crypto become off-limits, with no national or international exceptions. Peer-to-peer platforms and personal wallets — often used to escape central surveillance — are now covered by total criminalization.
The risk for those who already own or mine cryptocurrencies is real: not only the confiscation of assets but also the possibility of criminal convictions. Operators who attempt to circumvent the ban by using VPNs or international platforms expose themselves to the same risks because the law prohibits any intermediary, even foreign ones.
Finally, this decision risks isolating the local market and repelling startups and innovative capital, at a historical stage in which other markets — African and non-African — are instead focusing on the integration between traditional economy and DeFi (decentralized finance).
What happens now and what are the prospects for the digital sector in Algeria?
The impact of the nuova legge antiriciclaggio will only become clear in the coming months, but the signal is clear: a total stop to bitcoin and digital resources, with the prospect of strengthened controls and exemplary sanctions.
The future of financial digitalization in Algeria now passes through other channels, probably more traditional and subject to state supervision. However, the country risks missing the train of global innovation, just as in the USA and emerging countries the race for crypto regulation is opening up.
Everything can change in the coming weeks: there will probably be reactions from the international community and possible lobbying initiatives or pressure on the authorities.
Follow our column for all the developments on the regulatory revolution in Algeria and to understand if this hard line will become a model or remain an isolated case.