Is crypto legal in Belize? Rules & regulation (2026)

Legal framework

Financial Services Commission Act 2023 (Act No. 8 of 2023); Financial Services Commission (Digital Asset Services Licensing) Regulations, 2025 (SI No. 162, effective 30 December 2025); Financial Services Commission (Amendment) Act, 2026, regulator: Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Belize

Status by sub-area

• Stablecoins

  Partial

  Stablecoins are expressly included in the virtual-asset definition under the FSC Act 2023 and must be dealt in only under an FSC licence. However, no dedicated stablecoin-specific rules on reserve backing, redemption rights, or attestation have been enacted; stablecoins are regulated solely through the general digital-asset licensing regime.

  Still pending: Stablecoin-specific rules on reserve backing, redemption rights, attestation not yet enacted

• Exchanges / VASP

  In force

  Crypto exchanges and all virtual-asset service providers operating in or from Belize must hold an FSC licence under SI No. 162 of 2025 (effective 30 December 2025). A licensing freeze (April 2023 – 31 December 2025) barred new licences during the transitional period; the permanent regime will be governed by the FSC (Amendment) Act 2026.

• Token Offerings

  Unclear

  Belize has not enacted any specific ICO, STO, or token-issuance regulatory regime. Token sales by Belize-incorporated entities are covered by the broad virtual-asset definition and licensing requirement, but no prospectus obligations, securities classification tests, or investor-protection rules specific to token offerings have been published.

  Still pending: ICO/STO-specific regulatory regime and prospectus/investor-protection rules not enacted

• Custody

  Partial

  Custodial services for virtual assets are a licensable activity under SI No. 162 of 2025, requiring FSC authorisation and adherence to AML/CFT standards. However, detailed custody-specific rules on client-asset segregation, qualified-custodian status, proof of reserves, or insurance have not been published as of May 2026.

  Still pending: Detailed custody rules on segregation, qualified-custodian status, proof of reserves, insurance not published

• DeFi

  None

  Belize has issued no regulatory guidance or enforcement action specific to decentralised finance protocols, DEXs, or DAOs. DeFi activity by Belize-incorporated entities could theoretically be captured by the broad virtual-asset service definition, but no formal DeFi policy or enforcement posture has been articulated.

  Still pending: DeFi regulatory guidance, policy, and enforcement posture not articulated

• Tax

  In force

  Belize's territorial tax system and absence of capital gains tax make it generally favourable for crypto holders: foreign-sourced crypto gains, staking rewards, and trading profits are not subject to Belizean tax. Belize committed in November 2023 to implement the OECD's CARF for automatic cross-border information exchange by 2027, with data collection expected from 1 January 2026.

Key points: crypto & digital assets in Belize

1. 01Licensing regime, temporary then permanent

   SI No. 162 of 2025 (effective 30 December 2025) introduced a structured FSC licensing regime for all digital-asset service providers in or from Belize, with AML/CFT obligations aligned to FATF standards. The regulations are explicitly transitional and expire upon commencement of the FSC (Amendment) Act, 2026, which Belize has now enacted.

   belizefsc.org.bz belizefsc.org.bz

2. 02Virtual-asset definition and scope

   Act No. 8 of 2023 defines a virtual asset as any digital representation of value that can be traded, transferred, or used for payment or investment, expressly including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and NFTs. Unlicensed business involving virtual assets is a criminal offence under section 81 of the Act.

   agm.gov.bz breakingbelizenews.com

3. 03Extraterritorial application

   Any entity incorporated or registered under Belizean law that provides digital-asset services outside Belize is deemed to be providing those services from within Belize and must therefore be licensed, aligning Belize with FATF's travel-rule and VASP registration expectations.

   belizefsc.org.bz irglobal.com

4. 04CARF commitment for tax reporting

   Belize signed the OECD joint statement in November 2023 committing to implement the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and begin automatic information exchange with foreign tax authorities by 2027. Domestic legislation to collect CARF data from 1 January 2026 onwards was required by end-2025.

   oecd.org breakingbelizenews.com

5. 05No capital gains tax; territorial system

   Belize levies no capital gains tax and taxes only locally sourced income. Crypto gains and staking income derived from foreign sources are therefore not subject to Belizean income tax for residents, making it a relatively favourable jurisdiction for crypto holders.

   beaumont-capitalmarkets.co.uk georgetowntrust.com

6. 06Ongoing public consultation, permanent framework

   The FSC published a formal crypto-assets questionnaire on 21 May 2025, seeking industry and public input to shape the permanent regulatory framework anticipated under the 2026 Amendment Act; the FSC Director General highlighted ongoing capacity-building as recently as May 2026.

   belizefsc.org.bz belizefsc.org.bz

Sources

1. 1.agm.gov.bz/uploads/laws/64bae9b5dca1d_Act_No._08_of_2023_Financial_Services_Comm
2. 2.belizefsc.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SI-No-162-of-2025-Financial-Services-Commi
3. 3.belizefsc.org.bz/financial-services-commission-digital-assets-services-regulations-202
4. 4.belizefsc.org.bz/financial-services-commission-amendment-act-2026/
5. 5.belizefsc.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FSC-Crypto-Assets-Questionnaire-21.05.25-f
6. 6.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/networks/global-forum-tax-transparency/commitment
7. 7.breakingbelizenews.com/2023/11/12/financial-services-commission-clarifies-belizes-position-o
8. 8.breakingbelizenews.com/2023/11/10/belize-joins-fellow-cryptocurrency-markets-in-implementing
9. 9.irglobal.com/article/belize-digital-asset-services-licensing-regulations-2025-juri
10. 10.beaumont-capitalmarkets.co.uk/belize-crypto-taxation-rules-expats-digital-nomads/
11. 11.georgetowntrust.com/blog/discover-why-belize-is-the-most-sought-after-tax-neutral-jurisdi
12. 12.belizefsc.org.bz/crypto-assets-questionnaire/