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

Crypto is unclear in Burundi.

The Bank of the Republic of Burundi (BRB) issued a blanket prohibition on all cryptocurrency trading and remittances in September 2019, stating that virtual currencies have no legal tender status in Burundi and that no financial institution is authorised to offer payment or remittance services using them. The central bank warned that 'strong measures' would be taken against violators. As of mid-2026, no official legislation or BRB circular has reversed or formally replaced this prohibition; no licensing, custody, stablecoin, or token-offering framework exists.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Burundi with other countries

Legal framework

Banque de la République du Burundi (BRB) prohibition on all virtual currency transactions, announced September 2019; no enabling legislation or licensing regime exists

Status by sub-area

  • Stablecoins

    None

    No stablecoin-specific framework exists. The 2019 BRB blanket prohibition covers all virtual currencies including stablecoins; no issuer authorisation, reserve, or redemption framework has been established.

  • Exchanges / VASP

    None

    No licensing or registration regime for exchanges or VASPs exists. The BRB explicitly stated that no financial institution is authorised to offer payment or remittance services using virtual currencies, making exchange operation prohibited.

  • Token Offerings

    None

    No framework for ICOs, STOs, or token sales exists. Burundi has no securities-law classification of tokens and no prospectus or disclosure regime for digital-asset offerings.

  • Custody

    None

    No custody framework for digital assets exists. No qualified-custodian rules, asset-segregation requirements, proof-of-reserves obligations, or insurance mandates have been enacted.

  • DeFi

    None

    No DeFi-specific regulatory position has been issued. The 2019 BRB prohibition would encompass decentralised protocols to the extent they constitute virtual-currency transactions; no DAO treatment, protocol-scope guidance, or enforcement posture on DeFi has been published.

  • Tax

    None

    No crypto-specific tax rules exist. Because virtual-currency transactions are prohibited, Burundi's tax authority has not issued guidance on capital-gains, income treatment, VAT, staking, airdrop, or mining taxation for digital assets.

Key points: crypto & digital assets in Burundi

  1. 2019 BRB Prohibition

    In September 2019 the BRB's micro-finance director Alfred Nyobewumusi announced a blanket ban on all crypto transactions, citing that virtual currencies are not regulated, not issued by any government or central bank, and expose users to losses without legal recourse. Remittances in crypto were explicitly included.

    blockchain.bakermckenzie.com coindesk.com

  2. No Legal-Tender Status

    The BRB stated categorically that virtual currencies have no legal course (cours légal) on Burundian territory and that no financial institution may offer fund-remittance or payment services using virtual currencies.

    iwacu-burundi.org financemagnates.com

  3. Consumer-Protection Rationale

    The BRB justified the prohibition as consumer protection: crypto is traded on unregulated global platforms with highly volatile prices, and Burundian citizens who lost money had no legal recourse. The Bloomberg news report corroborated the announcement.

    bloomberg.com lexology.com

  4. No Formal Enabling Legislation

    The prohibition is a central-bank regulatory decree, not a parliamentary statute with explicit criminal penalties; however, the BRB threatened 'strong measures' against non-compliant parties. No subsequent official legislative act has established a licensing or regulatory framework.

    blockchain.bakermckenzie.com nortonrosefulbright.com

  5. No Verified Post-2019 Framework

    Some third-party commentary has referenced possible 2024 developments (regulatory sandbox, AML/KYC for crypto service providers), but these claims are not corroborated by any official BRB publication, government gazette, or primary legal source as of May 2026 and should be treated as unverified.

    brb.bi 2021-2025.state.gov

  6. FATF Compliance Gap

    Burundi has not been identified as having implemented FATF Recommendation 15 on virtual assets; the FATF June 2025 targeted update found over 75% of jurisdictions only partially compliant, and no Burundi-specific VASP supervisory regime has been publicly confirmed.

    fatf-gafi.org

Sources

  1. blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2019/09/11/burundi-bans-cryptocurrency/
  2. bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-04/crypto-blockchain-burundi-says-none-of-that-
  3. financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/regulation/burundi-bans-crypto-trading-warns-strict-ac
  4. coindesk.com/markets/2019/09/04/burundi-central-bank-director-strong-measures-will
  5. iwacu-burundi.org/les-monnaies-virtuelles-nont-pas-de-cours-legal-au-burundi/
  6. lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=f65847e0-d0b6-41b0-8a69-b1aa214fa160
  7. brb.bi/
  8. nortonrosefulbright.com/en-bi/knowledge/publications/184ac2f1/2024-fintech-outlook
  9. 2021-2025.state.gov/reports/2024-investment-climate-statements/burundi/
  10. fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/Fatfrecommendations/targeted-update-virtual-assets-va

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026