Is crypto legal in Colombia? Rules & regulation (2026)
Crypto is developing in Colombia.
Cryptocurrency is legal in Colombia but operates in a regulatory grey area: no single comprehensive statute governs virtual assets as of May 2026. A landmark VASP licensing bill (Bill 510/2025) remained pending in Congress as of late 2025, while DIAN enacted mandatory crypto-transaction reporting rules (Resolution 000240, December 2025) aligned with the OECD CARF framework. Supervised financial institutions remain prohibited by the SFC from holding or facilitating crypto assets pending new legislation.
Legal framework
Proyecto de Ley 510/2025 (PSAV bill, pending Congress); DIAN Resolution 000240 of 24 Dec 2025; SFC regulatory guidance and closed sandbox
Status by sub-area
Stablecoins
ProposedNo stablecoin-specific regulation is in force. Bill 510/2025 would address stablecoin issuance; the Banco de la República is expected to hold supervisory primacy given stablecoins' impact on monetary sovereignty and foreign exchange.
Still pending: Bill 510/2025 awaiting enactment; Banco de la República implementing rules pending
Exchanges / VASP
ProposedNo mandatory exchange licensing regime is in force. Bill 510/2025 proposes a PSAV registry under the Superintendencia de Sociedades/SFC with AML/CFT, capital, and conduct requirements. The prior SFC regulatory sandbox (2021–2023) expired without creating permanent rules.
Still pending: Bill 510/2025 awaiting passage; PSAV registry and implementing rules not yet finalized
Token Offerings
NoneToken sales and ICOs have no dedicated regulatory framework in Colombia. Crypto assets are explicitly not classified as securities by the SFC or Banco de la República, so no prospectus or securities-disclosure regime applies to token offerings.
Custody
NoneNo dedicated crypto custody framework exists. The SFC has explicitly prohibited supervised financial institutions from providing crypto custody. Unregulated entities may offer custody services with no specific segregation, proof-of-reserves, or insurance requirements.
DeFi
NoneNo regulatory framework targets DeFi protocols, DAOs, or decentralized front-ends in Colombia. Regulatory authorities have issued no DeFi-specific guidance or enforcement actions as of May 2026.
Tax
In forceCrypto gains are taxable under Colombian income tax law and must be declared in personal returns. DIAN's Resolution 000240 (24 December 2025) now mandates PSCAs to report detailed user transaction data to DIAN for tax years from 2026, aligned with the OECD CARF framework; first reports are due by end of May 2027.
Key points: crypto & digital assets in Colombia
Legal Status
Crypto assets are not legal tender, money, or securities under Colombian law, but their use is not banned. The SFC and Banco de la República have issued this clarification; no single comprehensive crypto law is yet in force.
Bill 510/2025, PSAV Framework
Submitted to the House of Representatives on 25 February 2025, this 19-article bill proposes a PSAV (Proveedor de Servicios de Activos Virtuales) registry, licensing requirements, AML/CFT obligations, consumer protection, and a 12-month transition period for existing operators. As of November 2025 it remained pending in Congress.
DIAN Resolution 000240, Mandatory Reporting
Issued 24 December 2025, this resolution adds Chapter 11 on crypto-asset service provider reporting to DIAN's unified tax resolution, requiring PSCAs to disclose user transaction data, volumes, and balances for 2026 onward. First report due by end of May 2027; fines up to 1% of transaction value for non-compliance.
SFC Sandbox (Closed 2023)
SFC Prohibition on Supervised Entities
The SFC has explicitly reminded regulated financial institutions that they are not authorized to hold custody of, invest in, or facilitate transactions involving crypto assets under current rules.
FATF/OECD CARF Alignment
Both Bill 510/2025 (FATF Travel Rule provisions) and DIAN Resolution 000240 (OECD CARF) reflect Colombia's commitment to aligning its crypto AML/CFT and tax-transparency framework with international standards. Resolution 000240 covers foreign PSCAs serving Colombian residents.
Timeline of decisions
- DecisionDIAN Resolution 000240/2025: Mandatory Crypto Transaction Reporting by Exchanges
Colombia's tax authority (DIAN) issued Resolution 000240 requiring all domestic and foreign crypto asset service providers (PSCAs) to collect and submit user identification, transaction volumes, unit counts, and net balances to DIAN starting with the 2026 tax year, aligned with the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). Penalties run 0.5%, 1% of unreported transaction values, with first large-scale reports due May 2027.
The Block
- LawTax Reform Bill 283/2025C Filed: First Legislative Digital-Asset Tax Chapter
The Petro government submitted Tax Bill 283/2025C to Congress, including a dedicated chapter formally codifying the taxation of digital assets, the first time a Colombian legislative proposal has addressed crypto tax rates and mechanisms directly, complementing the parallel VASP regulation bill still in committee.
Dentons Cárdenas & Cárdenas
- Decision · officialBanco de la República CBDC Study: No Digital Peso in the Short Term
After years of theoretical research begun in 2018, Colombia's central bank published a comprehensive CBDC assessment concluding that a digital peso would have a 'null and insignificant' macroeconomic impact and that there are currently insufficient reasons to proceed, effectively shelving near-term issuance despite earlier Finance Ministry signals of interest.
Banco de la República
- LawBill 510/2024 Passes First Congressional Debate: VASP Regulatory Framework
A comprehensive 19-article draft law establishing supervision of Virtual Asset Service Providers (PSAVs) cleared its first committee debate in Congress, covering SFC oversight, AML/CTF obligations, consumer protection, and blockchain-sector support; the bill was renumbered 510/2025 for the following session and remained pending full passage as of November 2025.
Crypto.news
- Guidance · officialDIAN Unified Concept 1621/2023: Authoritative Crypto Tax Guidance
Colombia's DIAN consolidated a decade of doctrinal opinions into a single binding unified concept, confirming that crypto assets are intangible assets subject to income tax and patrimony declarations, establishing valuation rules, and clarifying treatment of mining, staking, and exchange gains, the definitive tax framework prior to any specific law.
DIAN
- LawDecree 1297/2023: PSAV Registry Formally Created Under SFC Supervision
The national government issued Decree 1297, formally establishing the Registry of Virtual Asset Service Providers (PSAV) administered by the Superintendencia Financiera, setting minimum-capital requirements, mandatory AML compliance programs, and administrator background checks for all exchanges, custodians, and crypto payment firms, making registration a prerequisite for lawful operation.
Forvis Mazars Colombia
- GuidanceSFC Draft External Circular: Rules for Bank-VASP Commercial Alliances
Drawing on two years of sandbox data, the Superintendencia Financiera released a draft external circular for public consultation defining how supervised banks may form alliances with crypto exchanges, setting customer due-diligence standards, product-scope limits, and consumer-disclosure requirements, marking the first attempt to convert pilot learnings into binding supervisory rules.
Holland & Knight
- DecisionUIAF Resolution 314/2021: First Binding AML Rules for Crypto
Colombia's financial intelligence unit (UIAF) issued Resolution 314, requiring any individual or entity that exchanges, custodies, or intermediates virtual assets, for itself or third parties, to report transactions exceeding approximately USD 150 (individual) or USD 450 (aggregate) to UIAF; non-compliance carries fines of 100-400 minimum monthly wages, making this Colombia's first binding AML instrument specifically targeting crypto.
DLA Piper
- DecisionSFC Authorizes Nine Crypto-Bank Pairings Inside InnovaFintech Sandbox
The Superintendencia Financiera approved nine partnerships between Colombian banks and crypto exchanges, including Bancolombia-Gemini, Davivienda-Binance, and Banco de Bogotá, Buda/Bitso, to test regulated fiat on/off-ramps inside its LaArenera regulatory sandbox; the two-year program generated the empirical basis for subsequent PSAV registry rules and SFC supervisory circulars.
CoinDesk
- Guidance · officialDIAN Oficio 30470/2019: Crypto Formally Classified as Intangible Assets
In an official ruling, DIAN classified cryptocurrencies as 'bienes inmateriales' (intangible assets), not money, currency, or securities, and confirmed they must be declared in income tax and wealth tax returns, with capital gains rules applying to disposals; this opinion anchored Colombia's fiscal treatment for years before the 2023 unified concept.
DIAN Normograma
- DecisionSFC Circular 52/2017: Bitcoin Declared Non-Legal-Tender; Bank Ban Reinforced
The Superintendencia Financiera issued Circular 52, formally declaring that bitcoin does not constitute legal tender and reaffirming that all supervised institutions are expressly prohibited from protecting, investing in, brokering, or managing virtual-money operations, tightening the 2014 framework while renewing public risk warnings.
CMS Law Expert Guide
- DecisionSFC Circular Letter 29/2014: Banks Barred from Crypto, Foundational Restriction
The Superintendencia Financiera issued Circular 29 prohibiting all supervised financial institutions from holding, investing in, or intermediating with digital currencies and warning the public about the unregulated risks of instruments such as Bitcoin; stopping short of an outright national ban, this measure set the tone for a decade of regulatory caution and is the starting point of Colombia's crypto policy framework.
CoinDesk
Sources
- dian.gov.co/normatividad/Normatividad/Resoluci%C3%B3n%20000240%20de%2024-12-2025.
- dian.gov.co/normatividad/Documents/Compilacion-de-la-doctrina-tributaria-vigente-
- congresovisible.uniandes.edu.co/proyectos-de-ley/ppor-la-cual-se-regulan-los-proveedores-de-servicios
- superfinanciera.gov.co/publicaciones/10106486/normativanormativa-generalboletin-juridico-sup
- hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/02/proyecto-de-ley-en-colombia-busca-re
- hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/01/la-dian-busca-regular-el-reporte-de-
- cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-crypto-regulation/colombia
- iclg.com/practice-areas/fintech-laws-and-regulations/colombia
- scorechain.com/blog/strengthening-cryptocurrency-regulations-in-colombia-is-your-bus
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Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026