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

Crypto is unclear in Fiji.

Fiji enacted a comprehensive ban on all virtual asset services effective 30 August 2025, via Section 22(2) of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Act 1983 as amended by the Budget Amendment Act 2025. Any natural or legal person, whether based in Fiji or overseas, is prohibited from operating exchanges, facilitating transfers, offering custody, or marketing virtual assets to Fijian residents. Penalties reach FJD $1 million in fines or 14 years imprisonment, with the NAMLC citing AML/CFT and proliferation-financing risks and insufficient domestic supervisory capacity as the primary rationale.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Fiji with other countries

Legal framework

Reserve Bank of Fiji Act 1983, Section 22(2), as amended by the Reserve Bank of Fiji Budget Amendment Act 2025; administered by the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) and the National Anti-Money Laundering Council (NAMLC)

Status by sub-area

  • Stablecoins

    None

    Stablecoins are explicitly named in the RBF's prohibition under Section 22(2) of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Act 1983. Issuance, transfer, or marketing of stablecoins in or targeting Fiji is illegal as of 30 August 2025, with no licensing pathway available.

  • Exchanges / VASP

    None

    Operating or facilitating a crypto exchange or any VASP function — including order matching, fiat-to-crypto conversion, and wallet provision — is prohibited under Section 22(2) of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Act 1983 effective 30 August 2025. No licensing or registration regime exists; the activity is categorically banned.

  • Token Offerings

    None

    Token sales (ICOs, STOs, utility token launches) are implicitly banned as the underlying assets — including utility tokens and security tokens — are categorically prohibited virtual assets under Section 22(2). No prospectus, disclosure, or exemption framework has been established.

  • Custody

    None

    Safekeeping (custody) of virtual assets on behalf of another person is one of the explicitly prohibited VASP activities under Section 22(2). No qualified-custodian framework, segregation rules, or proof-of-reserves requirements exist because the service itself is banned.

  • DeFi

    None

    No DeFi-specific rules have been issued, but the blanket prohibition on all virtual asset services and the underlying assets means any DeFi protocol or front-end targeting Fiji residents falls within the ban. The RBF has not publicly addressed DAOs or protocol governance separately.

  • Tax

    Unclear

    Fiji's Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has issued no specific guidance on crypto taxation, and no dedicated crypto capital-gains or VAT treatment has been codified. The August 2025 ban renders most taxable crypto activity illegal, making formal tax rules moot for the foreseeable future; any residual personal holdings are taxed (if at all) under general income principles without official guidance.

Key points: crypto & digital assets in Fiji

  1. Full VASP Prohibition, 30 Aug 2025

    Section 22(2) of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Act 1983, activated via the Budget Amendment Act 2025, prohibits any person from holding out as, or conducting business as, a virtual asset service provider in or targeting Fiji. The RBF published formal notice in Press Release No. 15 (September 2025).

    rbf.gov.fj rbf.gov.fj

  2. Scope of Prohibition

    The ban covers exchange, transfer, safekeeping, sale, and marketing of all virtual assets, explicitly including Bitcoin, NFTs, stablecoins, utility tokens, and security tokens. It applies to domestic and foreign entities targeting Fiji residents.

    rbf.gov.fj fijitimes.com.fj

  3. Penalties

    Violations carry a fine of up to FJD $1 million or imprisonment of up to 14 years upon conviction, representing among the stiffest criminal penalties for crypto activity in the Pacific region.

    fijitimes.com.fj rbf.gov.fj

  4. AML/CFT and FATF Rationale

    The NAMLC justified the prohibition citing FATF Recommendation 15, which permits outright prohibition where a jurisdiction lacks sufficient supervisory and enforcement capacity to regulate VASPs. Fiji's small financial system and limited regulatory resources were identified as key factors.

    fijitimes.com.fj fincrimecentral.com crowdfundinsider.com

  5. Non-Legal-Tender Status Reaffirmed

    The Reserve Bank of Fiji also clarified (December 2025) that cryptocurrencies do not constitute legal tender and that no digital representation of a fiat currency issued by the RBF exists, ruling out any CBDC equivalence arguments.

    gate.com

  6. Ban Subject to Future Review

    The NAMLC stated the prohibition will be reviewed as regulatory and technological frameworks improve globally, leaving open the possibility of future regulated access, but with no timeline announced as of May 2026.

    crowdfundinsider.com dig.watch

Timeline of decisions

  1. Decision
    ‘The Crypto Program’ promoter deported from Fiji over alleged $165 million Ponzi scheme

    The Block

Sources

  1. rbf.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Press-Release-No-15-VASP-Prohibition.pdf
  2. rbf.gov.fj/reserve-bank-of-fiji-budget-amendment-act-2025/
  3. rbf.gov.fj/
  4. fijitimes.com.fj/rbf-cracks-down-on-crypto-all-virtual-asset-services-now-illegal-in-f
  5. fijitimes.com.fj/1m-fine-or-14-years-for-crypto-crime/
  6. fijitimes.com.fj/no-room-for-crypto-firms-in-fiji-says-anti-money-laundering-body/
  7. crowdfundinsider.com/2025/09/252029-fiji-reaffirms-ban-on-crypto-service-providers-citing-
  8. fincrimecentral.com/fiji-ban-vasps-money-laundering-risks/
  9. dig.watch/updates/fiji-enforces-strict-ban-on-cryptocurrency-services
  10. gate.com/crypto-wiki/article/fiji-central-bank-clarifies-cryptocurrency-s-non-

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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