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

Crypto is developing in Guyana.

Guyana has no licensing or regulatory framework permitting cryptocurrency or VASP operations. The Attorney General declared crypto 'not legal' in 2020, and the FIU's January 2024 National Risk Assessment formally recommended prohibition of all VA and VASP activities, citing AML/CFT vulnerabilities. The draft Compliance Commission Bill, which has not yet been enacted as of early 2026, would codify this prohibition; the AML/CFT Amendment Act 2023 (No. 15) has already brought VAs/VASPs within the AML/CFT supervisory perimeter.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Guyana with other countries

Legal framework

AML/CFT Act as amended by Act No. 15 of 2023; FIU National Risk Assessment on Virtual Assets and VASPs (January 2024); draft Guyana Compliance Commission Bill, oversight roles assigned to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Bank of Guyana, and Guyana Securities Council

Status by sub-area

  • Stablecoins

    None

    No stablecoin-specific regulation exists in Guyana. Stablecoins are treated as virtual assets and fall under the general prohibition posture; no issuance, reserve, or authorization framework has been proposed.

  • Exchanges / VASP

    None

    No licensing or registration framework for crypto exchanges or VASPs has been established in Guyana. The AML/CFT Act 2023 amendment designated VASPs for AML/CFT supervision, but no exchanges have been authorized; the draft Compliance Commission Bill would formally prohibit VASP operations.

    Still pending: Draft Compliance Commission Bill pending — would formally prohibit VASP operations

  • Token Offerings

    None

    Guyana has no rules specific to token offerings, ICOs, or STOs. The Securities Industry Act (Cap. 73:04) governs securities but has not been extended to crypto-tokens; the general VA prohibition posture would apply to any token sale.

  • Custody

    None

    No custody-specific rules for digital assets have been issued in Guyana. There is no qualified-custodian regime, segregation requirement, proof-of-reserves obligation, or insurance mandate for crypto assets.

  • DeFi

    Unclear

    Guyana has taken no specific regulatory stance on decentralized finance. No guidance on DeFi protocols, DAOs, or front-end interfaces has been issued; the general VA prohibition posture likely extends to DeFi by implication, but no explicit enforcement has been documented.

  • Tax

    Partial

    Guyana has no crypto-specific tax legislation or GRA guidance. General income tax and capital gains tax rules technically apply to profits from crypto transactions in principle, but there is no dedicated reporting obligation, enforcement framework, or treatment of staking, mining, or airdrops.

Key points: crypto & digital assets in Guyana

  1. No Legal Status for Crypto

    The Attorney General publicly stated in 2020 that cryptocurrency is not legal in Guyana. No subsequent legislation has conferred legal status on virtual assets or crypto-assets of any kind.

    kaieteurnewsonline.com

  2. FIU 2024 Risk Assessment Mandates Prohibition

    Guyana's FIU concluded in its January 2024 National Risk Assessment that a policy decision was made to prohibit VA and VASP-related activities, citing the country's limited regulatory infrastructure and high AML/CFT risk exposure.

    fiu.gov.gy fiu.gov.gy

  3. AML/CFT Act 2023 Amendment Covers VAs and VASPs

    Act No. 15 of 2023 amended Guyana's AML/CFT Act to designate virtual assets and VASPs as supervised activities, assigning oversight responsibility to the FIU, Bank of Guyana, and Guyana Securities Council.

    bankofguyana.org.gy fiu.gov.gy

  4. Compliance Commission Bill Proposes Formal Ban

    The draft Guyana Compliance Commission Bill explicitly prohibits the use and exchange of virtual assets and all VASP operations in Guyana. The Compliance Commission is envisioned as the future regulatory authority; the Bill had not been enacted as of early 2026.

    fiu.gov.gy

  5. No Exchanges Licensed; No Application Process

    No cryptocurrency exchange or VASP has been licensed, registered, or authorized in Guyana. There is no current process by which an entity could apply for a VASP license under existing law.

    kaieteurnewsonline.com fiu.gov.gy

  6. No Crypto-Specific Tax Rules

    The Guyana Revenue Authority has not issued dedicated guidance on cryptocurrency taxation. General income tax and capital gains tax laws apply in principle, but no specific reporting obligations or enforcement framework for digital assets exist.

    gra.gov.gy

Sources

  1. fiu.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Risk-Assessment-Virtual-Assets-and-VASPs.p
  2. fiu.gov.gy/risk-assessments/
  3. fiu.gov.gy/aml-legislation/
  4. bankofguyana.org.gy/bog/images/Legislation/AMLCFT_Amendment_Act_2023_No_15.pdf
  5. bankofguyana.org.gy/bog/regulatory-framework/legislation
  6. kaieteurnewsonline.com/2020/11/12/accelerated-must-know-cryptocurrency-is-not-legal-in-guyan
  7. kaieteurnewsonline.com/2024/01/31/guyana-crypto-laws-in-2024/
  8. gra.gov.gy/tax-services/miscellaneous-taxes/capital-gains/

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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