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

Legal framework

Banque du Liban (BDL) 2013 warning circular to banks; Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Official Gazette Announcement 30 (12 Feb 2018); Electronic Transactions and Personal Data Law; inter-ministerial committee drafting a digital-asset regulatory framework (active as of early 2026)

Status by sub-area

• Stablecoins

  None

  No specific stablecoin legislation exists. Private stablecoins — predominantly USDT — are widely used informally for savings and remittances with no reserve, redemption-rights, audit, or issuer-licensing requirements enacted. The BDL's own CBDC project has stalled.

  Still pending: BDL CBDC project stalled; no framework for private stablecoins enacted

• Exchanges / VASP

  None

  No licensing or registration regime exists for crypto exchanges or VASPs. CMA Announcement 30 (2018) bars CMA-licensed institutions from crypto activities, but dedicated crypto-only exchanges operating outside regulated finance have no formal legal pathway or supervisory requirements.

• Token Offerings

  None

  Lebanon has enacted no legislation specifically governing ICOs, STOs, or token offerings. The Electronic Transactions and Personal Data Law provides a vague reference to 'digital and electronic money' but does not classify tokens as securities or establish any prospectus, disclosure, or investor-exemption regime for token sales.

• Custody

  None

  No dedicated custody rules govern client crypto assets in Lebanon. Requirements for asset segregation, proof-of-reserves, qualified-custodian status, or insurance do not exist; custodian and non-custodian service providers operate outside any specific prudential framework.

• DeFi

  Unclear

  Lebanon has issued no guidance, policy, or enforcement action specific to DeFi protocols, DAOs, or decentralised front-ends. The general prohibition on CMA-licensed institutions does not technically extend to unlicensed DeFi participants, leaving the space entirely unaddressed.

  Still pending: No guidance or regulatory framework for DeFi protocols, DAOs, decentralized venues

• Tax

  Partial

  Lebanon applies a 15% capital-gains tax to individual crypto profits and treats crypto received by businesses as taxable income under the standard corporate rate. The 2024 Budget Law introduced enhanced reporting requirements for crypto transactions effective 1 January 2025 and permits tax settlement in foreign currency; staking, airdrop, and mining income are not specifically legislated.

  Still pending: Tax treatment of staking, airdrops, mining income not yet codified

Key points: crypto & digital assets in Lebanon

1. 01BDL Banking Prohibition

   Since at least 2013, the Banque du Liban has issued circulars warning commercial banks and financial institutions against handling crypto-related transactions, effectively severing formal banking channels for the sector.

   bdl.gov.lb freemanlaw.com

2. 02CMA 2018 Institutional Ban

   CMA Official Gazette Announcement 30 (12 February 2018) explicitly prohibited all CMA-licensed financial institutions from issuing, marketing, advertising, or trading cryptocurrencies, for their own account or on behalf of clients, citing volatility, AML/CFT risks, and absence of central-bank backing.

   byblosbank.com unlock-bc.com

3. 03Individual Gray Zone

   No Lebanese statute explicitly criminalises individual crypto ownership or peer-to-peer trading. Crypto use surged after the 2019 financial collapse; USDT is widely used as a de-facto savings and remittance instrument, with an estimated 430,000+ users by 2026.

   freemanlaw.com coinshares.com

4. 04Inter-Ministerial Framework in Progress

   Following the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Economy Minister Amer Bisat met Binance executives and confirmed that an inter-ministerial committee has begun laying the groundwork for a digital-asset regulatory framework; a BDL official has advocated for an EU MiCA-style model.

   economymiddleeast.com thebeiruter.com

5. 05Stalled CBDC Project

   The BDL explored a CBDC from 2017 onward and announced a 2021 launch that never materialised; the project is considered stalled due to institutional credibility concerns following the banking collapse and the sanctioning of former Governor Riad Salameh.

   cbdctracker.hrf.org cointelegraph.com

6. 06Tax, Partial Regime

   Lebanon applies a 15% capital-gains tax to individual crypto profits and taxes crypto received by businesses as ordinary income. The 2024 Budget Law introduced enhanced crypto-transaction reporting obligations effective 1 January 2025 and permits crypto tax settlement in foreign currency; staking and airdrop treatment is not specifically legislated.

   asset-hodler.com taxsummaries.pwc.com

Sources

1. 1.bdl.gov.lb/
2. 2.cma.gov.lb/
3. 3.byblosbank.com/common/economic-research-new/lebanon-this-week/lebanon-this-week-528/
4. 4.unlock-bc.com/81764/lebanons-capital-markets-authority-warns-against-cryptocurrenci
5. 5.freemanlaw.com/cryptocurrency/lebanon/
6. 6.economymiddleeast.com/news/lebanon-minister-economy-binance-crypto-regulatory-roadmap/
7. 7.cbdctracker.hrf.org/currency/lebanon
8. 8.taxsummaries.pwc.com/lebanon/individual/taxes-on-personal-income
9. 9.lebarmy.gov.lb/en/content/regulating-cryptocurrencies-dilemma-reaching-consensus
10. 10.coinshares.com/insights/the-node/por-trading-hope-how-crypto-became-lebanon-plan-b/
11. 11.thebeiruter.com/article/lebanon-meets-with-binance-on-crypto-regulation/1204
12. 12.cointelegraph.com/news/lebanon-to-launch-digital-currency-in-face-of-economic-and-finan
13. 13.asset-hodler.com/lebanons-crypto-tax-rules-explained/