Albania vs Hong Kong
Crypto regulation comparison
Albania
Hong Kong
Legal
Legal
Albania adopted Law No. 66/2020 on Financial Markets Based on Distributed Ledger Technology, establishing a comprehensive licensing framework for crypto activities. The AMF and AKSHI jointly supervise. A 2022 licensing regime allows five types of DLT licenses. Crypto profits taxed at 15% capital gains; mining income taxed at 0-23%.
Hong Kong has positioned itself as a major crypto hub in Asia with a comprehensive licensing regime. The SFC implemented a mandatory licensing framework for virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) effective June 2023. Hong Kong has no capital gains tax, making it attractive for crypto investors and businesses.
Tax Type
Capital gains
Tax Type
No tax
Tax Rate
15%
Tax Rate
0%
Exchanges
Yes
Exchanges
Yes
Mining
Yes
Mining
Yes
Regulator
Financial Supervisory Authority of Albania (AMF)
Regulator
SFC (Securities and Futures Commission), HKMA
Stablecoin Rules
No specific stablecoin regulation
Stablecoin Rules
HKMA developing a licensing regime for stablecoin issuers under a 2024 bill
Key Points
- Law on Financial Markets Based on DLT adopted in 2020
- Five types of DLT licenses: exchange, agent, custody, collective investment, innovative service
- Crypto profits taxed at 15% capital gains; mining at 0-23% income rates
- AML/KYC requirements apply to crypto service providers
- Albania remains on FATF grey list for AML/CFT monitoring
Key Points
- Mandatory VATP licensing regime under the AMLO effective June 1, 2023
- No capital gains tax in Hong Kong; profits tax applies only to business profits
- SFC approved spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs for retail investors in April 2024
- HKMA consulting on stablecoin issuer licensing under a dedicated bill
- Hong Kong actively competes with Singapore as Asia's leading crypto hub