Albania vs El Salvador
Crypto regulation comparison
Albania
El Salvador
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%.
El Salvador made history in September 2021 by becoming the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender through the Bitcoin Law. However, under a January 2025 IMF agreement (Decreto 199), El Salvador amended the law to make Bitcoin acceptance by businesses voluntary rather than mandatory, and repealed several articles. There is no capital gains tax on Bitcoin. The CNAD regulates digital assets.
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
- First country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in September 2021 via the Bitcoin Law
- Government developed the Chivo wallet for citizens, offering $30 USD in BTC incentive
- January 2025 Decreto 199 made merchant Bitcoin acceptance voluntary (IMF condition)
- No capital gains tax on Bitcoin transactions for individuals
- Government has been accumulating Bitcoin reserves and launched Bitcoin-backed bonds