Colombia vs Guatemala
Crypto regulation comparison
Colombia
Guatemala
Legal
No Regulation
Cryptocurrency is legal in Colombia but not recognized as legal tender or currency. The SFC has run regulatory sandbox programs for crypto-financial services, and exchanges operate under general business registration. Colombia has high crypto adoption, particularly for remittances and as an inflation hedge.
Guatemala has no specific cryptocurrency regulation. The Banco de Guatemala has stated that crypto is not legal tender and not backed by the central bank, but has not banned its use. Crypto usage exists primarily for remittances from the US-based diaspora.
Tax Type
Capital gains
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Rate
0-39%
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
Yes
Exchanges
Yes
Mining
Yes
Mining
Yes
Regulator
SFC (Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia), DIAN
Regulator
Banguat (Banco de Guatemala), SIB
Stablecoin Rules
No specific stablecoin regulations yet
Stablecoin Rules
No stablecoin-specific regulation
Key Points
- Crypto is legal but not recognized as currency or legal tender
- SFC operates regulatory sandboxes allowing banks to partner with crypto exchanges
- DIAN (tax authority) requires reporting and taxation of crypto gains as part of general income
- Colombia ranks among the top 20 countries globally in crypto adoption
- No comprehensive crypto-specific legislation yet; regulation evolving
Key Points
- No specific cryptocurrency legislation exists
- Banguat has warned that crypto is not legal tender and not government-backed
- Crypto is neither explicitly legal nor illegal for private use
- Remittance use case is significant given large diaspora in the US
- Tax treatment of crypto gains is unclear