Denmark vs Saudi Arabia
Crypto regulation comparison
Denmark
Saudi Arabia
Cryptocurrency is legal in Denmark and regulated under EU frameworks including MiCA. Denmark has notably high tax rates on crypto gains, treated as personal income and taxed at rates up to 52%. The Danish Tax Council confirmed in 2018 that gains and losses on Bitcoin are taxable.
Saudi Arabia has an ambiguous but generally restrictive approach to cryptocurrency. SAMA has not licensed any crypto exchanges, and financial institutions are warned against dealing in crypto. However, crypto is not explicitly banned by law, and Saudi Arabia has participated in blockchain initiatives (Project Aber with the UAE central bank). No personal income or capital gains tax exists in Saudi Arabia.
Key Points
- Crypto gains taxed as personal income at 37-52% (among the highest in the world)
- Losses on crypto can be deducted against gains
- Finanstilsynet supervises crypto businesses under the Danish AML Act
- Denmark does not have its own crypto-specific legislation beyond EU frameworks
- Skattestyrelsen (tax authority) actively monitors crypto transactions and issues guidance
Key Points
- SAMA has not authorized or licensed any cryptocurrency exchanges
- Financial institutions warned against crypto transactions
- Crypto not explicitly banned but not regulated; exists in a legal gray area
- No personal income or capital gains tax in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia participated in CBDC experiments (Project Aber with UAE)