Algeria vs Pakistan
Crypto regulation comparison
Algeria
Pakistan
Algeria maintains one of the world's strictest cryptocurrency bans. Article 117 of the 2018 Finance Law prohibits the purchase, sale, use, and possession of virtual currencies. Law No. 25-10 (2025) further codified criminal penalties including imprisonment and fines for crypto-related activities.
Pakistan has a hostile regulatory environment for cryptocurrency. The State Bank of Pakistan has prohibited financial institutions from facilitating crypto transactions, and the government has considered outright bans. Despite this, Pakistan has high informal crypto adoption, ranking among the top countries for P2P crypto volume. The SECP has explored blockchain regulation but no licensing framework exists for exchanges.
Key Points
- 2018 Finance Law (Article 117) prohibits purchase, sale, use, and holding of virtual currency
- No licensed crypto exchanges operate in Algeria
- Bank of Algeria has issued multiple warnings against cryptocurrency
- Law No. 25-10 (2025) codifies prison sentences and fines for crypto offenses
- Despite the ban, peer-to-peer crypto usage persists informally
Key Points
- SBP prohibits banks and financial institutions from processing crypto transactions
- No licensing framework for crypto exchanges; operating informally is risky
- High P2P crypto adoption despite regulatory hostility
- Government has considered formal banning legislation multiple times
- SECP has explored digital asset regulation but no framework enacted