Egypt vs Guatemala
Crypto regulation comparison
Egypt
Guatemala
Restricted
No Regulation
Egypt heavily restricts cryptocurrency. The Central Bank of Egypt prohibits banks from dealing in or facilitating crypto transactions, and a 2018 Dar al-Ifta fatwa declared crypto trading haram. However, Egypt's 2020 banking law created a framework that could eventually allow regulated crypto under CBE licensing.
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
Unclear
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Rate
N/A
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
No
Exchanges
Yes
Mining
No
Mining
Yes
Regulator
Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), Dar al-Ifta
Regulator
Banguat (Banco de Guatemala), SIB
Stablecoin Rules
Not applicable under current restrictions
Stablecoin Rules
No stablecoin-specific regulation
Key Points
- CBE prohibits banks and financial institutions from dealing in cryptocurrency
- Dar al-Ifta issued a 2018 religious ruling (fatwa) against crypto trading
- 2020 Central Bank and Banking Sector Law requires CBE approval for any crypto activity
- Creating or operating a crypto platform without CBE license is illegal
- Despite restrictions, Egypt has significant peer-to-peer crypto activity
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