France vs Guatemala
Crypto regulation comparison
France
Guatemala
Legal
No Regulation
France has one of Europe's most developed crypto regulatory frameworks. The PACTE law (2019) established the PSAN (prestataire de services sur actifs numériques) registration regime, now transitioning to MiCA licensing. Crypto gains are subject to the 30% flat tax (prélèvement forfaitaire unique).
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
30%
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
Yes
Exchanges
Yes
Mining
Yes
Mining
Yes
Regulator
AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers), ACPR
Regulator
Banguat (Banco de Guatemala), SIB
Stablecoin Rules
Regulated under MiCA; stablecoin issuers need e-money or credit institution license
Stablecoin Rules
No stablecoin-specific regulation
Key Points
- 30% flat tax on crypto capital gains (12.8% income tax + 17.2% social charges) for non-professionals
- PSAN registration required by AMF for all crypto service providers (mandatory since 2023)
- Transitioning from PSAN regime to MiCA licensing framework in 2024-2025
- Professional crypto traders may opt for progressive income tax rates
- France is home to major crypto companies including Ledger and Société Générale's FORGE
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