Guatemala vs Saudi Arabia
Crypto regulation comparison
Guatemala
Saudi Arabia
No Regulation
Restricted
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.
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.
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Type
None
Tax Rate
N/A
Tax Rate
0%
Exchanges
Yes
Exchanges
No
Mining
Yes
Mining
Yes
Regulator
Banguat (Banco de Guatemala), SIB
Regulator
SAMA (Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority), CMA Saudi Arabia
Stablecoin Rules
No stablecoin-specific regulation
Stablecoin Rules
No regulation; crypto trading not authorized
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
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)