Iraq vs Pakistan
Crypto regulation comparison
Iraq
Pakistan
Banned
Restricted
Iraq has banned cryptocurrency dealings. The Central Bank of Iraq issued a directive in 2017 prohibiting banks, financial institutions, and exchange companies from dealing in cryptocurrency. Despite the ban, some underground and peer-to-peer crypto trading reportedly persists.
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.
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Type
None
Tax Rate
N/A
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
No
Exchanges
No
Mining
No
Mining
Yes
Regulator
CBI (Central Bank of Iraq)
Regulator
SBP (State Bank of Pakistan), SECP
Stablecoin Rules
Not applicable; crypto activities prohibited
Stablecoin Rules
No regulation; SBP has not authorized any crypto activities
Key Points
- CBI banned all crypto dealings by financial institutions in 2017
- Exchange companies are prohibited from handling cryptocurrency
- No regulatory framework for crypto businesses
- Underground and P2P crypto trading reportedly exists despite the ban
- The ban is motivated by AML concerns and financial stability considerations
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