Kyrgyzstan vs Pakistan
Crypto regulation comparison
Kyrgyzstan
Pakistan
Legal
Restricted
Kyrgyzstan adopted the Law on Virtual Assets in 2022 requiring licensing for exchanges, mining, and VASPs. Over 120 licensed VASPs operate. Crypto turnover exceeded traditional securities market in 2024.
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
Income
Tax Type
None
Tax Rate
10%
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
Yes
Exchanges
No
Mining
Yes
Mining
Yes
Regulator
State Financial Supervision Authority
Regulator
SBP (State Bank of Pakistan), SECP
Stablecoin Rules
Regulated under Virtual Assets Law
Stablecoin Rules
No regulation; SBP has not authorized any crypto activities
Key Points
- Law on Virtual Assets adopted in 2022 with licensing framework
- Over 120 licensed VASPs active by late 2024
- Three license types: trading operator, currency exchanger, mining operator
- Crypto sector contributed 800M KGS in taxes in 2024
- Virtual assets not recognized as legal tender but circulate under special regime
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