CEMAC has a restrictive but evolving crypto regulatory landscape. COBAC issued Decision D-2022/071 (May 6, 2022) prohibiting all regulated banks, microfinance institutions, and payment service providers from holding or facilitating crypto transactions. COSUMAF (the regional financial markets regulator) established a VASP licensing framework via Regulation nº 01/22/CEMAC/UMAC (July 2022) and finalized it in May 2023, requiring accreditation for virtual asset service providers. CAR's Bitcoin legal-tender experiment (Law nº 22.004, April 2022) and the Sango project were effectively dismantled — Sango was partially struck down by CAR's Constitutional Council (Decision nº 008 CC/22, August 2022) and the Bitcoin legal-tender law was repealed in March 2023 under IMF pressure. BEAC is working with the IMF on a sub-regional crypto-asset regulatory framework, with publication expected later in 2026; a joint BEAC-IMF workshop was held February 23-27, 2026 in Yaoundé. BEAC is also pursuing a digital CFA franc (CBDC) as its preferred monetary sovereignty response to stablecoins.
| Status | Restricted |
| Risk Score | 55/100 (High Risk) |
| Region | supranational |
| Currency | XAF |
| Capital Gains (Personal) | No specific guidance |
| Capital Gains (Corporate) | No specific guidance |
| VAT on Crypto | No |
| Staking Tax | No specific guidance |
| Airdrop Tax | No specific guidance |
No crypto-specific tax guidance available.
| Required | Yes |
| Regulator | COSUMAF |
| Framework | No crypto framework |
Enforcement focused on unlicensed operators and AML/KYC violations
| KYC Required | No |
| Travel Rule | No |
| FATF Member | No |
| FATF Status | non_compliant |
| Suspicious-Activity Reporting | No |
Status: Restricted
DeFi activities may face restrictions under existing financial regulations
Status: no_rules
No specific stablecoin framework; general financial regulations may apply
Status: no_rules
No specific NFT regulation; may be subject to existing financial rules
| Legal | No |
| Electricity Cost | $0.15/kWh |
| Renewable Energy | 20% |
| Infrastructure | fair |
Mining is restricted in the CEMAC region with no formal regulatory framework. Electricity costs are relatively high and renewable energy share is moderate. Infrastructure is fair but limited for large scale mining.
| Stability | moderate |
| Sanctions | No |
| Corruption Index | 28/100 |
| Banking Access | restricted |
Risk Factors
The CEMAC region faces moderate political stability with challenges including corruption and difficult business environment. Crypto companies face restricted banking access and regulatory uncertainty.
CEMAC has a restrictive but evolving crypto regulatory landscape. COBAC issued Decision D-2022/071 (May 6, 2022) prohibiting all regulated banks, microfinance institutions, and payment service providers from holding or facilitating crypto transactions. COSUMAF (the regional financial markets regulator) established a VASP licensing framework via Regulation nº 01/22/CEMAC/UMAC (July 2022) and finalized it in May 2023, requiring accreditation for virtual asset service providers. CAR's Bitcoin legal
CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community) is classified by FATF as: non_compliant.
Yes, licensing is required for VASPs.
KYC is not universally mandated.
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Explore IT Services →Last reviewed: 2026-06-01 · Data source: Soken Crypto Legal Map
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