🇧🇮 Burundi

Burundi has a total ban on all cryptocurrency transactions issued by the BRB in August/September 2019. Virtual currencies are declared to have no legal tender, and no financial institution is authorized to offer services using virtual currencies. The ban remains in effect as of 2026, with no new framework enacted. Underground crypto trading continues illicitly.

Overview

Status	Banned
Risk Score	70/100 (High Risk)
Region	africa east
Currency	BIF

Tax Information

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.

Licensing & Registration

Required	No
Regulator	BRB
Framework	No crypto framework

No crypto licensing framework exists.

Enforcement Activity

Level: None

No known enforcement actions.

AML / KYC

KYC Required	Yes
Travel Rule	No
FATF Member	No
FATF Status	not_listed
FATF Body	ESAAMLG
Suspicious-Activity Reporting	Yes

DeFi, Stablecoins & NFTs

Status: Unclear

No regulation.

Stablecoins

Status: no_rules

No framework.

NFTs

Status: no_rules

No regulation.

Mining

Legal	Yes
Electricity Cost	$0.18/kWh
Renewable Energy	35%
Infrastructure	poor

No explicit mining regulations found; electricity cost relatively high; infrastructure limited.

Geopolitical Risk

Stability	unstable
Sanctions	No
Corruption Index	17/100
Banking Access	restricted

Risk Factors

political instability
capital controls
dual exchange rate
limited infrastructure
high inflation
corruption

Burundi faces severe political instability and governance challenges. Freedom House 2025 rates Burundi 'Not Free' (15/100). CPI 2024 score fell to 17 (from 20 in 2023), rank 165/180. EU removed all sanctions designations in September 2025; OFAC sanctions terminated 2021; EU framework technically in force until Oct 2026 but zero active designations. IMF 2025 Article IV flags dual exchange rate system, capital controls, 39% inflation (early 2025), FX shortages. No active FATF/UN/OFAC country-level sanctions as of June 2026.