🇧🇮 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	No
Electricity Cost	$0.18/kWh
Renewable Energy	35%
Infrastructure	poor

Crypto mining is effectively banned or non-existent due to regulatory environment and poor infrastructure.

Geopolitical Risk

Stability	unstable
Sanctions	No
Corruption Index	20/100
Banking Access	very_restricted
Sanctions Program Active	No

Risk Factors

political instability
poor infrastructure
capital controls
limited banking access
corruption

Burundi faces significant political instability and governance challenges, with very difficult business environment and restricted banking access for crypto companies. No international sanctions apply.