Cook Islands has no crypto-specific regulatory framework as of June 2026. The FSC (fsc.gov.ck) regulates traditional financial institutions only. A controversial Cryptocurrency (Ransomware Suppression) Bill 2025 — focused on ransomware asset recovery, not a licensing regime — was drafted but not tabled in parliament as of the verification date; it was preceded by a 'Tainted Cryptocurrency Recovery Bill 2023' that was withdrawn after Crown Law deemed it unconstitutional. In March 2026 the government established a Cryptocurrency Advisory Working Group (CAWG) to conduct a policy review. A separate Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 was passed in May 2026, modernising cybercrime laws (hacking, fraud, online bullying) aligned with the Budapest Convention — it does not create a crypto licensing regime. Cook Islands uses the NZD, has no central bank of its own, and there is no CBDC programme.
| Status | unknown |
| Risk Score | 45/100 (Moderate Risk) |
| Region | asia pacific |
| Currency | NZD |
| Capital Gains (Personal) | 0% - no capital gains tax; residents have a NZD 10,000 income tax exemption threshold and progressive rates of 25-30% on income above, but capital gains are explicitly exempt |
| Capital Gains (Corporate) | 20% CIT on domestic income; 0% for offshore/IBC companies not conducting business in Cook Islands |
| VAT on Crypto | No |
| Staking Tax | N/A |
| Airdrop Tax | N/A |
No crypto-specific tax guidance available.
| Required | No |
| Regulator | FSC |
| Framework | None (no crypto-specific framework) |
| Ease | unknown |
Licensing applies to traditional financial institutions; no explicit mention of crypto-specific licenses.
No detailed enforcement information available
| KYC Required | Yes |
| Travel Rule | No |
| FATF Member | No |
| FATF Status | fsrb_only |
| FATF Body | APG |
| Suspicious-Activity Reporting | Yes |
Status: unregulated
Status: unregulated
Status: unregulated
| Legal | Yes |
| Electricity Cost | $0.3/kWh |
| Renewable Energy | 15% |
| Infrastructure | fair |
Electricity costs are high compared to global averages; limited renewable energy share; infrastructure adequate but not advanced for large-scale mining.
| Stability | stable |
| Sanctions | No |
| Corruption Index | 55/100 |
| Banking Access | moderate |
Risk Factors
Cook Islands is politically stable with no international sanctions. Moderate corruption and ease of business. Internet freedom is good, but banking access for crypto companies is moderate due to small financial sector.
Cook Islands has no crypto-specific regulatory framework as of June 2026. The FSC (fsc.gov.ck) regulates traditional financial institutions only. A controversial Cryptocurrency (Ransomware Suppression) Bill 2025 — focused on ransomware asset recovery, not a licensing regime — was drafted but not tabled in parliament as of the verification date; it was preceded by a 'Tainted Cryptocurrency Recovery Bill 2023' that was withdrawn after Crown Law deemed it unconstitutional. In March 2026 the governm
Cook Islands is classified by FATF as: fsrb_only.
KYC is mandatory for crypto businesses.
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Explore IT Services →Last reviewed: 2026-06-01 · Data source: Soken Crypto Legal Map
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