🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is governed by CEMAC-wide crypto rules. COBAC's May 2022 directive bans regulated financial institutions from holding or facilitating crypto transactions. A December 2022 CEMAC regulation introduced a legal concept of Virtual Asset Service Providers requiring accreditation, but implementing rules are still pending as of mid-2026. BEAC is developing a digital CFA franc (CBDC not yet launched) and opposes dollar-backed stablecoins. No crypto-specific licensing framework is operational. Individual crypto use is in a legal grey zone; institutional crypto is banned.

Overview

StatusRestricted
Risk Score95/100 (Very High Risk)
Regionafrica central
CurrencyXAF

Tax Information

Capital Gains (Personal)No specific guidance
Capital Gains (Corporate)25% CIT (reduced from 35%); capital gains treated as ordinary business income
VAT on CryptoNo
Staking TaxNo specific guidance
Airdrop TaxNo specific guidance

No crypto-specific tax guidance.

Licensing & Registration

RequiredNo
RegulatorCOBAC / BEAC
FrameworkNo crypto framework

No crypto licensing framework exists.

Enforcement Activity

Level: None

No known enforcement actions.

AML / KYC

KYC RequiredNo
Travel RuleNo
FATF MemberNo
FATF Statusnon_compliant
FATF BodyGABAC
Suspicious-Activity ReportingNo

DeFi, Stablecoins & NFTs

Status: Unclear

No regulation.

Stablecoins

Status: no_rules

No framework.

NFTs

Status: no_rules

No regulation.

Mining

LegalYes
Electricity Cost$0.12/kWh
Renewable Energy20%
Infrastructurefair

Mining legality is not explicitly stated but presumed legal due to lack of restrictions; electricity cost relatively high; infrastructure moderate.

Geopolitical Risk

Stabilityunstable
SanctionsNo
Corruption Index20/100
Banking Accessrestricted

Risk Factors

Equatorial Guinea faces political instability and corruption challenges; banking access for crypto companies is limited; no major international sanctions currently.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cryptocurrency legal in Equatorial Guinea?

Equatorial Guinea is governed by CEMAC-wide crypto rules. COBAC's May 2022 directive bans regulated financial institutions from holding or facilitating crypto transactions. A December 2022 CEMAC regulation introduced a legal concept of Virtual Asset Service Providers requiring accreditation, but implementing rules are still pending as of mid-2026. BEAC is developing a digital CFA franc (CBDC not yet launched) and opposes dollar-backed stablecoins. No crypto-specific licensing framework is operat

What is the FATF status of Equatorial Guinea?

Equatorial Guinea is classified by FATF as: non_compliant.

What is the AML/KYC regime in Equatorial Guinea?

KYC is not universally mandated.

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Last reviewed: 2026-06-01 · Data source: Soken Crypto Legal Map

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