Guernsey is positioned as a trusted, agile, and forward-thinking jurisdiction for digital financial innovation with a strong commitment to preventing financial crime. The GFSC regulates the finance sector including digital finance initiatives.
| Status | crypto_friendly |
| Risk Score | 15/100 (Low Risk) |
| Region | europe |
| Currency | GBP |
| Adoption Rank | #21 |
| Capital Gains (Personal) | 0% (no capital gains tax in Guernsey) |
| Capital Gains (Corporate) | 0% standard rate (10% for regulated finance, 20% for specific sectors) |
| VAT on Crypto | No |
| Required | Yes |
| Regulator | GFSC |
| Framework | Lending, Credit and Finance (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2022 (LCF Law) |
| Ease | medium |
| Cost (USD) | Application: £5,000 (non-exchange VASP) to £50,000 (exchange/stablecoin issuer); Annual: £7,500 to £65,000. As of 1 Jan 2026. USD equivalent approx. $6,300–$63,000 application / $9,500–$82,000 annual (at ~1.27 GBP/USD). |
Licensing is overseen by the GFSC with a focus on fiduciary and digital finance businesses.
GFSC has enforced AML compliance and taken action against unregistered service providers.
| KYC Required | Yes |
| Travel Rule | Yes |
| FATF Member | No |
| FATF Status | regular_follow_up |
| FATF Body | MONEYVAL |
| Suspicious-Activity Reporting | Yes |
Status: regulated
DeFi activities are regulated under the digital finance framework to ensure compliance with AML and financial crime prevention.
Status: consultation
As of June 2026 stablecoins are not yet separately regulated — a consultation paper (Dec 2025, open until March 6 2026) proposes treating stablecoins as a new asset class distinct from virtual assets. Proposed framework requires 100% backing by high-quality liquid assets, redemption within 5 calendar days, max 3-month maturity for backing instruments, capital requirements, reporting, and AML compliance. Once enacted, stablecoin issuers/platforms would be licensed as 'financial firm businesses' under the GFSC. Not yet in force as of 2026-06-01.
Status: no_rules
No NFT-specific regulation. NFTs assessed on characteristics under existing law.
| Legal | Yes |
| Electricity Cost | $0.18/kWh |
| Renewable Energy | 30% |
| Infrastructure | good |
Mining is legal with moderate electricity costs and a good infrastructure environment. Renewable energy accounts for 30% of electricity.
| Stability | stable |
| Sanctions | No |
| Corruption Index | 75/100 |
| Banking Access | open |
Guernsey offers a stable political environment with strong regulatory frameworks and open banking access for crypto businesses.
Guernsey is positioned as a trusted, agile, and forward-thinking jurisdiction for digital financial innovation with a strong commitment to preventing financial crime. The GFSC regulates the finance sector including digital finance initiatives.
Guernsey is classified by FATF as: regular_follow_up.
Yes, licensing is required for VASPs.
KYC is mandatory for crypto businesses.
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VASP licensing, jurisdiction analysis, AML/KYC, legal opinions, company registration and banking access.
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Explore IT Services →Last reviewed: 2026-06-01 · Data source: Soken Crypto Legal Map
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