Papua New Guinea has no specific cryptocurrency or virtual asset regulation. The Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) does not license VASPs and has warned citizens against crypto involvement. Crypto is not prohibited but lacks legal tender status. BPNG issued a CBDC proof-of-concept in January 2025 (Digital Kina, with Soramitsu/Japan) but no rollout decision made. PNG was added to the FATF grey list on 13 February 2026.
| Status | Restricted |
| Risk Score | 67/100 (High Risk) |
| Region | asia pacific |
| Currency | PGK |
| Capital Gains (Personal) | 0% - no CGT |
| Capital Gains (Corporate) | 30% CIT |
| VAT on Crypto | No |
| Staking Tax | Unclear |
| Airdrop Tax | Unclear |
No crypto-specific tax guidance available.
| Required | No |
| Regulator | BPNG |
| Framework | No crypto-specific legislation |
| Ease | very_complex |
No detailed enforcement information available
| Status | Research |
| Name | Papua New Guinea CBDC |
| Issuing Authority | Central Bank of Papua New Guinea |
| Model | retail |
| Technology | Soramitsu |
| KYC Required | No |
| Travel Rule | No |
| FATF Member | No |
| FATF Status | grey_list |
| FATF Body | APG |
| Suspicious-Activity Reporting | No |
Status: unregulated
Status: unregulated
Status: unregulated
| Legal | Yes |
| Electricity Cost | $0.18/kWh |
| Renewable Energy | 15% |
| Infrastructure | fair |
Mining is legal but limited by high electricity costs and infrastructure constraints. The tropical climate increases cooling costs, and renewable energy share is low, impacting sustainability.
| Stability | moderate |
| Sanctions | No |
| Corruption Index | 26/100 |
| Banking Access | restricted |
| Sanctions Program Active | No |
Risk Factors
Papua New Guinea faces moderate political stability with ongoing governance challenges and corruption issues. Banking access for crypto firms is restricted, and the business environment is difficult. No major international sanctions apply.
Papua New Guinea has no specific cryptocurrency or virtual asset regulation. The Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) does not license VASPs and has warned citizens against crypto involvement. Crypto is not prohibited but lacks legal tender status. BPNG issued a CBDC proof-of-concept in January 2025 (Digital Kina, with Soramitsu/Japan) but no rollout decision made. PNG was added to the FATF grey list on 13 February 2026.
Papua New Guinea is classified by FATF as: grey_list.
KYC is not universally mandated.
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Explore IT Services →Last reviewed: 2026-09-20 · Data source: Soken Crypto Legal Map
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