Zambia is transitioning from an unregulated to a partially regulated crypto environment. Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender. The Bank of Zambia issued a VASP registration directive in early 2026 (deadline March 27, 2026), requiring all crypto service providers to register. Financial institutions are barred from processing transactions with unregistered VASPs from March 30, 2026. A comprehensive licensing framework is under development per the BoZ 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. The Securities and Exchange Commission Zambia has separately issued warnings on unregistered crypto schemes.
| Status | Restricted |
| Risk Score | 55/100 (High Risk) |
| Region | africa south |
| Currency | ZMW |
| 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.
| Required | Yes |
| Regulator | BOZ |
| Framework | No crypto framework |
No crypto licensing framework.
No known enforcement actions.
| Status | Research |
| Name | Zambia CBDC |
| Issuing Authority | The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) |
| Model | retail |
| KYC Required | No |
| Travel Rule | No |
| FATF Member | No |
| FATF Status | partially_compliant |
| FATF Body | ESAAMLG |
| Suspicious-Activity Reporting | No |
Status: Unclear
No regulation.
Status: no_rules
No framework.
Status: no_rules
No regulation.
| Legal | Yes |
| Electricity Cost | $0.04/kWh |
| Renewable Energy | 15% |
| Infrastructure | fair |
Mining is legal with relatively low electricity costs; infrastructure is developing but limited in scale.
| Stability | moderate |
| Sanctions | No |
| Corruption Index | 33/100 |
| Banking Access | moderate |
| Sanctions Program Active | No |
Risk Factors
Zambia has moderate political stability with ongoing economic challenges. No major international sanctions. Corruption remains a concern, and business environment is difficult but improving.
Zambia is transitioning from an unregulated to a partially regulated crypto environment. Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender. The Bank of Zambia issued a VASP registration directive in early 2026 (deadline March 27, 2026), requiring all crypto service providers to register. Financial institutions are barred from processing transactions with unregistered VASPs from March 30, 2026. A comprehensive licensing framework is under development per the BoZ 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. The Securities and E
Zambia is classified by FATF as: partially_compliant.
Yes, licensing is required for VASPs.
KYC is not universally mandated.
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Explore IT Services →Last reviewed: 2026-09-26 · Data source: Soken Crypto Legal Map
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