A regulatory thunderclap falls on cryptocurrencies in Algeria. In a final decision, the country is definitely turning its back on any form of use, creation or exchange of virtual currencies.
Posted in the Official Journal No. 48 of July 24, 2025, the new law 25-10 deeply revises existing legislation on the fight against money laundering And the financing of terrorism, by integrating a strictly repressive component against digital assets.
Behind this reform, the authorities intend to close the door to a universe perceived as opaque, unstable and out of control. At a time when the unregulated uses of cryptocurrencies are multiplying worldwide.
Unprecedented legal supervision of cryptocurrencies in Algeria
Adopted as a modification of the existing legal framework, The text strengthens the 05-01 law of 2005 By inserting precise and radical provisions. Thus, no tolerance will be granted to transactions or activities related to digital currencies.
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The new version of the text, promulgated under number 25-10, goes far beyond a simple ban on use. According to the new article 6 bis integrated into the law, are now prohibited:
- The issue of virtual assets of all kinds;
- Their purchase, sale or detention;
- Their use as a means of payment or investment;
- Their promotion or advertising, in any form whatsoever;
- The exploitation or creation of associated electronic exchange or portfolio platforms.
In other words, even the only possession of cryptocurrency like the Bitcoin I’m Tether (USDT) is now considered a criminal act on the national territory.
Use of virtual currencies: criminal and financial sanctions provided for offenders
This ban is accompanied by codified sanctions in another legal novelty, Article 31 bis. This establishes a repressive diet modulated according to the seriousness of the offense, going as far as prison terms. Thus, anyone contravening these provisions faces:
- A prison sentence from 2 months to 1 year old.
- A fine ranging from 200,000 to 1,000,000 dinars.
- Or both, depending on the nature and severity of the violation.
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By registering these sanctions in the law, the legislator aims to formally dissuade any attempt to appeal to cryptocurrencies, whether person, professional or speculative. The text leaves no ambiguity: no form of use now escapes the vigilance of the authorities.
A clear desire to strengthen financial transparency in Algeria
This legislative development is part of a broader dynamic of control and security of the national financial system. For the public authorities, it is above all a question of responding to the growing risks represented by cryptocurrencies in economic circuits.
The Algerian legislator thus seems to follow a firm conduct line in the face of the challenges posed by digital currencies. In addition to their volatility, these are often associated with fraudulent practices, from illegal funding to tax evasion. Law 25-10 therefore marks an assumed turn to a sanitation of the financial marketwith the ambition to reduce gray areas and block the emergence of new forms of parallel economy.
