Algeria enacts sweeping ban on all crypto activities
An update of anti money-laundering laws in Algeria has introduced harsh punishment for various operations with digital assets, including fines and prison terms, as reported by Cryptopolitan on July 29th.Â
The move is aimed at shielding the financial system and bolstering the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, according to a recent report from Algerian news and information outlet, Fibladi.
The new legal framework, set out in Law No. 25-10 of July 24th, 2025, was published in the Official Journal No. 48 and directly amends Algeria’s anti-money laundering regulations. Authorities in Algeria are digging in their heels in their push to prohibit almost any activity related to cryptocurrencies with new legislation targeting specific transactions.
The law completely bans the “issue of virtual assets of all kinds; their purchase, sale or possession; their use as a means of payment or investment; their promotion or advertising in any form.” This entails that merely holding decentralized digital money like Bitcoin can now be interpreted as a crime in the country.Â
The Algerian government has been consistent in its hostile attitude towards cryptocurrencies. Its Financial Law in 2018 banned their use until at least 2025. Yet amid high inflation and strict state controls on capital flows, many citizens continued to engage in crypto transactions.
According to the updated law, offenders may now be fined between 200,000 and 1 million Algerian dinars (almost $7,700), receive a prison sentence of up to 1 year, or both, depending on the severity of the crime.
The sanctions are presumably tailored to dissuade any use of cryptocurrencies in Algeria, as the the government attempts to control national finances in the face of an economic crisis.
Other countries with restrictive crypto policies in the region include Egypt, where the central bank has issued warnings about cryptocurrencies yet has allowed some platforms to continue operations.
Neighbouring Morocco banned digital asset transactions in 2017, citing concerns over financial crimes and potential negative effects on economic stability. However, its monetary authority has since recognized the wide spread of the digital assets and drafted a law to regulate them.
Cryptopolitan, Fibladi, Maghrebi.org
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