Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree titled “On Measures to Stimulate and Develop the Digital Assets Industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan” — one of the most comprehensive pro-crypto policy packages any government has put forward this year. The document was jointly developed by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the National Bank of Kazakhstan, and the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), and it signals that Central Asia’s largest economy intends to become a serious regional hub for regulated digital finance.
Why this matters
Kazakhstan is no newcomer to crypto. After China’s 2021 mining crackdown, the country became one of the world’s top Bitcoin mining destinations — a boom that strained its power grid and forced the government into a more cautious stance. Since then, Astana has built out a legal framework step by step: the 2023 Law on Digital Assets, amendments in early 2026 introducing digital financial assets (stablecoins, tokenized assets, and tokenized traditional instruments) as a regulated asset class, and a licensing regime for exchanges and trading platforms that took full effect on May 1, 2026.
The new presidential decree sits on top of that foundation and shifts the strategy from “contain and regulate” to “attract and grow.”
The key measures
Stablecoins for cross-border trade. The decree calls for mechanisms that allow digital assets and stablecoins to be used in cross-border settlements, giving exporters and importers an additional payment channel alongside traditional banking. According to the AIFC, this includes the use of stablecoins issued by AIFC-licensed issuers for export-import settlements.
A tax holiday for regulated crypto trading. Income earned by individuals from digital asset transactions conducted through Kazakhstan’s regulated infrastructure is planned to be exempt from individual income tax. The condition is simple: trade on licensed domestic platforms, not offshore. It’s a carrot designed to pull retail activity out of the gray zone and into venues the state can supervise.
A voluntary “repatriation” mechanism. Holders of crypto assets currently sitting on unregulated foreign platforms will be able to voluntarily disclose them and transfer them to licensed Kazakh service providers — formalizing assets that have so far existed outside the country’s legal and statistical reach.
Gas-powered mining. Rather than letting miners compete with households for grid electricity, the decree enables the use of associated petroleum gas and natural gas produced at oil and gas fields for autonomous power generation. Where those resources are not needed for state purposes, the electricity can be directed to digital mining operations — turning gas that might otherwise be flared into an economic asset and channeling mining investment into the regions.
Tokenization and market infrastructure. The decree sets the direction for developing tokenized financial instruments and national trading infrastructure, and envisages recognition of digital assets and tokenized securities issued under the AIFC jurisdiction throughout Kazakhstan — leveling the playing field between the financial center and the national regime.
Implementation is already moving
The decree itself is a framework; a dedicated action plan will set timelines and assign responsible authorities. But the first institutional consequences arrived within days: National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov announced that a dedicated committee under the National Bank will be established to regulate and supervise the digital asset market and oversee the national payments system, with operations expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev framed the decree as the strategic foundation for a “new-generation digital economy” in which digital assets become as familiar and secure as traditional financial instruments. His deputy, Gizzat Baitursynov, emphasized predictability: clear rules for everyone from miners to banks, positioning Kazakhstan as a regional hub for digital financial solutions.
The bigger picture
With this decree, Kazakhstan joins jurisdictions like the UAE, Singapore, and the EU in offering a comprehensive, codified framework for digital assets — but with a distinctly Kazakh twist: energy policy and crypto policy are explicitly linked. For a country that is already among the top three in global Bitcoin hashrate and that trades heavily across corridors where conventional banking can be slow or complicated, the combination of tax-free regulated trading, stablecoin trade rails, and sanctioned gas-powered mining is a calculated bid for capital, talent, and relevance.
Whether the ambition translates into practice will depend on the action plan and the speed of the new National Bank committee. But the direction of travel is unambiguous: Kazakhstan wants digital assets onshore, on-license, and on the books.
Sources
Primary sources:
- Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), official statement, July 10, 2026: Presidential Decree Signed: Kazakhstan’s Digital Asset Market to Receive New Impetus for Growth
- National Bank of Kazakhstan, overview of the digital assets legal framework: Regulation of the digital assets market
- Qazinform (Kazakh state news agency), citing the Akorda presidential press service, July 7, 2026: Head of State inks decree to boost digital asset industry in Kazakhstan
- Kursiv Media, citing the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, July 8, 2026: Kazakhstan may exempt individuals’ digital asset income from tax
Featured article:
- The Astana Times, Dana Omirgazy, July 15, 2026: Kazakhstan Advances Digital Assets Industry with New Decree
Further reading:
- The Times of Central Asia, July 14, 2026: Kazakhstan to Establish Committee to Regulate Digital Asset Market
- Kazakhstan Stock Exchange Becomes First in Central Asia to List US Crypto ETFs
- Kazakhstan becomes a live testbed for crypto travel payments as AirAsia MOVE, Intebix, and Solana Foundation explore stablecoin integration