Global Regulations Hub — Crypto Law Hub
Regulatory Intelligence

The laws that actually move the market.

A snapshot of the statutes, regimes, and regulators shaping digital-asset practice in the jurisdictions where our clients operate. Every instrument below links to its primary regulator or official legislative source.

Africa
Emerging frameworks
Adopted · February 2024 · awaiting ratification (22 required)

The continental framework for digital trade and cross-border data flows across the 54-state African Continental Free Trade Area. Adopted by the African Union in Addis Ababa, with operational annexes on FinTech and Cross-Border Digital Payments; long-range infrastructure for African digital-asset deployment.

Passed · December 2025 · licensing operationalizing 2026

Ghana's first comprehensive digital-asset statute, jointly supervised by the Bank of Ghana (via the new Virtual Assets Regulatory Office, VARO) and the Ghanaian SEC — one of West Africa's most consequential digital-asset regimes.

Licensing active

Crypto assets are financial products under FAIS; CASPs must hold FSCA licenses. One of Africa's most developed regulatory environments.

In force · amended 2024

Africa's largest crypto market, now operating under a formal SEC regime for virtual-asset service providers and digital-asset issuers.

Emerging

Kigali's ambitions as a continental fintech hub and the policy infrastructure emerging alongside it — a live regulatory story across the Great Lakes region.

Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong · Singapore · Japan
Passed · May 21, 2025 · effective August 1, 2025

HKMA licensing for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers, with full reserve and redemption mandates. Hong Kong's anchor regime for regulated digital-money rails in Asia.

In force

The DPT (Digital Payment Token) licensing regime and the gold standard for Asian crypto service provider regulation.

Mature

Among the earliest comprehensive crypto licensing regimes, anchored in the Payment Services Act and Financial Instruments and Exchange Act; continued evolution around stablecoins and security tokens.

European Union
27 Member States
Fully applicable · December 30, 2024

The EU's single rulebook. Regulates e-money tokens, asset-referenced tokens, and crypto-asset service providers across all 27 member states — the most comprehensive crypto regime in any major economy.

In force · March 2023

EU sandbox for tokenized securities trading and settlement infrastructure — the gateway for regulated on-chain capital-markets experimentation on the continent.

In force · applies to crypto transfers from December 30, 2024

EU's travel-rule implementation for crypto-asset transfers. Material for any VASP or wallet provider with European-facing activity.

Latin America
Emerging regional hubs
In force · 2023 · CNAD supervised

A working regulatory framework for digital-asset issuers and service providers overseen by the National Commission of Digital Assets, operating alongside the amended Bitcoin Law.

In force · BCB Resolutions 519, 520, 521 (November 2025)

Brazil's federal virtual-asset framework, supervised by the Banco Central do Brasil — the backbone of LatAm's largest crypto market, with comprehensive VASP authorization rules now operational.

In development

Rapidly evolving frameworks in two of the region's most active crypto economies, with meaningful regulatory motion in 2025–2026.

Middle East
Gulf · Eastern Mediterranean
Active · world's first dedicated virtual-assets regulator

Established under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2022, operating across seven licensed activity categories. The regime of choice for serious Middle East crypto operations.

Mature

Abu Dhabi's common-law financial center — a sophisticated route for tokenized securities, custody, and institutional digital-asset structures, regulated since 2018.

In force · July 2024 · secondary regulations March 2025

Türkiye's comprehensive CMB-supervised regime for crypto exchanges, custodians, and service providers — amending the Capital Markets Law and governing one of the most consequential crypto markets by transaction volume.

Switzerland
FINMA · Federal DLT Act
In force · phased commencement February and August 2021

Switzerland's pioneering statute introducing DLT trading systems and ledger-based securities — one of the most sophisticated regimes globally for tokenized securities and a cornerstone of the Swiss digital-asset framework.

Guidance · ongoing

The payment / utility / asset token framework that has become the template for token classification worldwide.

United Kingdom
Post-Brexit regime
In force

Brings cryptoassets within the UK's financial-promotions regime and creates the statutory backbone for comprehensive UK crypto regulation.

Active

Mandatory AML/CTF registration for UK-facing crypto businesses. One of the more rigorous approval processes globally — we've guided clients through it.

Implementing

HM Treasury and FCA rollout of dedicated fiat-backed stablecoin and staking rules — the UK's explicit post-MiCA competitive positioning.

United States
Federal · State
Signed into law · July 18, 2025

The first comprehensive U.S. payment-stablecoin statute. Creates licensing pathways for permitted issuers, establishes Bank Secrecy Act obligations, and authorizes reciprocity for qualifying foreign issuers.

Passed House · July 17, 2025 · Senate markup anticipated 2026

Digital Asset Market Clarity Act — draws the CFTC/SEC jurisdictional line, classifies digital commodities vs. investment-contract assets, and creates expedited registration for digital-commodity exchanges.

Passed House · July 17, 2025

Prohibits Federal Reserve banks from offering retail CBDC products and restricts use of any CBDC for monetary policy — the U.S. counter-position to sovereign digital currency.

Active · launched January 21, 2025

The re-tooled SEC crypto apparatus under Commissioner Hester Peirce that dropped major enforcement actions in 2025 and rescinded SAB 121. Policy shifts that materially affect custody, reporting, and broker-dealer treatment.

NYDFS · 23 NYCRR Part 200 · ongoing

The original U.S. state-level virtual-currency licensing regime, in force since 2015. Still the gold-standard benchmark for state compliance and a frequent point of advisory for our NY-admitted practice.

State · builder-aligned

Wyoming's DAO LLC Supplement (2021) and Special Purpose Depository Institution Act (2019) — two of the most builder-aligned U.S. digital-asset frameworks, alongside Texas energy and mining statutes that anchor much of our transactional and mining-sector work.