Overview
Kazakhstan operates two parallel crypto regimes. Inside the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), an English-style common-law free zone, the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) licenses Digital Asset Trading Facilities (DATF), Custody, broker-dealers and a residual Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) category under the AIFC Rules on Digital Asset Activities (No. FR00062 of 2023, as amended; consolidated DAA v2 effective 1 January 2025). Outside the AIFC, the national Law No. 193-VII On Digital Assets in the Republic of Kazakhstan (signed 6 February 2023, in force 1 April 2023) governs cryptomining and secured-token issuance through the Ministry of Digital Development.
The economically attractive route for an exchange or custodian is AIFC: 0% corporate tax on eligible financial-services income through 2065, English common law, AFSA-supervised. Cryptomining and secured-token circulation outside the AIFC sit under MDDIAI RK with the standard Kazakhstani tax base.
Track A — AIFC AFSA digital-asset regime
Licence categories
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Operating a Digital Asset Trading Facility (DATF) | Multilateral trading venue for digital assets |
| Providing Custody | Holding client digital assets |
| Dealing in Investments as Principal / Agent (DA-extended) | Broker-dealer for digital assets |
| Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) — residual | Non-trading services — advisory, arrangement, etc. |
Capital (post-1 Jan 2026 amendments)
| Activity | Base capital |
|---|---|
| DATF Operator | Higher of USD 200,000 or 12 months of forecast working capital |
| Providing Custody (digital assets) | USD 500,000 (prudential Category 3 equivalent) |
| DASP without holding/controlling client assets | Reduced regime — proportional working capital only |
Track B — National regime under Law 193-VII (outside AIFC)
Law No. 193-VII divides digital assets into secured (tokenised rights to assets/services) and unsecured (mining-reward coins). Unsecured digital assets may only be circulated inside the AIFC — exchange-type activity for them outside AIFC is prohibited. MDDIAI RK licenses cryptomining, maintains pool accreditation and the hardware register. A November 2025 amendment package broadened definitions and supervisory scope under the wider digitalisation and AI legislative update.
Second-tier commercial banks may open accounts for AIFC-licensed digital-asset exchanges and AIFC digital-asset participants, expressly permitted under Law 193-VII and subsequent 2023 banking amendments. This is the bridge between AIFC operations and the wider Kazakhstani banking system, and it materially shortens onboarding for AFSA-licensed firms.
High-level checklist (AIFC)
- AIFC-registered Private Company (Ltd) or Recognised branch; physical office in Astana Hub.
- Senior Executive Officer (SEO), Compliance Officer and MLRO resident in Kazakhstan.
- Capital satisfied per category (USD 200k DATF, USD 500k Custody, proportional DASP-light).
- Governance under AIFC General Rules (GEN), Market Rules (MAR) and AML Rules (AML).
- Continuous capital maintenance with monthly reporting.
- Client-asset segregation and proof-of-reserves under the 1 January 2026 consolidated Business Rules.
- AML/CFT programme aligned with AIFC AML Rules and AFSA expectations.
- Regulatory business plan, three-year financial projections, technology and cybersecurity framework.
- AFSA application; Q&A rounds with the regulator; respond to fit-and-proper queries.
- Post-licensing: ongoing AFSA reporting, periodic supervisory checks, annual external audit.
Process and timeline
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| AIFC entity incorporation and office | 1–2 months |
| Application pack — regulatory business plan, AML, tech, capital | 3–5 months |
| AFSA review and Q&A rounds | 6–9 months |
| Total — DATF / Custody | 10–16 months |
| DASP-light (post-2026 amendments) | 6–9 months |
Taxation
- AIFC residents: 0% CIT on eligible financial-services income through 2065 (AIFC Constitutional Law); 0% IIT on qualifying employee income; VAT exemption on AIFC-internal financial services.
- Outside AIFC: CIT 20%, VAT 12%, PIT 10%. Cryptomining is subject to a digital-mining surcharge based on electricity consumption under the Tax Code (since 2022).
FAQ
AIFC or national track for an exchange?
AIFC. Exchange-type activity for unsecured digital assets outside the AIFC is prohibited. AIFC DATF is the route — common-law regime, English-language documents, 0% CIT.
What is the actual capital floor?
Higher of USD 200,000 or 12 months of forecast working capital for DATF; USD 500,000 for Custody under the 1 January 2026 amendments.
Do I need Kazakh-resident officers?
Yes — SEO, Compliance Officer and MLRO must be resident in Kazakhstan. The licensee operates from the Astana Hub physical office.
How does Kazakhstan compare with Uzbekistan?
Uzbekistan licenses through NAPP under a domestic regime with a crypto-tax holiday until 1 January 2028. Kazakhstan AIFC is a free-zone common-law route with permanent 0% AIFC tax through 2065 — the right pick depends on whether you want common-law contracts.
What about cryptomining?
Cryptomining sits under MDDIAI RK on the national side, separate from AFSA. The mining electricity surcharge applies. Most exchanges and custodians operate inside AIFC; mining operators sit on the national track.