Angola Cryptocurrency Regulation: Mining Ban, VASP Rules and Penalties
Angola's Law 3/24 bans crypto mining and sets prison penalties. Law 11/24 also establishes VASP supervision. Read what is restricted, required and still unverified.
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Angola prohibits cryptocurrency mining under Law No. 3/24 of 10 April 2024. A separate law, Law No. 11/24 of 4 July 2024, brings virtual-asset service providers within anti-money-laundering oversight and sets out regulator responsibilities.
The law applies across Angola. It addresses mining equipment, misuse of electrical installation licences and connections to the national power system.
Important distinction: A statutory ban on crypto mining does not, by itself, prove that every form of holding or trading Bitcoin is prohibited under the same law.
The text is available from Angola's Capital Markets Commission (CMC). Primary sources were reviewed on 3 November 2026.
Is cryptocurrency legal in Angola?
The most clearly documented restriction is the ban on mining cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets.
Law 3/24 is titled the Law on the Prohibition of Cryptocurrency and Other Virtual Asset Mining Activities. It took effect upon publication on 10 April 2024.
The mining statute does not establish a complete legal framework for every cryptocurrency transaction. Law 11/24 must also be considered when assessing virtual-asset services.
A business offering crypto exchange, payments, custody or investment services must examine other applicable banking, foreign-exchange, securities and AML laws. Do not assume those services are automatically authorised merely because Law 3/24 focuses on mining.
What exactly did Angola ban?
Articles 4–8 of the mining law prohibit or penalise the following:
| Activity | Legal position |
|---|---|
| Mining cryptocurrencies or other covered virtual assets | Prohibited nationwide |
| Using an electrical installation licence for mining | Prohibited |
| Connecting mining systems or equipment to the national electricity system | Prohibited |
| Possessing computer or communications equipment intended or used for crypto mining | Subject to Article 5's criminal provision |
The law's equipment offence concerns equipment intended or used for mining. It should not be rewritten as a blanket ban on ordinary phones or computers.
Source: Angola's CMC legal text; reproduced statutory articles.
What are the prison penalties?
Law 3/24 sets the following ranges for natural persons:
| Offence | Stated prison range |
|---|---|
| Possessing covered mining equipment or infrastructure, Article 5 | 1–5 years |
| Mining crypto assets, Article 6 | 3–12 years |
| Misusing an electrical installation licence, Article 7 | 3–8 years |
| Connecting mining equipment to the national electricity network, Article 8 | 3–12 years |
These are statutory ranges, not automatic sentences. The law also permits seizure of equipment in relevant cases and addresses additional consequences.
Some provisions concerning legal persons contain cross-reference problems in the published statute. Do not apply a corporate fine to a real case without reviewing the official Portuguese text and legal advice.
Why did Angola restrict crypto mining?
The preamble of Law 3/24 links the measure to risks to Angola's electricity system, financial stability and financial-crime controls.
Crypto mining can use substantial electricity. The law specifically targets energy infrastructure and unauthorised mining-related use.
The government's National Assembly announcement also describes the law's prohibition and the rationale for it.
Is buying Bitcoin or USDT also banned?
Do not turn a mining prohibition into an unsupported claim that Angola has made every private Bitcoin purchase a criminal offence under Law 3/24.
The law establishes criminal offences connected to mining. Other rules may apply to crypto exchange, cross-border funds or payment services.
Law 11/24 expressly requires virtual-asset service providers to be subject to supervision and a licensing or registration framework. However, this review did not independently verify a currently operational application route, a public register of authorised crypto exchanges, or a fixed VASP minimum capital amount. We do not invent those details. A statutory duty to license or register providers does not prove that any particular exchange has authorisation.
Before operating a service, identify the regulated activity. Then check the relevant central bank, capital markets and financial intelligence requirements.
Does Angola regulate exchanges and virtual-asset service providers?
Yes. Law No. 11/24 of 4 July 2024 amended the country's AML/CFT law, Law No. 5/20. Its new Article 10-A expressly covers providers of virtual-asset services. Under that provision, the Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) supervises providers in relation to cryptocurrencies. The Comissão do Mercado de Capitais (CMC) is assigned supervision of other virtual assets.
| Issue | What the legislation establishes |
|---|---|
| Mining | Prohibited under Law 3/24 |
| Cryptocurrency-service providers | BNA is the designated risk-based supervisor under Law 11/24, Article 10-A |
| Providers of other virtual assets | CMC supervises under Article 10-A |
| Licensing or registration | Supervisors have statutory authority to license or register domestic providers |
| Compliance | Customer checks, transaction monitoring, sanctions controls and suspicious-transaction reports |
| Virtual-asset transfers | Article 10-B requires relevant originator and beneficiary information and risk-based controls for incomplete transfers |
| Minimum VASP capital | Not independently verified for a dedicated licence category |
Article 10-B also covers customer due diligence and information sharing for virtual-asset transfers. These duties do not make mining legal. Nor does the existence of an AML licensing provision, by itself, confirm that a particular provider is licensed.
The CMC's 2026 regulatory agenda scheduled more detailed AML rules for virtual-asset providers. A planned regulatory timetable is not proof that a final rule has taken effect. Check the current BNA or CMC procedure before applying.
Sources: Angola's Financial Intelligence Unit, Law 11/24; Law 11/24, Article 10-A and 10-B; CMC 2026 regulatory agenda.
What should crypto businesses do?
A proposed miner should treat Angola's prohibition as a serious legal barrier.
A proposed exchange or payment provider should obtain local advice on its operating entity, payments, custody, foreign exchange, marketing and AML obligations. Do not use mining statutes alone as the entire compliance assessment.
Compare Namibia's VASP licensing rules, South Africa's CASP rules and the Africa cryptocurrency regulation directory to see how countries regulate crypto differently.
Bottom line
Angola's Law 3/24 bans crypto mining. Mining itself carries a stated sentence of 3 to 12 years. Covered mining-equipment possession and certain electricity-related offences have their own penalties.
Law 11/24 separately regulates virtual-asset service providers under AML/CFT law. BNA supervises cryptocurrency providers and CMC supervises other virtual-asset providers. A clear, operational licensing route and fixed minimum capital were not independently confirmed.
Do not claim the law automatically bans every form of cryptocurrency trading. Those activities require separate legal analysis.
Primary sources: Angola's Law 3/24, Official Gazette text; Law 11/24, Official Gazette text; Angola Capital Markets Commission, Law 3/24; Angolan National Assembly statement; CMC 2026 regulatory agenda.
