DR Congo Cryptocurrency Regulation: VASP Ban and BCC Rules
DR Congo prohibits virtual-asset and VASP activities under Article 22 bis. Read the 2025 law, GABAC findings, BCC role and FATF removal distinction.
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo or DRC) prohibits virtual-asset activities and virtual-asset service providers under Article 22 bis, introduced by Law No. 25/048 of 1 July 2025. This is more than a missing exchange-licensing procedure. See the 2025 amendment published by CENAREF, printed pages 15–16.
A payment licence, foreign exchange licence or online account does not override that prohibition. A definition of VASPs in the earlier AML law is not permission to operate.
A major update arrived on 30 October 2026. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed DR Congo from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring.
This guide was corrected and its prohibition finding checked against primary sources on 4 November 2026. For country-by-country comparisons, consult Finlazo's Africa crypto regulation directory.
Is cryptocurrency legal in DR Congo?
DR Congo's official currency is the Congolese franc (CDF). Bitcoin and stablecoins are not state-issued legal tender.
Article 22 bis prohibits virtual-asset activities and VASPs. It also provides sanctions for converting virtual assets into currencies quoted by the BCC. A maximum fine can reach three times the amount converted into virtual assets. Additional corporate penalties can apply. Source: Law No. 25/048, printed pages 15–16.
We have not established a later repeal lifting this prohibition. This guide does not resolve every question about passive private possession or individual liability. Those require the applicable facts and qualified local legal advice.
Correction: Our earlier version described the absence of a verified licensing route without identifying Article 22 bis. That was incomplete. The article now makes the statutory restriction explicit.
What laws and regulators matter?
The Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) publishes legislation for payment and settlement systems.
| Legal instrument | Covered subject | Legal effect or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Law No. 18/019 of 9 July 2018 | Payment and securities-settlement systems | Does not automatically authorise Bitcoin exchange or custody |
| Law No. 22/068 of 27 December 2022 | AML/CFT law; defines VASPs | Definition does not itself provide a working exchange licence |
| Law No. 25/048 of 1 July 2025 | Amends Law 22/068; introduces Article 22 bis | Prohibits virtual-asset activities and VASPs; does not create an exchange licence |
| Law No. 22/069 of 27 December 2022 | Credit institutions and regulated financial companies | Banking or remittance approval is not a universal crypto licence |
| Ordinance-Law No. 23/010 of 13 March 2023 | Digital Code; electronic commerce and digital services | Electronic-commerce rules do not replace financial authorisation |
Source: BCC legal framework directory.
The BCC is the appropriate starting point for bank, e-money and payment-service questions. CENAREF, the national financial-intelligence unit, explains who is subject to Law 22/068. Other authorities may oversee investment products, taxes and criminal matters.
Law-number correction: Some older BCC directory entries label the 2022 AML statute as 22/038. The BCC's dedicated AML page and CENAREF consistently identify 22/068. The article uses that confirmed number. Sources: BCC AML framework; CENAREF reporting entities.
Why was DR Congo removed from the FATF grey list?
The FATF plenary of 28–30 October 2026 removed the country from increased monitoring.
The 30 October FATF statement attributed progress to financial-crime risk assessment, stronger supervision, financial intelligence resources and better implementation of targeted financial sanctions.
| FATF milestone | Date | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Increased monitoring began | October 2022 | Identified AML/CFT weaknesses required action |
| Removal announced | 30 October 2026 | FATF accepted progress on the agreed action plan |
| Crypto licensing result | No automatic change | FATF removal does not authorise an exchange |
The country spent approximately four years in that FATF monitoring category.
FATF removal is not proof that crypto exchanges are licensed or risk-free. It concerns the broader national AML/CFT system.
Does DR Congo allow virtual asset service providers?
The framework described by GABAC prohibits their activities. Its March 2026 fourth follow-up report, Recommendation 15, printed pages 22–23 identifies Article 22 bis and states that VASP authorisation is not possible under that position.
The same assessment identifies the BCC as the competent authority for detecting and sanctioning illicit virtual-asset and VASP activities. It records implementation shortcomings; those do not turn the restriction into a lawful licensing route.
| Regulatory issue | Corrected position |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin as legal tender | No; the Congolese franc is the national currency |
| VASP activities | Prohibited under Article 22 bis |
| General VASP approval process | GABAC states that authorisation is not possible under the prohibition |
| General minimum VASP capital | No applicable licensing threshold established; a capital figure cannot overcome the prohibition |
| Fiat payments and e-money | Separate BCC rules do not grant permission for prohibited virtual-asset activity |
| FATF increased monitoring | Removed 30 October 2026; this does not grant a crypto licence |
The BCC AML framework confirms that Law 25/048 amended Law 22/068. Read the amendment together with the GABAC assessment, rather than relying only on the earlier law's definitions.
A provider's AML checks, business registration or foreign permission should not be represented as a DRC operating approval.
Is DR Congo covered by CEMAC crypto rules?
No. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) is not the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). Only Congo-Brazzaville is a member of CEMAC, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. BEAC and COSUMAF rules for CEMAC must not be cited as if they automatically apply to DR Congo. The DRC has its own central bank, the BCC, and uses the Congolese franc (CDF), not the Central African CFA franc.
Before relying on a regional licence, check the exact legal country, issuer and territorial scope. See Finlazo's Africa regulation comparison.
Can a business use USDT for cross-border payments?
Technical transferability does not establish legal permission. A business should not infer that a wallet-to-wallet USDT transfer, CDF conversion or crypto payout service is permitted simply because it works online.
The prohibition must be addressed before considering a launch or transaction. Ordinary payment or e-money authorisation is not an automatic exemption. Obtain qualified local advice on the precise activity and any claimed legal basis.
For general settlement risks, read Finlazo's African crypto payment corridors research and the USDT versus USDC comparison. Those explain technology and risks; they are not instructions or authorisation to operate in the DRC.
What should readers verify about exchange claims?
Ask for the provider's full legal identity and the exact legal basis claimed for its activity. Check both the document and its territorial scope.
A foreign licence, app download, payment receipt or currency listing does not displace a domestic prohibition. A claim that an exchange is merely waiting for a public application portal is inconsistent with the position described above.
Use the Africa crypto regulation directory for country comparisons. Do not import another country's permissions into the DRC.
Current assessment
DR Congo's 2025 amendment contains an express virtual-asset and VASP prohibition. The issue should not be described only as an unverified licensing framework.
The country left FATF increased monitoring on 30 October 2026. That separate decision did not create an exchange licence or remove the statutory restriction.
Primary sources: Law No. 25/048, Article 22 bis, printed pages 15–16; GABAC fourth follow-up report, Recommendation 15, printed pages 22–23; BCC AML framework and the 2025 amendment; CENAREF reporting-entity framework; BCC legal framework directory; FATF plenary outcomes, 30 October 2026; FATF monitoring statement, 30 October 2026.
