The authorities of Moldova plan to adopt cryptocurrency legislation in 2026, officially allowing citizens to own and trade digital assets, as well as defining the range of authorized market participants and the rules for converting digital assets into fiat currencies.
Andrian Gavriliță, Moldova’s Minister of Finance, said on TVR Moldova that the country is preparing a comprehensive bill to regulate the crypto market. The document is being developed by the Ministry of Finance with the active participation of the National Bank of Moldova (BNM), the National Commission for Financial Markets (NCFM), and the Office for Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering (SPBL).
According to the finance minister, the law should enshrine citizens’ right to own digital assets and conduct transactions with them, as well as establish who and under what conditions will be legally allowed to carry out transactions and convert cryptocurrencies into the national currency and other monetary units.
At the same time, even after the law is adopted, crypto payments within Moldova won’t be permitted, since the national currency remains the only legal tender. However, buying, selling, and exchange (conversion) operations are expected to be legalized.
The minister also explained that mere ownership of cryptocurrency doesn’t entail tax obligations, but income from transactions will be subject to taxation. As a benchmark, he cited a 12% rate for the country’s tax residents on income earned from such transactions, following the same logic as the sale of any other property or transactions similar to currency speculation.
The official placed special emphasis on the need to combine market legalization with minimizing the risks of money laundering and illicit financing. That’s why the specialized financial monitoring service is involved in drafting the bill.
Cryptocurrency regulation is planned to be implemented during 2026. Public consultations on this issue are expected to take place in the spring.
When developing its own bill, the Moldovan authorities intend to rely on relevant European Union directives and the practices of other European countries, in particular Romania and Estonia.
