Despite the growth of bitcoin why haven't it been legalized by many nations?

[Taskford]

It is unable to grow in some countries because it is not in their interest for people to have a stable financial life, They want them to be in debt so they can be slaves With Bitcoin, slavery ends, Basically the fault lies with governments that still have many closed minds.

Those government are wrong though, but the people can't do anything because those kind of government's are authoritative. And with that, they don't want to have their people getting rich or have the means because of Bitcoin. It's crazy but the only way for them is to get out of that government. But if they can't then they simply has to be very careful if they want to buy and accumulate Bitcoin.

Maybe it's a risk that everyone can take so that they can't get out of poverty and have the financial freedom that they once dreaming of. Countries who doesn't want to legalized or at least recognized Bitcoin will be left out.

Well most of politician only serve their political and business interest. Usually they don't want people to get educated on something that can enrich their life that's why usually they hate those things that can possibly uplift because maybe they will lose control of those people and they cannot do those manipulative act they usually do to their people.

But what good thing now that there are also governments from some parts of the world are now considering Bitcoin as a good asset. This adaption is now slowly spreading and good thing US under Trump is joining the good cause to introduce Bitcoin to became a great asset to use or invest by people globally.

For sure those bad sentiments and controlling acts will be stop then we see Bitcoin succeed in future if more politician will adapt it also those close minded and manipulative ones will be eliminated on their seats.

[retreat]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

Looking at global data, only a few countries have completely banned Bitcoin, while most allow it. This means the majority of countries have legalized Bitcoin, but its use is generally limited to investment and trading. As for legal tender, only El Salvador has officially made Bitcoin legal tender.

The main reason why most countries, despite legalizing Bitcoin, restrict its use to trade and investment is that they don’t want it to become widely adopted for everyday transactions. Such adoption could undermine their national currencies and make it harder for governments to track and tax financial activities.

[john_egbert]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

Looking at global data, only a few countries have completely banned Bitcoin, while most allow it. This means the majority of countries have legalized Bitcoin, but its use is generally limited to investment and trading. As for legal tender, only El Salvador has officially made Bitcoin legal tender.

The main reason why most countries, despite legalizing Bitcoin, restrict its use to trade and investment is that they don’t want it to become widely adopted for everyday transactions. Such adoption could undermine their national currencies and make it harder for governments to track and tax financial activities.

..All the while when fiat is the thing that is used for said shady financial activities more than anything, the catch is that it is controlled by them, unlike BTC.

[White pawn]

The main reason why many countries are still hesitant is because countries want to be in the full control of the money used in their country, and something like that is not possible with bitcoin. There is also fear of bitcoin being used for illegal activities but that's just a bullshit excuse as some can be said about fiat money.

Despite that, situation is not as grim as your question suggests as here in Europe we are free to buy/sell crypto freely, as long as you pay the taxes (that can be avoided too for now, but not for too long).

Despite the growth and global awareness, Bitcoin is still not in legalization because it's overpowering the fiat systems.For many nations,legalizing Bitcoin feels like giving up monetary power and the government won't willingly or easily succumb to it.Bitcoin is not fighting governments,it’s exposing their limits and they know it.Legalization will come slowly, not because Bitcoin is weak, but because Power doesn’t move fast,the government systems won’t surrender easily,plus the Bitcoin change threatens their comfort.

[UmerIdrees]

Despite the growth and global awareness, Bitcoin is still not in legalization because it's overpowering the fiat systems.For many nations,legalizing Bitcoin feels like giving up monetary power and the government won't willingly or easily succumb to it.Bitcoin is not fighting governments,it’s exposing their limits and they know it.Legalization will come slowly, not because Bitcoin is weak, but because Power doesn’t move fast,the government systems won’t surrender easily,plus the Bitcoin change threatens their comfort.

Well, this is a misconception that if you legalise bitcoin in any nation, the authorities will lose control over the monetary system. This is not true as the government can better track people buying and spending through Bitcoin blockchain and there will be no hurdle in collecting taxes through cryptocurrency.

[Abiky]

Despite the growth and global awareness, Bitcoin is still not in legalization because it's overpowering the fiat systems.For many nations,legalizing Bitcoin feels like giving up monetary power and the government won't willingly or easily succumb to it.Bitcoin is not fighting governments,it’s exposing their limits and they know it.Legalization will come slowly, not because Bitcoin is weak, but because Power doesn’t move fast,the government systems won’t surrender easily,plus the Bitcoin change threatens their comfort.

"Legalization will come slowly"? Well, it's already happening as we speak. Bitcoin is getting legalized quickly as governments rush to get a "piece of the pie". The vast majority of them are now considering adding it to their balance sheets. All due to the mainstream propaganda of Bitcoin being the "Next Digital Gold". Institutional investors are the ones paving the way for widespread adoption of Bitcoin worldwide. Even anti-crypto countries such as China and Russia are reconsidering their stance.

Of course, not everyone will be on-board the "Bitcoin train". While most countries will approve of Bitcoin, some of them will outright reject it. Even with the huge taxation benefits Bitcoin provides. That's because some governments don't want people to obtain true financial freedom. Especially those with a communist/socialist model. Otherwise, they will lose power/control over the economy. The Fiat money system is what keeps them in play. If you're simply not comfortable with the anti-Bitcoin laws of your country, there's always the option to move to one with a friendly regulatory environment. The US, the UAE, and El Salvador are currently the leading forces of the crypto industry. I hope that doesn't change over time.

[Catenaccio]

"Legalization will come slowly"? Well, it's already happening as we speak. Bitcoin is getting legalized quickly as governments rush to get a "piece of the pie". The vast majority of them are now considering adding it to their balance sheets. All due to the mainstream propaganda of Bitcoin being the "Next Digital Gold". Institutional investors are the ones paving the way for widespread adoption of Bitcoin worldwide. Even anti-crypto countries such as China and Russia are reconsidering their stance.

People change themselves and governments can change their policies with time too. It's natural change with time and newest trend in the world, and it happens in all industries not only cryptocurrency industry and legal stance as well as policies on it.

Some world maps for Bitcoiners has links to some websites with maps for Bitcoin legality. People who are wondering and curious about legal status of Bitcoin around the world can take a look at those maps. Unfortunately, there is no archive of those websites so that we can compare global legal map in 2025 and in past years. Even I don't have such archives for comparisons, I believe that legal status globally has become better recent years.

Even legal status is the same, we all witness more opened and friendly legal regulations on this industry recent years.
https://newhedge.io/terminal/bitcoin/legality-map
https://coin.dance/poli/legality
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/geoeconomics-center/cryptoregulationtracker/

[Antona]

Its a mix of fear ignorance and protectionism. Some fear losing monetary policy control others just dont understand the tech and default to banning what they dont get. And many want to protect their local banks and currency from competition. Real acceptance requires them to see it as a tool, not just a threat

[Abiky]

Its a mix of fear ignorance and protectionism. Some fear losing monetary policy control others just dont understand the tech and default to banning what they dont get. And many want to protect their local banks and currency from competition. Real acceptance requires them to see it as a tool, not just a threat

Is that still the case? Because many countries are now considering Bitcoin as some sort of Gold alternative. In fact, several countries are beginning to add BTC to their reserves. Crypto-friendly legislation will allow governments to tax Bitcoin and keep it under their control. Even if it's decentralized and censorship-resistant. That's because most of the BTC in circulation ends up in the hands of centralized exchanges. They serve as the Fiat on/off ramp between the worlds of crypto and traditional finance.

Governments can control how and which people buy/sell BTC through such exchanges. You can see why banks are still relevant with Bitcoin and crypto in play. Expect the number of countries adopting BTC to increase over the long-term. Not the other way around. "Hyperbitcoinization" will be here faster than you blink. Just you wait and see.

[Nathrixxx]

Let's keep on with bitcoin the way it has been going without expecting it to come on a rush as if it's a ponzi, the growth rate we already had today are so tremendous that we never thought of having it got to this extent, bitcoin is self sustaining and irresistible, government or any entity cannot stop Bitcoin, others will soon make their own decision with time, it's a thing of choice a d optional for adoption.

[X-ray]

Its a mix of fear ignorance and protectionism. Some fear losing monetary policy control others just dont understand the tech and default to banning what they dont get. And many want to protect their local banks and currency from competition. Real acceptance requires them to see it as a tool, not just a threat

It's mostly protectionism. Notice the country that don't accept bitcoin either too strict in their regulation or simply have weak currency.

Though, I think we don't really need every country to accept bitcoin. With the US accepting bitcoin alone it's already exposing bitcoin to half of the world's economy.

What we need is the big economy to accept bitcoin and thats it. Other will follow once they realized bitcoin is the only way moving forward.

[Furball808]

All the other replies have listed good reasons why other countries still do not indulge in bitcoin. No one can really force them to do so but they should remind themselves that they are getting left behind. Because while they keep ignoring bitcoin, countries like El Salvador keeps powering through.

https://ua.news/en/finansi/salvador-prodovzhit-investitsiyi-v-bitkoyin-i-shtuchnii-intelekt-do-2026-roku

The National Bitcoin Office of El Salvador announced that the government will actively invest in Bitcoin and artificial intelligence as part of its economic strategy through 2026. This move highlights the country's commitment to strengthening its technological leadership and expanding the role of digital assets in its economy.

[tottong]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

Regulations in my country only allow the use of Bitcoin as an investment asset. The reason the government doesn't allow Bitcoin to be used as a means of transaction is because crypto doesn't meet the standards of a currency or electronic money. This is what I often hear when government officials make public statements.
In fact, I see the government lacking full control over Bitcoin, so they don't allow it to be used as a means of transaction like fiat currencies.
If the reason were taxation, perhaps the government could establish policies for exchanges operating in their jurisdiction, and each transaction would automatically be subject to tax deductions according to the agreement.

My assumption is that they are concerned about not being able to fully regulate these assets, so they are trying to prevent the use of Bitcoin as a legal means of transaction like fiat currencies.

[hmbdofficial]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

Firstly I’ll say it’s lack of knowledge annd information  about that the bitcoin is a great factor that hinders many from actually considering investing their money on. People believed in the products they have been used to as such making it difficult to open their mind to the technology or let me say digital money.

Other thought it was a scam scheme just because they were previously scammed buy other platforms from the internet so they are a bit apprehensive and skeptical about it. But then bitcoin has proven beyond any doubt that is not a scam. it’s fast secure and economic friendly due to its decentralized nature, even though it’s still volatile, inflation doesn’t really affect it.

[Outhue]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

I look more into how far Bitcoin has come compare to what will happen in the future, the answer you seek is all in its past, in 2018 things was looking disheartened at the time because it felt like Bitcoin won't be this big today, it is why I still credit whales who knew what to do exactly.

The massive growth you talked about took Bitcoin many years to achieve, how hard can it be to watch it grow from here further? If Bitcoin can grow this big today compare to 2009,  2018, 2020 then the future is clear, it will keep getting better for Bitcoin, we don't need to rush for worldwide adoption from every countries. Once upon a time it was only two countries that are supporting crypto, today there is more.

Slow and steadiness wins always.

[qwertyup23]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

We can associate cryptocurrency with two (2) words: FREEDOM and ANONYMITY.

Those two words are very powerful to the point that it prevents government from fully legalizing the transactions without some sort of control. The only way that countries would adopt cryptocurrencies to their economics is when they can somehow regulate and track the users from their transactions.

To give you a concrete example, in the Philippines, there is a local exchange in which you have to submit tons of KYC documents for your account to be permitted for withdrawals. Additionally, even after you have submitted your documents, there is still some deposit and withdrawal limitations that your account would be imposed upon. From that example, both FREEDOM and ANONYMITY are already defeated given that it already subjected the person to control and identity.

This is perhaps the reason on why most countries still see cryptocurrencies as a threat despite all the positive effects that it provides to the general public.

[terrific]

No one can really force them to do so but they should remind themselves that they are getting left behind. Because while they keep ignoring bitcoin, countries like El Salvador keeps powering through.

I think that they're aware of the risk of it and the opportunity that they're missing out if they won't adopt Bitcoin.
They have seen it first with the others that have adopted it. The thought might be on them which they can adopt it later on.
But they don't know that the longer they're delaying it, the bigger opportunity is being missed by them if they won't do it asap.

[laspol65]

Despite the massive growth, advancement and advantages of Bitcoin and most crypto currency, why is it hard for most countries to fully accept it is or permit it's exchange?

Bitcoin has been legalized especially in developed countries, less developed countries face various problems. For example, they cannot economically adapt to Bitcoin, most people may be disturbed in withdrawing their domestic cash. Countries that are Muslim-majority countries do not like Bitcoin and mark it as illegal, which is why Bitcoin has not been legalized in Muslim countries.

[vanesha]

I am sure it goes against their national currencies. Cryptocurrency is difficult to regulate, too open, and there is no way to fully seize citizens’ assets because of the private key system. Simply put, even if people are forced to admit which wallet belongs to whom, it cannot be enforced, and even money laundering can be done very easily. This is different from national currencies, which are regulated by the state. There is no freedom; everything has rules. Yet somehow many people feel trapped by fiat money—they chase money, but what they do is not proportional to the salary they receive.
My conclusion is that governments are simply afraid of losing control over a country’s financial system.

[Findingnemo]

No one can really force them to do so but they should remind themselves that they are getting left behind. Because while they keep ignoring bitcoin, countries like El Salvador keeps powering through.

I think that they're aware of the risk of it and the opportunity that they're missing out if they won't adopt Bitcoin.
They have seen it first with the others that have adopted it. The thought might be on them which they can adopt it later on.
But they don't know that the longer they're delaying it, the bigger opportunity is being missed by them if they won't do it asap.

I think most countries accepted bitcoin as an asset that is generating tax revenue for the government but they also don't want their people to use it as currency that is why they are restricting users or discouraging the use of crypto with high tax, strict guidelines for exchanges and made KYC as mandatory for every centralized crypto platform.