Countries that still don’t like bitcoin.

[kotajikikox]

These days, a country announcing that they will make bitcoin legal is not as rare anymore. We hear news of this almost every week. It might make us forget that not all countries like bitcoin. There are still those who don’t and have not changed their stance when it comes to bitcoin. I saw a list from investopedia.com of countries where bitcoin is illegal. These are the following countries:

• China
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• Tunisia
• Bolivia

What took my attention however is Pakistan. Because I know that I had recently read a news about Pakistan and bitcoin and I was right.

Pakistan is moving ahead with plans to establish a national Bitcoin reserve as part of a broader digital asset strategy. Bilal Bin Saqib, head of the Pakistan Crypto Council, announced the move at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

He emphasised that the government’s intention is long term and not driven by market speculation. He stated that once acquired, the Bitcoin would never be sold.

The government plans to launch a national Bitcoin wallet and adopt blockchain technologies. The reserve’s size is unclear, but the move follows the US example and shows Pakistan’s growing trust in blockchain.

I guess the list is now outdated. It shows that a country can and will definitely change their stance on bitcoin. So is your country still against bitcoin?

[UchihaSarada]

I saw a list from investopedia.com of countries where bitcoin is illegal.

You can have a map of Bitcoin legality status with different legal status like Legal tender, Legal, Alegal, Illegal, Restricted, Unknown.

https://newhedge.io/terminal/bitcoin/legality-map
https://coin.dance/poli/legality

[Oshosondy]

China may not see bitcoin an a currency and they have in one way or the other banned bitcoin and bitcoin mining, but bitcoin is still mined by miners living in China and bitcoin is accepted by Chinese government as a property that their citizen can buy and hold even in the past.

It is also good to know that no country can completely ban bitcoin.

[ABCbits]

These days, a country announcing that they will make bitcoin legal is not as rare anymore.

It's still rare to see a country legalize Bitcoin as currency or payment method though. AFAIK most country legalize Bitcoin as investment or property asset, which isn't aligned with Satoshi's goal about Bitcoin as P2P money.

[purple_sparkles]

My country, for example, is currently at the stage of passing a law on the legalization of cryptocurrency. Of course, there are no reserve funds in Bitcoin yet. However, there are already bills on how to take money from people who own cryptocurrency. It seems like it would be better if this bill does not pass, because cryptocurrency can already be cashed out without any problems. But if it does pass, 23% would have to be given to the government, which looks more like robbery than improvement or progress.

[pancelot]

So is your country still against bitcoin?

In my country, Indonesia, Bitcoin cannot be used as legal tender. This is stipulated in Bank Indonesia regulations. You can view them here: https://www.bi.go.id/id/publikasi/peraturan/Documents/PBI_191217.pdf.
However, Indonesia also recognizes Bitcoin as a tradable commodity, as it is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency through the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. You can also view the regulations here: https://jdih.kemendag.go.id/backendx/image/aturan/27191241_PERMENDAG_NOMOR_99_TAHUN_2018.PDF
However, in 2025, the Indonesian government shifted oversight of Bitcoin or crypto from Bappebti to the Financial Services Authority (OJK) for its use. Crypto assets are now considered equivalent to securities.

Well, from that, I see enormous potential for Indonesia to adopt Bitcoin for legitimate transactions in the future. (This is just my assumption; I could be wrong.) 

[john_egbert]

These days, a country announcing that they will make bitcoin legal is not as rare anymore.

It's still rare to see a country legalize Bitcoin as currency or payment method though. AFAIK most country legalize Bitcoin as investment or property asset, which isn't aligned with Satoshi's goal about Bitcoin as P2P money.

Yep.

The time when BTC will be accepted as the alternative to fiat itself will come, but not in these years that are near us, clearly..

[pancelot]

So is your country still against bitcoin?

I agree with ABCbits and that's what happened here in my country, Indonesia, Bitcoin cannot be used as legal tender. This is stipulated in Bank Indonesia regulations. You can view them here: https://www.bi.go.id/id/publikasi/peraturan/Documents/PBI_191217.pdf.
However, Indonesia also recognizes Bitcoin as a tradable commodity, as it is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency through the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. You can also view the regulations here: https://jdih.kemendag.go.id/backendx/image/aturan/27191241_PERMENDAG_NOMOR_99_TAHUN_2018.PDF
However, in 2025, the Indonesian government shifted oversight of Bitcoin or crypto from Bappebti to the Financial Services Authority (OJK) for its use. Crypto assets are now considered equivalent to securities.

Well, from that, I see enormous potential for Indonesia to adopt Bitcoin for legitimate transactions in the future. (This is just my assumption; I could be wrong.) 

[betswift]

^ Let's believe you are not, because there is a lot to gain from working with crypto from both sides: retailer and higher up.

[Dave1]

Did you check the date of the article? It looks like it's outdated, as it was last year. So maybe that's where your confusion sets in. Maybe Pakistan have made a U-turn already after the article has been published.

As far as China goes, there are a lot of conflicting news about them having no Bitcoin at all to the second largest hold behind the US. So I wouldn't be putting them in the list. Perhaps they are just trying to be secretive as every country is talking about making Bitcoin as a national reserve.

And you can't believed that they won't be into Bitcoin as they are also going into a race with US as far as the biggest Bitcoin holder.

[DubemIfedigbo001]

I was very interested in Tunisia and I found this

At present, Tunisia does not have any specific laws or penalties pertaining to the use of cryptocurrencies. The absence of regulation makes it difficult for authorities to enforce any punitive measures on users. However, since the government does not officially recognize cryptocurrencies, users may find it challenging to protect their rights or seek legal recourse in case of fraud or other disputes. It is crucial for users to remain cautious and conduct their activities responsibly.
https://legalitylens.com/are-cryptocurrencies-legal-in-tunisia/

I can see say that there are no explicit laws signifying that Tunisia and even some of the other countries like China are totally against Bitcoin.

It might interest you that there's are still some illegal mining activities going on in China. When Bitcoin was banned in Chhina, Miners didn't totally give up, they went into illegal mining at hidden areas and it's very possible that some law enforcement agents are bribed to sustain the business.

[m2017]

China may not see bitcoin an a currency and they have in one way or the other banned bitcoin and bitcoin mining, but bitcoin is still mined by miners living in China and bitcoin is accepted by Chinese government as a property that their citizen can buy and hold even in the past.

I don't quite understand your idea. If mining is prohibited in China, then how do miners living in China mine? Or does this apply to non-residents of the country?

It is also good to know that no country can completely ban bitcoin.

It can't banned, but it can bring to justice if there are laws adopted prohibiting the use of bitcoin as a means of payment for goods and services (in some countries it already exists) or the purchase\sale, ownership of bitcoin.

When in such countries, people are forced to obey these laws (if they don't want to have problems with the law), which in fact becomes equivalent to a ban (bitcoin).

[hugeblack]

Legal lists are often inaccurate, or the authors don't do much research into the details. Therefore, the best way to determine the legal status in a country is to ask the local community or consult a qualified lawyer.

Government policies vary and fluctuate. Some governments are unfriendly to Bitcoin, believing it reduces government oversight, while others prefer to legalize Bitcoin for tax purposes.

[betswift]

China may not see bitcoin an a currency and they have in one way or the other banned bitcoin and bitcoin mining, but bitcoin is still mined by miners living in China and bitcoin is accepted by Chinese government as a property that their citizen can buy and hold even in the past.

I don't quite understand your idea. If mining is prohibited in China, then how do miners living in China mine? Or does this apply to non-residents of the country?

They adapted and use foreign proxy servers to obscure their way of things. Also, they use off-grid electricity to avoid detection.

That's why they still contribute a notable share to the hash rate.

[Zigabel]

What took my attention however is Pakistan. Because I know that I had recently read a news about Pakistan and bitcoin and I was right.

Pakistan is moving ahead with plans to establish a national Bitcoin reserve as part of a broader digital asset strategy. Bilal Bin Saqib, head of the Pakistan Crypto Council, announced the move at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

He emphasised that the government’s intention is long term and not driven by market speculation. He stated that once acquired, the Bitcoin would never be sold.

The government plans to launch a national Bitcoin wallet and adopt blockchain technologies. The reserve’s size is unclear, but the move follows the US example and shows Pakistan’s growing trust in blockchain.

I guess the list is now outdated. It shows that a country can and will definitely change their stance on bitcoin. So is your country still against bitcoin?

The more awareness goes on With bitcoin the more most persons will begin to key into the adoption because they begin to see the valuation and the recognition and adoption it is getting on almost a daily bases. more and more countries will later review their prohibition of Bitcoin in times coming and i believe they are definitely goin to join in the adoption of Bitcoin too because hey see the economic value it will be of to their nation. it is more beyond just the use but the store of value which makes it a good store of value is another key aspect these countries will be willing to explore when they see how well Bitcoin fits in economically, it will only take time and this list will be completely outdated as many others on this list will join it the adoption of the asset for the purpose of their economic benefit.

Its the Fact that most of these countries wants to have Bitcoin in a reserve just like it once happened that every country strived to have a gold reserve then seeing the economic importance of Gold to the country and the international market at large because time, when it becomes that Bitcoin gains that so much adoption and be in the Reserve of many countries out there, its valuation further gets even higher that even the supply will be affected and that will induce scarcity and further push up the price of Bitcoin since it is a limited supply Asset.

[Donneski]

The situation in my country is kind of similar to what you pointed out with Pakistan. Things don’t stay the same for long. What was once illegal or heavily restricted is now slowly moving toward acceptance. It seems like no country wants to be left behind when others are adopting Bitcoin and blockchain. That’s why I think your closing question is really relevant. “is your country still against Bitcoin?” feels less and less permanent because we have seen how fast governments can change their minds when they realize the benefits they’re missing especially when it has to do with the global financial system.

[davis196]

China
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Tunisia
Bolivia

OP, your list has multiple countries missing. Bitcoin is also declared illegal in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
I was surprised to see that India is one of the countries, where Bitcoin is legal. There were lots of forum posts about India having strict anti-crypto regulations years ago. Maybe the Indian government had changed it's position regarding Bitcoin and crypto in general.
I found out that Bitcoin mining is declared illegal in Kosovo. Who the hell would start mining BTC in a country like Kosovo, where most of the electricity is being imported(as far as I know)?

[betswift]

The situation in my country is kind of similar to what you pointed out with Pakistan. Things don’t stay the same for long. What was once illegal or heavily restricted is now slowly moving toward acceptance. It seems like no country wants to be left behind when others are adopting Bitcoin and blockchain. That’s why I think your closing question is really relevant. “is your country still against Bitcoin?” feels less and less permanent because we have seen how fast governments can change their minds when they realize the benefits they’re missing especially when it has to do with the global financial system.

More like especially when they understand where the profit is about to be made

[AprilioMP]

These five countries banned Bitcoin, and the data was updated in 2025.
If the second source states that one of the countries that initially opposed it changed its stance with plans to make Bitcoin a national reserve, this is in keeping with human nature's volatile nature.

I guess the list is now outdated. It shows that a country can and will definitely change their stance on bitcoin. So is your country still against bitcoin?

My country doesn't legalize Bitcoin as a currency (means of payment), but we can still use Bitcoin as a commodity asset.
We can still trade and invest in Bitcoin. If we want to use Bitcoin, we have to exchange it for fiat on an exchange.

[2Pizza410000BTC]

These days, a country announcing that they will make bitcoin legal is not as rare anymore. We hear news of this almost every week. It might make us forget that not all countries like bitcoin. There are still those who don’t and have not changed their stance when it comes to bitcoin. I saw a list from investopedia.com of countries where bitcoin is illegal. These are the following countries:

• China
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• Tunisia
• Bolivia

What took my attention however is Pakistan. Because I know that I had recently read a news about Pakistan and bitcoin and I was right.

I guess the list is now outdated. It shows that a country can and will definitely change their stance on bitcoin. So is your country still against bitcoin?

I can say that my country is not against Bitcoin, even though Bitcoin is illegal in my country, we can easily ensure the use of Bitcoin from our country. Although Bitcoin cannot be sold directly in my country, we can use Bitcoin in any work or field by converting it into the local currency of my country through p2p transactions, and there will be no problem. If my country was against Bitcoin, we would not have been able to use Bitcoin like this, maybe we would not have been able to use Bitcoin at all, if we had used it, various administrative problems would have been created. I hope that my country will continue to see Bitcoin the way it is now, but I also hope that my country will give legality one day. I am talking about my Bangladesh here.