Argentina’s Crypto Regulations Tighten Under President Milei

Javier Milei, the President of Argentina since 2023, has set transformative changes in motion to integrate cryptocurrencies into the nation’s financial system through new regulations and policies.

The reforms, crucial for Argentina’s evolving crypto landscape, indicate potential market liberalization and heightened compliance obligations, impacting major digital assets and exchange operations significantly.

Milei’s Regulatory Overhaul Targets Crypto Integration

Argentina’s President Javier Milei, elected in late 2023, targets a revamp of Argentina’s financial system with a focus on cryptocurrencies. The National Securities Commission (CNV) is now overseeing this sector, imposing new regulatory standards. According to Javier Milei, President of Argentina, “Argentine President announced plans for 2025 to change the country’s financial system by encouraging free currency use and rules that support crypto.”

Milei supports free currency use and introduces measures to integrate cryptocurrencies. The CNV mandates registration, creates new compliance obligations for exchanges, and enforces minimum net worth standards. These actions signal a substantial shift in Argentina’s financial landscape. For more about Argentina’s economic changes, such as eliminating capital controls, visit Argentina removes capital controls and payment timelines for market access.

New Rules Challenge International Crypto Exchanges

The regulations affected international crypto exchanges operating in Argentina, requiring compliance. Non-compliance risks losing access to the market. The framework impacts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins, with a focus on transparency and consumer protection.

Enhanced reporting obligations and tokenization standards are enforced. The policy change could lead to increased confidence in the sector, while regulations influence exchange operations. Ricardo Mihura, President of ONG Bitcoin Argentina, noted,

“For a year now, there has been talk of free circulation, but it’s not true that there is real free competition between fiat currencies and Bitcoin. When you trade with dollars or euros, exchange rate differences with the peso are not subject to income tax, whereas with Bitcoin, they are. This significantly increases costs, deters and complicates the use of Bitcoin as a currency.”

Bitcoin Legalization Precedes $LIBRA-Driven Reforms

Argentina’s crypto policies follow legalizing Bitcoin in contracts in 2023, a move echoing El Salvador’s Bitcoin use in 2021. The $LIBRA scandal hastened regulatory actions, ensuring consumer protection and exchange accountability.

The National Securities Commission issued resolutions to guide digital asset practices, drawing expert analysis from Kanalcoin indicating this could stabilize Argentina’s crypto sector, mitigating risks while encouraging healthy competition and innovation.