Kazakhstan launches 34 digital asset projects under new regulatory regime

September 15, 2026 at 10:54 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Kazakhstan's National Bank reported 34 digital asset projects are underway in its regulatory sandbox as of September 15, 2026. The projects span stablecoins, tokenization, crypto exchanges, custody, and fiat conversion services. The update came during a government meeting on digital asset development.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's comprehensive national digital asset regulation took effect on May 1, 2026, the first such model in Central Asia.
AIFC digital asset providers recorded $10.6 billion in transaction volume and about 215,000 clients in 2025.
Kazakhstan has 76 licensed miners, which produced about 3,600 bitcoins in 2025, four times the 2023 output.
Mining tax revenue exceeded 22 billion tenge in 2025.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the government to expand the use of real asset tokenization to attract investment.

Regulatory Framework

Kazakhstan's comprehensive national digital asset regulation took effect on May 1, 2026, the first such model in Central Asia. The new legislation introduced digital financial assets, including stablecoins, tokenized real assets, and financial instruments. It established requirements for issuance, custody, and recording of owners' rights, and defined the legal circulation framework for unsecured digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. A provider institution was created, covering tokenization platform operators, crypto exchanges, and operators for exchanging unsecured digital assets.

Market Development

Kazakhstan began regulating the market in 2022 with a mechanism for crypto exchanges in the Astana International Financial Centre to interact with banks. The Law on Digital Assets was adopted in 2023. By the end of 2025, AIFC providers had reached $10.6 billion in transaction volume and about 215,000 clients. In July 2025, the National Bank established a regulatory sandbox for new digital asset products and business models. The sandbox currently hosts 34 projects across 14 areas, including stablecoins, asset tokenization, crypto exchanges, custody, and fiat conversion services.

Mining and Tokenization

Kazakhstan has 76 licensed miners, which produced about 3,600 bitcoins in 2025, four times the 2023 output. Mining tax revenue exceeded 22 billion tenge in 2025. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the potential of real asset tokenization as an effective tool for attracting investment into infrastructure projects, real estate, and other sectors. He instructed the government to integrate digital assets and new financial instruments into a unified financial and technological network, with a focus on tokenizing real assets.