Algeria Crypto Ban: How the 2018 Financial Law Led to a Total Prohibition by 2025

Jan, 28 2026
17 Comments
Cryptocurrency,

Algeria didn’t just discourage cryptocurrency-it made it illegal to even own it. By 2025, the country had turned a vague 2018 restriction into one of the world’s harshest crypto bans, criminalizing everything from buying Bitcoin to simply holding it in a digital wallet.

The 2018 Financial Law: A Weak Start

In 2018, Algeria passed its first formal rule against cryptocurrency under the Financial Law. It said virtual currencies couldn’t be used for payments, purchases, or investments. But the law didn’t say what happened if you broke it. No fines. No jail time. No clear agency in charge. That left a big gray zone.

For years, Algerians kept using crypto anyway. High inflation, strict capital controls, and a weak local currency pushed people toward Bitcoin and Ethereum as a way to protect their savings. Many bought crypto through peer-to-peer platforms or foreign exchanges. Some even mined it using home computers. Authorities didn’t crack down hard. The law existed on paper, but enforcement was rare. People assumed it was more of a warning than a rule.

The 2025 Thunderbolt: Law No. 25-10

Everything changed on July 24, 2025. Algeria published Law No. 25-10 in its Official Journal. This wasn’t an update-it was a total rewrite of the rules. The government didn’t just ban trading anymore. It banned everything.

Under this new law, the following are now criminal offenses:

Buying, selling, or trading any cryptocurrency
Possessing crypto in any wallet, even if you never traded it
Using crypto to pay for goods or services
Mining Bitcoin or other coins
Creating new tokens or launching a blockchain project
Advertising crypto, even on social media
Running or promoting a crypto exchange
Sharing educational content about blockchain or crypto investing

The law doesn’t care if you’re a trader, a miner, or just someone who bought $50 worth of Ethereum in 2021 and forgot about it. If you have it, you’re breaking the law.

Punishments Are Severe-and Universal

The penalties are designed to scare people away. Anyone caught violating the law faces:

Prison time: 2 months to 1 year
Fines: 200,000 to 1,000,000 Algerian dinars ($1,540-$7,700 USD)

There’s no distinction between a small-time holder and a large-scale operator. A student who bought a few dollars of crypto online gets the same punishment as someone running a mining farm. The law doesn’t offer warnings, fines-only options, or probation. Jail is the default.

This makes Algeria’s crypto ban one of the strictest in the world. Even China, often cited as crypto’s toughest opponent, allows some forms of blockchain research and enterprise use. Algeria doesn’t. Not even a little.

Underground crypto trade in a basement with a police robot scanning for digital wallets.

Why Did Algeria Go So Far?

The government says it’s protecting the Algerian Dinar. They argue that crypto undermines national monetary control and could destabilize the economy. They also point to money laundering risks and energy waste from mining.

But the real story is deeper. Algeria’s economy relies heavily on oil and gas exports. The state controls nearly every major financial flow. Crypto threatens that control. When people can send money across borders without going through banks or the central government, it weakens the state’s grip.

The Bank of Algeria, the Banking Commission, and judicial authorities now work together to hunt down crypto users. They monitor bank transfers for suspicious activity, track online ads promoting crypto, and even scan social media for posts about Bitcoin. Enforcement isn’t theoretical anymore-it’s active.

How This Compares to the Rest of the World

While Algeria shuts down crypto, most other countries are trying to regulate it. The European Union passed MiCA, a detailed rulebook for crypto exchanges and tokens. The United States has multiple agencies working on clear guidelines. Even countries like the UAE and Bahrain have built crypto-friendly zones with licenses and tax incentives.

Algeria stands alone. It’s not just rejecting crypto-it’s trying to erase it from public consciousness. Even discussing crypto investment strategies online could land you in court.

Students in a classroom as blockchain diagrams vanish, one hides a Bitcoin USB drive.

What This Means for Algerians Today

The crypto community in Algeria has been shattered. Before 2025, there were tens of thousands of users. Now, they’ve gone silent. Wallets are being wiped. Exchanges have shut down. Social media groups have been deleted or made private.

Some people are still using crypto through underground networks-using cash trades, offshore wallets, or proxy services. But the risk is enormous. If caught, they could lose their freedom.

Even students learning blockchain at university are being warned: don’t mention crypto in projects. Don’t write about it in papers. Don’t ask questions in class. The fear of legal consequences has turned education into a minefield.

Is This Sustainable?

The law is extreme. But enforcing it is nearly impossible. Crypto is digital. It doesn’t need banks. It doesn’t need borders. You can’t ban a technology with a single law if people still want to use it.

Global adoption of digital assets keeps growing. Institutions are investing billions. Countries are competing to become crypto hubs. Algeria’s ban may look strong today, but in five years, it could look like a relic-a country that chose control over connection.

For now, Algerians have no legal path to crypto. No exchanges. No wallets. No education. No freedom. The 2018 law was a warning. The 2025 law is a prison sentence-for the whole country’s digital future.

Is cryptocurrency completely illegal in Algeria?

Yes. Since July 24, 2025, Algeria’s Law No. 25-10 makes all cryptocurrency activities illegal-including buying, selling, mining, possessing, or even promoting crypto. Simply holding Bitcoin or Ethereum in a wallet is a criminal offense.

What happens if you get caught with crypto in Algeria?

You can face prison time from two months to one year and fines between 200,000 and 1,000,000 Algerian dinars ($1,540-$7,700 USD). The law treats everyone the same-whether you own $10 or $10,000 in crypto.

Did Algeria ban crypto in 2018 or 2025?

The 2018 Financial Law first restricted crypto use, but it had no clear penalties or enforcement. The full, criminal ban came with Law No. 25-10, published on July 24, 2025. That’s when possession, trading, and even advertising crypto became punishable by jail.

Can you still mine cryptocurrency in Algeria?

No. Mining is explicitly banned under Law No. 25-10. Using any computer or hardware to validate blockchain transactions is considered a criminal act. Authorities monitor electricity usage and online activity to detect mining operations.

Are there any legal ways to use crypto in Algeria?

No. There are no legal exemptions. Even educational content about blockchain or crypto investment is now risky. The law targets not just users, but anyone who promotes, discusses, or shares information about cryptocurrency.

Why is Algeria’s crypto ban so strict compared to other countries?

Algeria’s economy is tightly controlled by the state, with the Algerian Dinar as the only legal tender. The government sees crypto as a threat to monetary sovereignty, financial stability, and its ability to track capital flows. Unlike countries that regulate crypto, Algeria chose total elimination to maintain control.

Is the ban enforced effectively?

Enforcement is active and expanding. The Bank of Algeria, judicial authorities, and security agencies now coordinate to monitor bank transactions, social media, and online activity for crypto-related behavior. Prosecutions are increasing, and penalties are being applied consistently since mid-2025.

Can you still buy crypto on international exchanges from Algeria?

Technically, yes-but it’s illegal. Accessing foreign exchanges like Binance or Coinbase from Algeria violates Law No. 25-10. If detected, you could face criminal charges, even if the exchange is based outside the country. Many Algerians use VPNs, but that doesn’t remove legal risk.

What’s the difference between Algeria’s 2018 law and the 2025 law?

The 2018 law only prohibited using crypto as payment or for investment, with no penalties. The 2025 law criminalizes every possible interaction with crypto-including possession, mining, advertising, and even sharing information about it. It turned a vague warning into a full-blown criminal code.

Will Algeria ever lift the crypto ban?

It’s unlikely in the near future. The 2025 law was designed to be permanent, with no built-in flexibility. Lifting it would require a complete legislative reversal. Given the government’s stance on monetary control, any change would likely require a major economic or political shift.

17 Comments

Robert Mills
January 28, 2026 AT 18:26

Algeria just banned owning crypto?? Bro, that's wild. 😳
josh gander
January 29, 2026 AT 05:55

This is one of those moments where you realize governments don't just regulate-they try to erase. Imagine being fined or jailed for holding a digital file you bought years ago. It's not about security, it's about control. The state fears losing its grip on money, and crypto is the ultimate decentralized threat. People aren't just trading coins-they're trading freedom. And Algeria? They'd rather lock people up than admit the world moved on. The irony? They're burning their own digital future to protect a crumbling oil-based economy. Meanwhile, the rest of the planet is building blockchain infrastructure, not prison cells. 🌍💸
Akhil Mathew
January 29, 2026 AT 16:59

Honestly, this feels like a classic case of a state clinging to outdated power structures. Algeria’s economy is so dependent on oil that any alternative financial system looks like a threat. But crypto isn’t just about speculation-it’s about financial sovereignty for the people. The fact that even educational content is banned shows how terrified they are of knowledge spreading. This isn’t protection-it’s intellectual quarantine.
Sunil Srivastva
January 31, 2026 AT 04:49

I’ve seen this kind of reaction before in countries with heavy state control. The government sees crypto as a tool for capital flight, and they’re not wrong-but the solution isn’t jail, it’s adaptation. Imagine if they invested in blockchain for public records or land registries instead of banning it. They could’ve been leaders in Africa’s digital transformation. Instead, they’re turning citizens into criminals just for holding digital assets. Sad.
Devyn Ranere-Carleton
January 31, 2026 AT 16:37

so they banned btc but still let the oil money flow? lmao
Kevin Thomas
February 1, 2026 AT 22:42

Let me break this down for the people still confused: This isn’t about money laundering. It’s about the state not being able to track where people’s wealth goes. If you can send $1000 to your cousin in Spain without the central bank knowing, that’s a direct threat to their power. They’re not protecting the dinar-they’re protecting their own monopoly. And yeah, it’s brutal. But guess what? People will still find ways. They always do. You can’t ban math.
Pamela Mainama
February 3, 2026 AT 17:51

It’s heartbreaking. People just wanted to protect their savings from inflation. Now they’re afraid to even talk about it.
Rachel Stone
February 5, 2026 AT 04:08

So they banned crypto... but still let the same people who run the banks get rich off oil? Makes sense.
Nickole Fennell
February 5, 2026 AT 12:02

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO JAIL FOR HAVING A DIGITAL WALLET?? THIS IS A DYSTOPIAN NIGHTMARE. THEY’RE TURNING ALGERIA INTO A DIGITAL PRISON. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A KID BUYS $20 OF ETH ON A PHONE AND FORGETS ABOUT IT? THEY’RE STILL CRIMINALS?? THIS IS TERRORISM AGAINST TECHNOLOGY.
Gurpreet Singh
February 6, 2026 AT 13:07

In India, we’ve had our own struggles with crypto regulation-uncertainty, tax confusion, banks shutting accounts. But even here, we never criminalized possession. Algeria’s law feels more like a political statement than economic policy. I feel for the young developers there who just wanted to learn blockchain. Now they’re scared to even type the word ‘Bitcoin’.
Christopher Michael
February 7, 2026 AT 03:15

This is a textbook example of a rent-seeking state. The Algerian government profits from controlling every financial transaction-oil revenues, state banks, currency monopolies. Crypto disrupts that entire ecosystem. The penalties? Designed to intimidate, not deter. The fact that they’re monitoring social media for crypto mentions? That’s not law enforcement-that’s digital surveillance. And let’s be clear: banning blockchain education? That’s not protecting the economy. That’s poisoning the next generation’s future. This isn’t just a bad policy-it’s a national suicide note.
Rico Romano
February 8, 2026 AT 19:52

Of course they banned it. Western tech elites think they can just export their chaos everywhere. Crypto is a tool for destabilization-designed by anarchists and Silicon Valley cultists. Algeria has the right to protect its sovereignty. You think the U.S. would let a foreign digital currency undermine the dollar? Don’t be naive. This is common sense. The rest of the world is just too soft.
Jack Petty
February 8, 2026 AT 23:28

This is the deep state flexing. They know crypto is the future. They can’t control it. So they make it illegal. Next they’ll ban the internet. Or pens. Or thoughts. They’re scared. And scared people do stupid things.
Tressie Trezza
February 9, 2026 AT 10:24

There’s something poetic about a country banning the very thing that could free its people from economic oppression. It’s like locking the door and throwing away the key-then wondering why no one can leave.
Gustavo Gonzalez
February 11, 2026 AT 01:55

You people are acting like this is some radical move. Let me remind you: the U.S. has the IRS, the Fed, the SEC, and banks that freeze accounts for ‘suspicious activity.’ Algeria just made it official. At least here, you know the rules. No more pretending. If you want to be free, you’re going to jail. That’s transparency. The real problem? You think freedom is a right. It’s not. It’s a privilege the state grants you. And right now, Algeria says: ‘Not for you.’
mary irons
February 12, 2026 AT 21:27

I’ve been waiting for this. The global elite are terrified. Crypto isn’t just money-it’s a decentralized network that can’t be shut down. They know if one country cracks, the whole system collapses. So they crush it early. This is why the banks are buying up land in Switzerland and buying off politicians. They’re preparing for the endgame. Algeria? They’re just the first domino. The rest will follow.
Gary Gately
February 14, 2026 AT 16:16

so they banned btc but still let the oil barons get richer? classic