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Algeria Enforces Total Cryptocurrency Ban With Jail Terms and Hefty Fines

Authorities have begun using digital surveillance to detect illicit crypto use under strengthened AML/CFT rules.

Overview

  • Law No. 25-10, enacted on July 24, criminalises the issuance, trading, mining, wallet use, and promotion of all digital assets in Algeria.
  • Violators face prison sentences ranging from two months to one year and fines between 200,000 and 1,000,000 Algerian dinars, with harsher penalties for organized crime links.
  • The Bank of Algeria, Banking Commission, and security agencies are expanding digital and physical monitoring to enforce the new ban.
  • Officials say the prohibition aligns Algeria’s legal framework with FATF standards to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.
  • The blanket ban stands in stark contrast to global trends toward regulated crypto integration and risks pushing domestic activity underground.