Kazakhstan | Crypto

Kazakhstan has planned a $500M–$1B national crypto reserve fund for early 2026, seeded by repatriated assets and mining revenues, managed via the Astana International Financial Centre with investments in ETFs and digital-asset-linked equities, while avoiding direct token exposure. The post Kazakhstan to Launch $500M–$1B Crypto Reserve Fund by 2026: Report appeared first on Cryptonews.

The government is reportedly considering converting part of its sovereign wealth and gold holdings into digital assets, signaling the rise of crypto as a state-level asset class. Kazakhstan’s government is reportedly considering converting a portion of the country’s National Fund assets, as well as part of its gold and foreign exchange reserves, to fund a cryptocurrency reserve. According to The Times of Central Asia, Berik Sholpankulov, deputy chairman of Kazakhstan’s National Bank, announced the initiative during a recent parliamentary session. A Bloomberg Law report Friday suggested the government aims to allocate between $500 million and $1 billion to the effort. “I think by year end, January next year, we will have it up and running,” Sholpankulov said, according to Bloomberg. Sholpankulov said the creation of a state-managed crypto asset fund is under discussion among government officials. “We are considering the possibility of using part of the National Fund’s assets and gold and foreign exchange reser...

Despite Kazakhstan’s public pro-crypto stance, the volume of crypto platforms engaged in illicit financial schemes and closed down increased in 2025. Kazakhstan, an emerging cryptocurrency hub in Central Asia, has been cracking down on illicit activity in the cryptocurrency sector, shutting down dozens of crypto platforms this year. Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency (AFM) has taken down 130 crypto platforms involved in money laundering schemes this year, a spokesperson for the agency told Cointelegraph on Wednesday. The authorities have also seized $16.7 million in various cryptocurrencies linked to these illegal operations, the AFM representative said, confirming local reports from Tuesday. Read more

Kazakhstan is advancing a dual model by piloting its digital tenge CBDC alongside the Evo stablecoin as part of its push to become a crypto hub. Kazakhstan is moving forward with a dual-track approach to digital assets, piloting its central bank digital currency (CBDC) while also backing a state-linked stablecoin. In September, the National Bank of Kazakhstan launched the Evo stablecoin in collaboration with Solana and Mastercard, marking one of the first cases of state-backed stablecoin development worldwide. The central bank has also been progressing with its CBDC, digital tenge, which launched in 2023. “When discussing the Evo stablecoin and the digital tenge, we see not competition, but rather opportunities for integration and interoperability,” Berik Sholpankulov, deputy governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, told Cointelegraph on Tuesday. Read more

Kazakhstan has established the first state-sponsored crypto fund, the Alem Crypto Fund, which made its initial investment in BNB.

The president announced his “CryptoCity” plans would be developed in Alatau, while the government would move forward to create a strategic crypto reserve with “promising assets.” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, laid out plans for the country’s AI and digital asset endeavours, which include a strategic cryptocurrency reserve. In an annual address on Monday, Tokayev said the government should create a “full-fledged ecosystem of digital assets as soon as possible” as part of efforts to “find effective ways to maximize the return of bank money to the economy.” He proposed having the country’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market draft a law to this effect to be passed before 2026. Read more

Kazakhstan is moving to establish a state-backed crypto reserve as part of its wider plan to embed digital assets into the national economy. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gave the directive this week, saying the initiative reflects the country’s need to adapt its financial system to new technological realities. According to Tokayev, the proposed State Fund for […] The post Kazakhstan bets big on state-backed crypto reserve to boost digital economy appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Crypto exchange Bybit has become the first crypto exchange to debut stablecoin payments for regulatory fees in Kazakhstan’s AIFC. Kazakhstan’s financial regulators have allowed license and supervision fees to be paid in USD-pegged stablecoins. Kazakhstan’s Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), a designated financial authority for the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), has launched a project enabling AIFC members to pay regulatory fees in USD-pegged stablecoins. The regulator announced on Thursday that the project was officially launched at the local event Astana Finance Days 2025, signing a related multilateral memorandum of understanding (MMoU) with the centralized crypto exchange (CEX) Bybit. Read more

Kazakhstan launches its first spot Bitcoin ETF as Norway’s wealth fund boosts BTC exposure. Technicals point to a breakout toward $130K in the near term. The post Bitcoin Price Prediction: Kazakhstan’s First ETF Launches as BTC Targets $130K Breakout appeared first on Cryptonews.

The growing role of platforms like BitGo in spot Bitcoin products worldwide is a double-edged sword, according to market observers. BitGo, a US-regulated crypto custodian, will safeguard assets for Central Asia’s first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), which debuted Wednesday on the Astana International Exchange in Kazakhstan. The Astana International Exchange (AIX), a stock exchange operating within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) framework, announced the listing of the Fonte Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (BETF) on Wednesday. Managed by AIFC-registered asset manager Fonte Capital, BETF offers indirect investment access to Bitcoin (BTC) to a wide range of investors, including retail participants, AIX said. Read more

Kazakhstan’s central bank is drawing on lessons from Norway, the US and Middle East in developing its crypto strategy. Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund has reportedly identified cryptocurrencies as a viable asset class for inclusion in the country’s national reserves, with the central bank drawing lessons from allocation strategies used in Norway, the United States and the Middle East. According to Kursiv, a local media outlet registered with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Information, the country plans to invest a portion of its gold and foreign exchange reserves — as well as assets held by its sovereign wealth fund — into crypto-related instruments. Kursiv cited Timur Suleimenov, head of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, who said at a press conference that the central bank is exploring “aggressive strategies to [generate] higher investment income,” which “does not exclude” allocating part of its holdings to crypto-related funds. Read more

Kazakhstan’s central bank is set to establish a state-run crypto reserve, likely funded by seized digital assets and government-linked mining. The National Bank of Kazakhstan plans to establish a state-managed cryptocurrency reserve, according to a Monday report by government news agency Kazinform. Local authorities are studying the development of a crypto reserve, which would follow international practices. Typically, such reserves are likely to be funded with expropriated digital assets and state-run crypto mining operations, the report said. National Bank of Kazakhstan Chairman Timur Suleimenov acknowledged the volatility and risks associated with crypto assets. He said that placing the reserve under the control of a centralized institution would ensure proper oversight and risk management. Read more

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced plans to build “CryptoCity,” aiming to establish a regulatory sandbox for digital assets. Kazakhstan plans to launch “CryptoCity,” a pilot zone where cryptocurrencies can be used to pay for goods and services, the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said. according to a May 29 announcement on the official website of President . Speaking at the Astana International Forum 2025, Tokayev said the pilot zone will be used to explore cryptocurrency adoption within a regulated sandbox environment. “We are planning to create a pioneering pilot zone called CryptoCity where cryptocurrencies might be used for purchasing goods, services, and even beyond,” he said in his remarks, a transcript of which was published on the president’s official website. Read more

Kazakhstan’s digital minister says lifting crypto restrictions and expanding regulations could turn the country into Central Asia’s top blockchain hub. Kazakhstan has the potential to become a leading crypto hub in Central Asia if regulatory restrictions are eased, according to Kanysh Tuleushin, the country’s first vice minister of digital development, innovation and aerospace industry. In a recent op-ed for the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper, Tuleushin said digital mining and smart policy shifts could position Kazakhstan as a regional leader in blockchain innovation. “If all restrictions were lifted and digital asset trading was allowed across Kazakhstan, the impact could be significant,” he wrote.   Read more