Belarus establishes rules for ‘crypto banks’: check out the details

• President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19 to set operating rules and market entry conditions.
• Cryptobanks must become Hi-Tech Park residents and be registered in a central bank-run cryptobank register.
• The model introduces dual oversight through financial rules and Hi-Tech Park supervisory board decisions.

Belarus is moving digital assets closer to the core of its financial system after introducing a legal framework for “cryptobanks”.

Instead of treating crypto as a separate industry, the country is building a model where token-related services sit inside existing banking structures and are supervised by the state.

On Friday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19, which defines how cryptobanks can operate and what conditions they must meet to enter the market.

The move gives Belarus a regulated route for crypto-linked banking, while tightening the boundaries around who is allowed to provide these services.

What Decree No. 19 allows cryptobanks to do

Under the decree, cryptobanks are defined as joint-stock companies that can combine token-based activity with traditional banking functions.

This includes banking services, payments, and related financial services, but now within a formal legal structure.

Rather than creating a parallel “crypto sector”, Belarus is linking digital asset operations to the same financial oversight mechanisms and infrastructure that already govern mainstream institutions.

That approach signals an effort to keep crypto activity within a controlled and traceable system.

Cryptobanks will not be open to every player. The framework limits participation to firms that agree to operate strictly within the country’s regulatory requirements.

Hi-Tech Park rules are now tied to crypto banking

A key part of the new framework is the Hi-Tech Park, a state-backed technology zone that already plays a major role in Belarus’s digital economy strategy.

Under the decree, a cryptobank must obtain resident status in the Hi-Tech Park before entering the market.

On top of this, cryptobanks must be added to a dedicated register that will be maintained by the country’s central bank.

This structure effectively places market access behind formal approvals, ensuring the state can monitor who is active and under what rules they are operating.

Cryptobanks face dual oversight and compliance duties

Belarus is applying a layered supervision model to cryptobanks, with requirements that stretch beyond standard financial compliance.

According to the decree, cryptobanks must follow rules applied to non-bank credit and financial institutions.

They also have to implement decisions issued by the Hi-Tech Park’s supervisory board.

This sets up dual oversight that combines financial regulation with technological supervision.

Officials say the approach is designed to support innovative products that mix conventional banking services with token-based transaction efficiencies.

In practical terms, it allows crypto-linked services to be delivered through licensed entities that are already embedded in the formal banking environment.

The new cryptobank rules fit into a longer policy direction where crypto is allowed only within clearly defined and state-approved boundaries.