Crypto in Vietnam: legality, rules, and tax

The legal status

Vietnam moved from a long standing grey zone to formal recognition of digital assets. The Law on Digital Technology Industry, passed by the National Assembly on 14 June 2025 and in force from 1 January 2026, defines digital assets and splits them into virtual assets and crypto assets, treating them as property under the Civil Code 2015. Neither category includes securities or digital fiat. The practical effect is that owning and trading crypto as an asset is lawful for individuals, with ownership, taxation, and the enforceability of related transactions now placed on a clearer legal footing, as of 2026. What remains restricted is the use of crypto as money, which is handled separately by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Crypto is not a means of payment

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) does not recognise crypto as a lawful means of payment, and the Vietnamese dong is the only legal tender. Under Decree No. 52/2024/ND-CP, which replaced Decree No. 101/2012/ND-CP, payment instruments not provided for by the SBV are illegal means of payment. Issuing, supplying, or using crypto to pay for goods or services is therefore prohibited. Administrative fines of 150 million to 200 million dong can apply under Decree No. 88/2019/ND-CP, and serious cases can attract criminal liability under the Criminal Code, as of 2026. This payment restriction sits alongside, and does not cancel, the recognition of crypto as an asset that can be held and traded.

Regulation and the exchange pilot

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) leads the crypto asset market framework. Resolution No. 05/2025/NQ-CP, issued on 9 September 2025, established a five year pilot for a licensed crypto asset market and a licensing regime for crypto asset exchanges. Reported pilot conditions include a minimum charter capital of 10,000 billion dong, roughly 400 million US dollars, and a cap of 49 percent on foreign ownership of a licensed operator. Licensing procedures opened in early 2026, the State Securities Commission is handling the exchange licensing process, and a small number of Vietnamese applicants have been shortlisted. Officials have indicated that the first official market activity could begin around the third quarter of 2026. Until a licensed platform is live, the domestic regulated market does not yet exist in practice.

Tax

There is no dedicated crypto tax in force in Vietnam as of April 2026. The Ministry of Finance published a draft framework in 2026 that proposes a 0.1 percent levy on the value of each crypto transfer, mirroring the treatment of securities trading, with separate corporate income tax for companies and a value added tax exemption for crypto transfers. These figures are proposals in draft and are not yet enacted, so we mark the precise rate and scope unclear pending final rules. The General Department of Taxation, under the Ministry of Finance, administers tax. See the Vietnam crypto tax page for detail. This is general information, not tax advice, so verify your position before filing.

Availability and how to act

Availability in Vietnam is in transition. No domestically licensed exchange is operating yet, as the pilot licences are still being processed and the first official activity is expected later in 2026. In practice, many Vietnamese residents have used international platforms, often through peer to peer channels for dong access, and Vietnam consistently ranks among the highest countries for crypto adoption. Those international platforms are not locally licensed, however, and authorities have signalled draft measures that could restrict access to foreign exchanges as the domestic market launches. If you choose to use a platform, treat the legal status as transitional, prefer providers that will operate under the Vietnamese pilot once live, and confirm the current rules first.

Regulator and sources

• Law on Digital Technology Industry, passed by the National Assembly on 14 June 2025, in force 1 January 2026, recognising digital assets including crypto assets
• State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), sbv.gov.vn, on crypto not being a lawful means of payment, with Decree No. 52/2024/ND-CP and Decree No. 88/2019/ND-CP on penalties
• Ministry of Finance (MOF), mof.gov.vn, and Resolution No. 05/2025/NQ-CP of 9 September 2025 on the crypto asset market pilot and exchange licensing
• Ministry of Finance draft crypto tax framework published in 2026, proposing a 0.1 percent transfer levy, not yet enacted

Frequently asked questions

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