Self-custodial wallet / non-custodial software in Algeria

Loi de Finances 2018 (2018 Finance Law), Article 117.

Custody Providers: Prohibited.

No registration: Businesses cannot register with any Algerian authority to legally offer crypto services.

No licensing: There are no licenses issued for crypto activities.

Article 51 bis explicitly states: "Any acquisition, disposal, management, use, possession, or dealing with virtual currency is strictly prohibited." It also classifies transactions involving virtual currencies as offenses punishable by the penalties provided for in the laws and regulations in force.

Law No. 18-10 of August 2, 2018, on Money and Credit (Loi n° 18-10 du 2 août 2018 relative à la monnaie et au crédit).

Entity Targeted: Individuals engaged in buying, selling, or facilitating the exchange of cryptocurrencies, often referred to as "illegal traders" or "individuals involved in unauthorized virtual currency transactions." Specific names are rarely disclosed in initial reports. Violation Type: Illicit use, possession, buying, or selling of virtual currencies; violation of foreign exchange regulations; money laundering (often linked as an additional charge). These stem directly from Article 117 of the 2018 Finance Law and subsequent reinforcing legislation. Penalty Amount: Varies significantly based on the judge's decision, but often includes:. Outcome: Arrest, seizure of assets/equipment, prosecution, and typically conviction leading to imprisonment and/or fines, based on the criminalization of these activities.

Entity Targeted: Individuals or groups operating cryptocurrency mining farms. These operations are often targeted not only for the illicit use of cryptocurrency but also for illegal electricity consumption, which carries additional penalties. Violation Type: Illegal operation of virtual currency mining, illicit use of virtual currencies, unauthorized electricity consumption, money laundering. These charges are derived from the criminalization of cryptocurrency activities and related offenses. Penalty Amount: Similar to trading violations, penalties include:. Outcome: Arrests, dismantling of mining operations, seizure of expensive mining hardware, prosecution, and convictions leading to imprisonment and fines.

Outcome: Arrest, seizure of assets/equipment, prosecution, and typically conviction leading to imprisonment and/or fines, based on the criminalization of these activities.

Outcome: Arrests, dismantling of mining operations, seizure of expensive mining hardware, prosecution, and convictions leading to imprisonment and fines.

AML/KYC Requirements: Strict Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures would be mandatory, aligning with international standards set by FATF (Financial Action Task Force). This would involve customer identification, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting.

No Specific Test: Algeria does not have a specific legal test for classifying cryptocurrency tokens as securities, or as anything else, because the very concept of "virtual currency" is banned. Therefore, there's no equivalent to the Howey test or any other specific framework for assessing the characteristics of a crypto asset.

Bank of Algeria Statements: The Governor of the Bank of Algeria has, on several occasions, discussed the potential for a "digital dinar." This exploration, however, does not signify a change in the country's stance on privately issued cryptocurrencies. A CBDC would be a liability of the central bank, fundamentally different from decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum.