Stablecoin issuer / redeemer in Suriname

No Explicit Classification: Suriname does not have specific legislation classifying stablecoins.

E-money/Payment Tokens: If a stablecoin functions purely as a medium of exchange, maintains a stable value, and is redeemable at par, it might conceptually fall under the purview of e-money regulations if the existing laws were broadly interpreted. However, Suriname's current e-money framework (if any exists) is unlikely to explicitly cover distributed ledger technology (DLT) based assets.

Securities: If a stablecoin offers any form of dividend, interest, or represents an ownership interest in a pool of assets in a way that resembles an investment contract, it could potentially be viewed as a security under the Wet op het Toezicht op de Effectenhandel 1999 (Securities Trading Supervision Act 1999). However, this would require a specific determination by the regulator.

Unregulated Digital Asset: In practice, most stablecoins (and cryptocurrencies) in Suriname would likely be considered unregulated digital assets outside the traditional financial system.

No Specific Requirements: Given the lack of specific stablecoin legislation, there are no explicit reserve requirements for stablecoin issuers in Suriname.

Implied Requirements (Hypothetical): If a stablecoin were ever to be classified as e-money, general e-money regulations would likely require full backing of customer funds in segregated accounts. However, this is speculative for stablecoins.

No Specific Licensing: There is no specific licensing regime for stablecoin issuers in Suriname.

General Financial Licensing (Hypothetical): If a stablecoin issuer were deemed to be performing activities that fall under existing financial services (e.g., banking, payment services, securities brokerage), they would theoretically need to obtain the relevant licenses under laws like the Wet Toezicht Bank- en Kredietwezen 2011 (Banking and Credit Supervision Act 2011) or payment services regulations. However, stablecoin issuance itself is not a defined licensed activity.

No Regulatory Guarantees: Without specific stablecoin regulation, there are no legally enforced redemption rights for stablecoin holders in Suriname beyond what might be contractually offered by the issuer (which would be subject to general contract law, not financial regulation specific to stablecoins).

Risk: This means users bear the full counterparty risk of the issuer.

Wet Toezicht Bank- en Kredietwezen 2011 (Banking and Credit Supervision Act 2011):

Wet op het Toezicht op de Effectenhandel 1999 (Securities Trading Supervision Act 1999):

AML/CFT Consideration: Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and is subject to FATF recommendations. FATF Recommendation 15 requires countries to regulate Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) purposes. While specific VASP licensing/registration might be in development or loosely applied, it primarily focuses on AML/CFT compliance rather than prudential stablecoin regulation. Suriname has AML/CFT legislation, such as the Wet Melding Ongebruikelijke Transacties (WMOT) / Act Reporting Unusual Transactions (ARUT), which could eventually be extended to cover VASPs, including stablecoin issuers/exchanges if they are identified as such.

Neither a specific licensing nor a specific registration regime for VASPs exists.

Centrale Bank van Suriname (CBS): The central bank is the primary financial regulator in Suriname and has issued official statements regarding cryptocurrencies.

AML/KYC (Anti-Money Laundering/Know Your Customer):

Conduct customer due diligence (CDD/KYC).

Monitor transactions for suspicious activity.

Report suspicious transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Suriname.

Maintain proper records.

FATF Mutual Evaluation Report of Suriname (2020): https://www.fatf-gafi.org/content/fatf-gafi/en/countries-regions/s-t/suriname/documents/mer-suriname-2020.html (Look specifically at ratings for R.15 and findings related to VASPs).

No specific rules. Given the absence of a dedicated regulatory framework for crypto custodians, there are no explicit mandates or guidelines requiring the segregation of client digital assets from the custodian's own assets.

VASP Requirements: VASPs operating in or from Suriname, or dealing with Surinamese customers, must screen all their customers (KYC/CDD) and transactions against the UN sanctions lists. If a match is found, assets must be frozen, and a report made to the FIU-S.

VASP Requirements: VASPs must screen customers and transactions against OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List and other sanctions lists. They should also be aware of OFAC's guidance specifically addressing virtual currency.

Likely Interpretation for Individuals:

For Businesses: If a company deals in cryptocurrencies as part of its regular business operations, any gains realized from the sale of cryptocurrencies would be considered part of its taxable business profit and subject to corporate income tax.