Panama — crypto regulation

Status: partial · Last reviewed 2026-11-05

No enacted crypto-specific law. Digital assets are legal but have no licensing regime, and the UAF supervises VASPs only for AML. Bill 697 (2022) was vetoed and struck down by the Supreme Court (2023). Bill 247 (2025, crypto payments and VASP licensing) and Bill 326 (2025, VASPs) are still pending, and a broader fintech framework bill was introduced in Jan 2026. Pressure is building to regulate VASPs before the FATF evaluation in 2027. Panama signed the OECD CARF-MCAA in Dec 2025, and Panama City accepts crypto for municipal fees (Apr 2025). Territorial tax system with no capital gains tax on foreign-source crypto.

Legislation

• Draft Bill 326 — Virtual Asset Service Providers (Proposed) (2025)
• Law No. 23/2015 — Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing (2015)
• Law No. 129/2020 — Fintech Regulatory Framework (2020)
• Bill No. 697 — Crypto Asset Regulation (Struck Down) (2022)
• Bill No. 247 — Digital Assets and VASP Licensing (Proposed) (2025)
• Draft Bill 487 — Fintech and Blockchain Regime (Proposed) (2026)