Kuwait bans crypto and virtual assets transactions
Kuwait’s Capital Markets Authority has officially confirmed the commitment to “absolute prohibition” of virtually all crypto operations in the country. The state of Kuwait is the latest jurisdiction to ban virtually all operations involving cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). On July 18, Kuwait’s main financial regulator, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), issued a circular on the supervision and issuance of virtual assets in the country. In the circular, the CMA confirmed the commitment to “absolute prohibition” on major use cases and operations involving cryptocurrencies, including payments, investments, and mining. The circular also bans local regulators from issuing any licenses allowing firms to provide virtual asset services as a commercial business. In the meantime, securities and other financial instruments regulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait and the CMA are excluded from the latest prohibitions, the announcement notes. Apart from the prohibitions, the CMA also requ...