One of the world’s most respected publications in the field of crypto-business has published the Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index 2025. India and the United States lead the ranking, but in the per capita segment – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
The study covered 151 countries and took into account the use of various crypto services – from centralized exchanges to DeFi solutions and institutional activity.
The situation is piquant due to the fact that in Moldova from July 1, 2023, Law No. 66 of 30.03.2023 came into force, which completely prohibits individuals and legal entities to conduct transactions with cryptocurrencies.
This decision made it impossible to use cryptocurrencies for payments or transfers, leaving only the possibility of storing them as investment assets. At the moment, all transactions with cryptocurrencies are banned in the country, it can only be owned if it was bought abroad or had before the ban was introduced. Mining is also not developed in the country due to high electricity prices and the difficulty associated with importing equipment.
At the time of the ban, there was only one legal cryptocurrency company, Coinbank, which was forced to suspend its operations. It provided cryptocurrency exchange services and owned a network of crypto-mats in Chisinau. As of June 1, 2023, its activity has been stopped, and a petition to lift the ban is on the website.
The ban on the circulation of cryptocurrencies was introduced to combat money laundering and to reduce the shadow economy. At the same time, it appears that only legally operating firms were closed. Unregistered exchangers, judging by the large number of ads on the Internet, continue to operate and are used both to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.
Most users prefer international platforms such as Binance, Coinbase, Kraken and Bybit due to their wide selection of assets and high liquidity. Their activities are not regulated or restricted in any way. Exchanges take place using P2P platforms, which indicates the low effectiveness of the ban as a mechanism to reduce the risks associated with cryptocurrency transactions.
According to the current tax legislation, income from cryptocurrency transactions, like other income, is subject to income tax at the rate of 12%. However, due to the imposed ban and the fact that the entire cryptocurrency market is in a gray zone, no taxation is actually applied.
Moldova plans to legalize cryptocurrency by 2027. The authorities intend to harmonize the legislative framework regarding the circulation of cryptocurrencies with the EU legislation by June 2027.
According to Petru Rotaru, First Vice President of the National Bank of Moldova, the NBM is actively working on the creation of a legal framework for the regulation of virtual assets in order to implement best international practices.
