Azerbaijan plans to introduce regulations for the cryptocurrency market within the year, requiring companies to operate with licenses

According to Bits.media, Fidan Tofidi, the head of the Financial Technology and Innovation Department of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, stated that the regulatory bill for the country's virtual asset market has been drafted and submitted for review, with formal legislation expected within the year. The bill requires all companies engaged in cryptocurrency asset business to obtain a license issued by the central bank, and unauthorized operations within the country are prohibited. Licensed institutions will be subject to ongoing supervision. The regulatory framework will cover compliance requirements such as anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and customer identity verification (KYC), and will be incorporated into Azerbaijan's financial market development strategy for 2027-2030.