Is Crypto Legal in Serbia? Understanding Regulations and Compliance Framework

The Republic of Serbia has formally regulated cryptocurrency through the Law on Digital Assets, enacted in December 2020 and applied as of June 29, 2021. Under this law, digital assets are recognized as a form of property but are not considered legal tender. The National Bank of Serbia and the Securities Commission share supervisory responsibilities, ensuring that issuance, trading, and custody of virtual currencies comply with established standards (1).

The Law on Digital Assets defines digital assets broadly—including virtual currencies and tokens—and sets out licensing requirements for service providers. Companies offering exchange, custody, or brokerage services must apply for a licence via the e-Uprava portal and adhere to anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) protocols. These measures aim to protect investors while aligning Serbia’s framework with global best practices (1)(2).

"Financial institutions supervised by the National Bank of Serbia shall not own digital assets and digital asset instruments as their property, and the stakes in the capital of such institutions shall not be in digital assets."

Banks and other credit institutions are prohibited from holding cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets, though they may provide safekeeping of cryptographic keys. Foreign exchange and payment services tied to digital-asset transactions must comply with existing currency-control regulations. The Securities Commission issues licences for token-related services, while the National Bank oversees virtual-currency activities (2).

Source:
https://www.nbs.rs/export/sites/NBS_site/documents-eng/propisi/zakoni/digitalna_imovina_e.pdf
https://www.nbs.rs/documents-eng/publikacije/wp_bulletin/wp_bulletin_03_22_4.pdf

Last updated: 16-05-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.